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THE CONSUL RETURNS TO ADANA 375
A little rain came on ; various interests presented
themselves by the way ; and at one point we waited
while his Excellency went back to his cottage. On
his return yet other interests arose, and in the end
we were adroitly diverted to rambling in a glen, and
never so much as approached the tunnel. Evidently
there was a wish that we should not see it. One
statement made was that it could not be completed
in the time expected owing to rock of excessive hardness
having been encountered. On the whole, the
impression given was that small progress rather than
great was the reason for keeping us away.
After two days' stay at Baghche the Consul left
for Osmanieh, thence to return to Adana by construction
train. Ibrahim had found him a horse, whose
owner, a strange shambling figure in baggy black
breeches, carrying an old umbrella, accompanied the
party on foot to bring back his animal. The hundred
miles from Adana to Baghche had been the gayest
stage of my journey ; nor could I hope for anything
so good to follow. With the feelings of one left to
roam in wildernesses with an unknown guide, I saw
the Consul, perched high on a native saddle, the inimitable
Ibrahim, busy and alert as usual, and the
baggy floundering horse -owner, go down the valley
and pass out of sight. Would, I thought, that I had
been favoured with such company all the way from
Samslin. The Consul, ever concerned for his country's
interests, ever discovering the odd side of things, ever
humorous and shrewd of comment ; and Ibrahim, as
ever adroit and most diverting kavass, courier, and
domestic. Then we should have seen and done
much, and have turned the hidden haunts of monks
and troglodytes inside out—then indeed would have
been a journey to chronicle. For the man who travels
alone finds few incidents except those of his own
making, and they, unless of adventure, are generally
limited in interest.