40 TRAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT. 



of white drapery that was dimly discernible through 

 them, I strongly suspected that the light of the good 

 doctor's harem was there watching with curiosity the 

 movements and appetites of the strangers. 



As the sun dipped towards the naked rocky hills 

 that bound the valley on the west, we prepared for 

 a start. Our good host, wishing to see the last of 

 us, insisted upon riding out of the city with us. He 

 amused us by speaking of his experience with the 

 Persian army when on service. He said the men 

 were good enough, and of such Avonderful endurance 

 and obedience that under good officers they would do 

 anything. He informed us that he was the only 

 European with the Persian forces when they made 

 their night attack on Sir James Outrani's force at 

 Boorasjoon ; indeed, he gave us to understand that 

 he planned and led the attack himself ; and if it had 

 not been for " ces coquins d'officiers qui ne se battent 

 jamais" as he said, and who ran at the first fire of 

 our troops, we should have suffered considerably. 



On our dismounting to take leave of the hospitable 

 doctor, he produced a flat-shaped bottle which he had 

 carried, stowed away in one of his saddle-bags. He 

 declared that our finishing the contents of it between 

 the three of us, before we shook hands to say good- 

 bye, would give him infinite pleasure. Indeed, he 

 seemed to think that friends could not part in any 

 orthodox way but this. The bottle contained, as I 

 found out afterwards to my cost, arrack, and very 



