ATTEMPT AT ROBBERY. 87 



zeal for the sport, I pass his cap hastily, but care- 

 fully, and take no notice of his urgent appeal, or 

 perhaps, disapproving of the menacing tone in 

 which he has demanded rather than asked the 

 favour, have resolutely determined not to give 

 him any powder. He becomes first indignant, 

 then furious, repeats his demand in a still more 

 threatening tone, and then, his small stock of pa- 

 tience being quite exhausted, as well as the few 

 words of Greek he was master of, he proceeds to 

 shower down imprecations upon my head in his 

 own language, Albanian, which is fortunately 

 unintelligible to all of us. 



At this critical moment, another Albanian has 

 joined him, and then a third. Gaining confi- 

 dence, he renews the attack, backed by his com- 

 rades, and all approach and follow me, vocifera- 

 ting still more loudly, " Baruti." I still pretend 

 to take no notice, and go on shooting, till at 

 last, seeing them joined by some others, equally 

 clamorous for the much-desired, and, to them, 

 so valuable, gunpowder, I know that matters are 

 at a crisis, and that we must either accede to 

 their demands, to induce them to leave us to fol- 

 low our sport unmolested, or that we must oblige 



