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Updated: June 11, 2025
"You'll never make me believe you Armenians haven't hidden supplies," said Monty. "Take to the hills until the fury is over!" But the old man shook his head, and his people seemed at one with him. These were not like our Zeitoonli, but wore the settled gloom of resignation that is poor half-brother to Moslem fanaticism, caught by subjection and infection from the bullying Turk.
With that subtle flattery he unlocked the man's reserve, passed on from chance remark to frank, good-humored questions, and within an hour had talked with twenty men. At last he called to one of the Zeitoonli to come and scrape the yard dung from his boots, climbed the stairs leisurely, and sat beside us. "You're quite right, Fred," he said quietly.
However, we exchanged no wayside gossip, because our Zeitoonli in front availed themselves of privilege and shouted to every stranger to pass at a good distance. That is a perfectly fair precaution in a land where every one goes armed, and any one may be a bandit. But it leads to aloofness.
"Meanin'?" demanded Will. "In half an hour. Do not be afraid!" said he. "Before I grow afraid of you," Will retorted, "you'll need your friends along, and they'll need knives!" The Zeitoonli bowed, laid a finger on his eye again, smiled and backed away. But he did not leave the room.
They won theirs, that the governor was to bring no troops with him, but to be contented with a body-guard of Zeitoonli. For the rest: Mahmoud was to go free, taking his wounded with him, but surrendering all the uninjured Turkish soldiers in the trap as hostages for the release of all Armenian prisoners taken anywhere between Tarsus and Zeitoon.
You'll notice the Turkish muleteers are having nothing whatever to say to our Zeitoonli, although they've accepted the same service. Moslems are keeping together, and Armenians are getting the silence cure. Armenians are even shy of speaking to one another. I've tried listening, and I've tried asking questions, although that was risky. I can't get a word of explanation.
"I go with that man!" announced Maga, pointing at Will, but obviously well aware that nothing of the kind would be permitted. "Maga, come!" said Kagig, and got on his horse. "You gentlemen may take with you each one Zeitoonli servant. No, no more. No, the ammunition in your pockets must suffice. Yes, I know the remainder is yours; come then to Zeitoon and get it! Haide Haide! Mount! Ride!
These Zeitoonli of ours were more obviously every hour men of a different disposition to the meek Armenians of the places where the Turkish heel had pressed. But for our armed presence and the respect accorded to the Anglo-Saxon they would have had the whole mixed company down on them a dozen times that night.
It looked very much as if those four Zeitoonli knew in advance exactly what the interruption in our journey meant. Will was out of the running entirely, or else the rest of us were, depending on which way one regarded it. He had eyes for nobody and nothing but the girl, nor she for any one but him, and nobody could rightfully blame either of them.
At that Gloria got excited. "D'you mean you're willing to leave a woman behind alone in that forest?" she demanded, and Will's jaw dropped. Fred nudged my ribs. "Come on! We've given 'em a ground for their first quarrel. They'll never thank us if we wait a week. Mount! Walk ride!" We sent our two Zeitoonli in advance to show the way.
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