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364 ACROSS ASIA MINOR ON FOOT
lay across the path. It was ten or twelve feet wide,
muddy water between muddy banks, with a boulder
or two half-way ; and Mustapha, not liking appearances,
crossed higher up ;
Ibrahim, however, as the
more capable and resolute man, went straight ahead.
His horse stopped after entering the water, wary as
to the bottom.
" Go round," cried the Consul, now looking on from
the farther bank, and somewhat anxious for his baggage.
But assuming the style of an expert in such
matters, Ibrahim spurred the horse forward ; and the
beast responding with a start plunged into a deep
hole with a sousing splash. But this sight was
nothing compared with the rider's face, as he pitched
off sideways, for it was the face of one suddenly overtaken
by the last extremity of humiliation. He soon
scrambled out, however, but the horse remained fast,
a fore-hoof jammed between sunken boulders, head
and hind-quarters above w^ater, shoulders and saddlebags
submerged. In its struggles to get free the
animal merely churned up blue ooze, and looked like
breaking its legs.
With Mustapha's aid, given with a lurking grin,
the saddlebags were removed and the horse extricated,
and then Ibrahim attended to the baggage. As he
turned out the various articles, he uttered disarming
cries of sorrow at their state. White napery, sheets,
blankets, articles of clothing, all were soaked in blue
mud. As they came from the bags he carefully spread
them on a bush and covered them with his tunic
against the drenching rain. What I saw was a
man who had spoilt his master's kit through folly
what the Consul saw, however, was something else
he lost sight of the fault in the servant's present
solicitude, and murmured " Splendid ! " continuously.
Presently a doubtful article came to light as Ibrahim
rummaged. It looked like a sodden pair of purple
socks as, with another little cry of anguish, he thrust
it
reverently inside his shirt.
"What is that?" asked the Consul, with fresh
satisfaction in his servant, and Ibrahim drew the