no CASUALS IN THE CAUCASUS 



that these woods harboured some redoubtable speci- 

 mens, we were all armed with revolvers, which gave us 

 a feeling of security and importance. Besides, we took 

 it in turns to keep watch and ward beside the fire. 



Just as I was at last dozing off to sleep the winged 

 spirit of the ruined castle cried, " Haqq ! Haqq ! 

 Haqq ! " interminably, in wearying regularity. We 

 could not see the bird, but his vibrant note bewrayed 

 him. It was the little Persian owlet, smaller than a 

 thrush, sacred to all good Mahommedans, who call it 

 the " Bird of Testimony," because its eternal " Haqq ! 

 Haqq ! " means " Truth ! Truth ! " Sometimes the 

 burden of its song wove itself into the sigh of the wind 

 keeping his tryst on the snow peaks, and sometimes it 

 sounded like the cry of a child in pain. When I 

 suggested the similarity to Kenneth, most unromantic 

 of Scotsmen, he said very crossly that the bird was 

 like nothing else but the most irritating variety of 

 exhaust pipe, and he only wished he had its neck 

 within wringing distance, and other bloodthirsty 

 things. But why, why wish to kill it ? I demurred. 

 After all, the Washingtonian disciple was only pro- 

 pounding its creed in season and out, like most testi- 

 fiers. My cousin didn't see it, and remarked childishly 

 that it was all the same to him if his night's rest was 

 jeopardized whether the owlet said " truth " or 

 " lies," which reminded me of the story of Charles 

 Lamb, and his complaint of the song of the nightin- 

 gale. 



" Surely," said Wordsworth," it is not much of a 

 misery to be kept awake by the bird most musical ? " 



