THE SULTAN OF TURKEY 



any rate he seems to wear everything the army 

 has ever captured. But I was there to see the 

 Sultan — and to draw him ! 



Can you imagine my feelings? Here was 

 a man, not twenty-five feet from me, whose 

 features most of the world did not know and 

 wanted to see; one of the great rulers of the 

 earth who had never posed for a picture — and 

 I did not dare pull a sketching pad from my 

 pocket ! 



I was afraid my eyes would not register. 

 Suppose a fly had flown into them for just 

 that brief moment? Suppose I had sneezed? 

 It would have been rough handling, and it 

 would have meant expulsion from the country 

 if I had drawn a pad from my pocket, as de- 

 tectives and spies stood behind us watching our 

 hands. Worst of all, I was afraid that if I 

 did make an attempt to sketch I would have 

 my Irade taken away. So it may be plain why 

 I did not notice the Minister of War, or who- 

 ever it was in the carriage with the Sultan. I 

 did not even notice the beautiful Arabian stal- 

 lions which were led just back of his carriage. 

 But my eyes did work and they did register 

 even under such a strain. I saw the Sultan's 

 features well, and they were mine ; so much so 



[39] ^ 



