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Updated: June 28, 2025
"Do you deny Kagig's right to question prisoners?" I asked, thinking I saw a way out of the mess. "Can I not question him?" Rustum Khan turned on me with a gesture that made it clear he held me to no friendship on account of service rendered. He strode toward his prisoner, with heaven knows what notion in his head, but Fred interposed himself.
He brought us yoghourt in earthenware bowls extremely cool and good it was; and after we had done I saw him carry down a huge mess more of it to the house below us, where many of the stragglers we had brought along were quartered by Kagig's order. "Where's Monty?" Fred demanded as soon as we entered the room. "Presently!" Kagig answered rather irritably I thought.
But the mutual hatred had not died off their faces, and they lay side by side clutching each other's throats as if passion had continued after death. The sight of Ephraim and his party hurrying across their front toward Kagig's weak left wing had evidently convinced the Kurds that no more danger need be expected from their own left.
As a Muhammadan by creed he was in theory without caste and not to be defiled by European touch, but the practises of most folk fall behind their professions. A hundred yards ahead of us Maga was talking and gesticulating furiously, evidently railing at Kagig's wooden-headedness or unbelief. Monty sat listening, saying nothing. "What did you see, Rustum Khan?" asked Fred. "At first very little.
"Ten 'traitors, " said Monty, "have let themselves get caught at intervals since noon. One of Kagig's spies has got across to us with news that Mahmoud means to finish the hash of Zeitoon to-night. His men have been promised all the loot and all the women." "Except one!" Fred added with a glance at Gloria. "Two! Except two!" remarked Kagig with a glance at the door.
"Has he been writing down all our sins in a new book?" "He will identify you. He will also identify Kagig's agents. He brings a personal charge against a man named Rustum Khan, who must return to Tarsus to answer it. The charge is robbery with violence." Rustum Khan snorted. "The violence was only too gentle, and too soon ended.
With strange unreason they made no haste, whereas we were in a frenzy of impatience; and when Fred sought to improve their temper by singing the songs that had hitherto acted like charms on Kagig's whole command, they turned in their saddles and cursed him for calling attention to us.
Up above on the outer rampart we could see Kagig's sentries outlined against the sky, protected against the chilly mountain air by goat-skin outer garments and pointed goat-skin hats.
We were proceeding at an easy walk in front of a squadron of ragged-looking irregulars whom I did not recognize, toward the center of the position Kagig had held. Kagig's men were no longer in hiding, but standing about in groups; and presently I caught sight of Fred and Will and Kagig standing together, but not Gloria Vanderman. A cough immediately behind us made me turn my head.
Imagination conjured up the shrieks of tortured victims, for we had all seen enough of late to know what would happen to any luckless straggler they might have caught and brought to make sport by the fires. But there was no imagination about the calls of Kagig's men, posted above us on invisible dark crags and ledges to guard against surprise.
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