128 
THE LAST HOPE GONE. 
[chap. III. 
sently, from a distance, I saw Koorshid, the Circassian, 
approaching with his partner. Coffee and pipes were 
ready instanter , both the boy Saat and Bicharn looked 
upon him as a friend and ally, as it was arranged that 
ten of his hunters were to accompany us. Before he 
sipped his coffee he took me by the hand, and with 
great confusion of manner he confessed that he was 
ashamed to come and visit me. “ The' moment you 
left me yesterday/' said he, “ I called my vakeel and 
headman, and ordered them to select the ten best men 
of my party to accompany you ; but instead of obeying 
me as usual, they declared that nothing would induce 
them to serve under you; that you were a spy who 
would report their proceedings to the Government, 
and that they should all be ruined; that you were 
not only a spy on the slave-trade, but that you were 
a madman, who would lead them into distant and 
unknown countries, where both you and your wife and 
they would all be murdered by the natives; thus they 
would mutiny immediately, should you be forced upon 
them/' My last hope was gone. Of course I thanked 
Koorshid for his good-will, and explained that I should 
not think of intruding myself upon his party, but that 
at the same time they should not drive me out of the 
country. I had abundance of stores and ammunition, 
and now that my men had deserted me, I had -suffi- 
