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VILLAGE OF KIRK KHAN 439
to the point of collapse, they hobbled and dragged
themselves painfully forward, with frequent rests by
the wayside, along the interminable road of their
home-coming. Here and there lay a dead ass or
camel, and vultures sometimes sat perched on telegraph
poles or flapped away heavily when disturbed
at their meal. Carcasses and vultures are familiar
objects upon a caravan route ; but this stream of
hobbling, broken soldiery seemed to add a more
sinister meaning to the presence of carrion-birds.
Although the men were in such miserable plight,
a dread of military law and perhaps a strain of
pride remained with them. In the zaptieh's presence
not one would accept the few piastres I offered to
those apparently in greatest need ; cigarettes were
taken with gratitude ; money, however, they declined,
each saying he was a soldier ; and one heavy-eyed
hollow- faced wretch with long moustache and grey
stubble of beard added that he was an Osmanli.
In him at least was pride of race. But when I
made the zaptieh distributor of aid not a man refused
it, though wellnigh speechless at the novelty, and
not quite sure of what lay
behind.
The sun was still high above Amanus when,
through asphodel and orchards bordering a very dusty
road, I entered the village of Kirk Khan, at the
foot of the mountains, to halt for the last night
before reaching the sea and my journey's end.
Through an open door at the back hot sunlight
streamed into my room ; through the window in
front I looked across the street to a row of little
shops, each with its drowsing shopkeeper seated
outside. Lame soldiers were still trickling in by
the Aleppo road, now and then a string of slow
camels came down from Beilan Pass, and in the
dusty street children were playing among fowls and
yellow dogs. Farther up the road were gaunt fireblackened
walls, and then I noticed that the shops
across the way were new. In proportion to its
population Kirk Khan had seen, at the time of the