acrossasiaminoro00chiluoft

322 ACROSS ASIA MINOR ON FOOT
range of grey buildings
enclosing an open courtyard
entered by a gate. Behind the khan the country
seemed to be broken into gentle undulations falling
towards the sea ; but in reality the eye rested upon
a series of flattish ridges between abrupt gorges, in
one of which flowed the river ; and because these
ridges were covered with close green scrub the general
surface appeared to be scarcely broken. Upon a knoll
across the road was the last cluster of pine-trees,
for here was the edge of the pine country, and
towards the sea the vegetation changed, A pleasant
khan in pleasant country it was, only that the khankeeper
happened to be a Greek.
Doubtless he made his house profitable. The long
range of clean little bedrooms above the stables,
each room opening to the balcony, told of much
business. The cook-shop, too, was good, and many
guests were already buying food. But for all this
excellence and visible prosperity the Man -keeper
evidently led a troubled existence, as one must
whose charges are liable to challenge on points
of custom. I had not arrived ten minutes before
a violent quarrel broke out in the yard below, and
jumped at once to a note of vehemence in many
voices which told of something beyond the common.
There was in the sound, too, that indefinable urgency
which is soon recognised as portending the use of
knife or revolver. I went out on the balcony and
saw before an open stable a struggling group—bright
colours, writhing bodies, men running, and the white
flash of steel. The sides were the khan, and guests
of the lower sort—the khan represented by servants,
and the guests by three Moslem donkey-drivers.
Two of these had already drawn knives, but now
were being well held. It was touch and go, however,
whether the third enraged guest would not
go to the knife at any moment, and at the present
stage attempts were being made to secure him, yet
with an obvious degree of forbearance.
Meanwhile the ^^a?i-keeper, a well-meaning Greek,