IN AUSTRIAN TURKEY 203 



we were only treated to a pair of horses. 

 The conveyance consisted of a sort of 

 char-a-banc. On the first of its seats sat 

 the driver and guard, the second was 

 available for passengers, and on the third 

 (back to back with the latter) was seated 

 the escort, an infantryman armed with 

 rifle and bayonet. Considering that, 

 besides his curly horn, our guard was 

 armed with a short sword and a revolver, 

 and that the country is as absolutely 

 safe as Middlesex, it occurred to me 

 that the " Tommy " might have been 

 dispensed with, which would enable 

 four passengers instead of two to be 

 carried. But on this occasion it was 

 immaterial ; I was the only candidate for 

 a seat. 



For a while our road lay along the 



