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EL OGHLU KHAN 385
a vague cluster of huts beside the road, and the
barking of savage dogs gave notice of our arrival.
His Excellency had told me that here was a hhan
at which he once put up ; it consisted of only one
room, he said, but he had secured it for the night
for himself and his two Circassians on payment of
a ridiculously small sum ; he advised me to make
the same offer to the khan - keeper. More than
twenty travellers of the poorer sort were in the
khan when I entered, including three pedestrian
Circassians— in a race of horsemen a class whose
reputation has peculiarities—and it seemed that no
reasonable sum would secure the room for my exclusive
use. But the company was to be avoided
if possible, so I offered our host the equivalent
of half-a-crown ; an offer considered and accepted,
though the other guests took it ill, as well they
might. They showed no inclination to budge when
I wished to sleep, so after waiting long enough I
got into my sleeping-sack as a plain hint. The khankeeper
saw how things were going, and now stood on
small ceremony ; he brought in a rough ladder, and up
it hustled the unwanted inmates into a loft overhead.
When all had disappeared, he removed the ladder
and laid it on the floor beside my bed, signifying
that he had performed his part of the contract, and
that, as custodian of the ladder, the rest depended
on myself. So much done by him as landlord, he
and his two young sons withdrew, and because one
was convulsed with laughter the father pulled his
ear unmercifully.
I had never seen Mustapha really laugh before, but
now he laughed like
the boy—whether at me or the
M«?i-keeper or guests, I was uncertain at this stage.
He laughed in sudden gusts, with intervals of wideeyed
staring, as if after each fresh consideration of
the matter he was compelled to a fresh outburst.
But at midnight I judged that his mirth had been
directed against his master, for I found myself hurriedly
placing the ladder in position for those above
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