acrossasiaminoro00chiluoft

436 ACEOSS ASIA MINOR ON FOOT
tachioed figures groping their way among the sleepers
by the uncertain glimmering of matches. They were
zaptiehs who had just come with the mail, and now
flung themselves on the floor to sleep as if very tired.
Their coming was signal for three others to rise, take
their rifles, and away at once as the fresh relay, for
the mail halts no longer than is necessary to change
the bags to fresh horses. Mehmet, however, was not
one of those who rode off into the darkness. In the
morning, when I asked if he was going farther with
me, he laughed and answered that he was going to
Alexandretta if I wished. Evidently the regulations
which controlled a zaptieh at Aleppo counted for
nothing once he was out of sight and had prospects
of a good tip before him.
Beyond Termanin the loose stones disappeared, the
country became more fertile, and here and there were
villages and wayside locantas, or inns, constructed
of interwoven canes. We marched under a cloudless
sky and blazing sunshine towards the great blue and
white western barrier of the Amanus, now in full
view and growing more and more distinct with every
mile. At noon the Afrin river was reached and
forded, as so much pleasant wading in cool water on
a hot day. And then at evening appeared the village
of Hammam—white buildings scattered on little hills
covered with asphodel green as
young wheat, though
now in blossom. At Hammam the horse track on
which we had travelled from Aleppo joined the highroad,
with the village hhan placed beside the junction ;
and before the khan was standing, after the day's
work, an English steam-roller wearing an unmistakably
friendly look. With long residence in foreign lands
you discover that it is possible to have friendly inanimate
countrymen as well as human. And so
indeed this solid honest machine, bearing the Kentish
motto " Invicta" and the rampant horse, seemed to be,
as it stood here, contentedly dribbling a little water
and letting off a little steam after a good day's work
on Syrian roads.