Part 25 (2/2)

It was a ride that deserved to have an epic written about it The car was good, and I handled her well, though I say it who shouldn't The road in that big central plain was fair, and often I knocked fifty miles an hour out of her We passed troops by a circuit over the veld, where we took some awful risks, and once we skidded by some transport with our off wheels alh the narrow streets of Siwas like a fire-engine, while I shouted out in German that we carried despatches for headquarters We shot out of drizzling rain into brief spells of winter sunshi+ne, and then into a snow blizzard which all but whipped the skin fro road unrolled, with sorapple

That night we looked for no lodging We ate a sort of meal in the car with the hood up, and felt our way on in the darkness, for the headlights were in perfect order Then we turned off the road for four hours' sleep, and I had a go at the ain, and ca river The winter dawn showed its glea the sprinkled meadows I called to Blenkiron:

'I believe that river is the Euphrates,' I said 'So,' he said, acutely interested 'Then that's the waters of Babylon Great snakes, that I should have lived to see the fields where King Nebuchadnezzar grazed! Do you know the na hill, Major?'

'Ararat, as like as not,' I cried, and he believed reat, rocky, black slopes, and, seen through side glens, a hinterland of snowy peaks I re for the castrol I had seen into my South African memories I am not a superstitioustosent by Providence I was pretty certain that when I clapped eyes on it I would be in for bad trouble

Allwe travelled up that broad vale, and just before noon it spread out wider, the road dipped to the water's edge, and I saw before me the white roofs of a town The snoas deep now, and lay down to the riverside, but the sky had cleared, and against a space of blue heaven so like jewels The arches of a bridge, spanning two forks of the stream, showed in front, and as I slowed down at the bend a sentry's challenge rang out frojan, the headquarters of a Turkish corps and the gate of Armenia

I showed the man our passports, but he did not salute and let us uardhouse, who motioned us to keep pace with hi barracks with sentries outside The man spoke to us in Turkish, which Hussin interpreted There was somebody in that barracks anted badly to see us

'By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept,' quoted Blenkiron softly 'I fear, Major, we'll soon be re Zion'

I tried to persuade myself that this was merely the red tape of a frontier fortress, but I had an instinct that difficulties were in store for us If Rasta had started wiring I was prepared to put up the brazenest bluff, for ere still eightyto be landed there before night

A fussy staff-officer ht of us he cried to a friend to come and look

'Here are the birds safe A fat e who looks like a Kurd Call the guard and march them off There's no doubt about their identity'

'Pardon me, Sir,' I said, 'but we have no time to spare and we'd like to be in Erzeruh any formalities as soon as possible This man,' and I pointed to the sentry, 'has our passports'

'Co on just yet, and when you do it won't be in a stolen car' He took the passports and fingered the he saw there made him cock his eyebrows

'Where did you steal these?' he asked, but with less assurance in his tone

I spoke very gently 'You seem to be the victim of a mistake, sir These are our papers We are under orders to report ourselves at Erzerum without an hour's delay Whoever hinders us will have to answer to General von Lied if you will conduct us at once to the Governor'

'You can't see General Posselt,' he said; 'this is my business I have a wire fro to one of Enver Damad's staff It describes you all, and says that two of you are notorious spies wanted by the Imperial Government What have you to say to that?'

'Only that it is rubbish My good Sir, you have seen our passes Our errand is not to be cried on the housetops, but five s clear You will be exceedingly sorry for it if you delay another minute'

He was i his moustache turned on his heel and left us Presently he caruffly that the Governor would see us We followed hi out on the river, where an oldish fellow sat in an ar letters with a fountain pen

This was Posselt, who had been Governor of Erzerum till he fell sick and Ah blue pouches below his eyes He was supposed to be a good engineer and to have ave me the impression that his reputation at the moment was a bit unstable

The staff-officer spoke to him in an undertone

'Yes, yes, I know,' he said testily 'Are these the men? They look a pretty lot of scoundrels What's that you say? They deny it But they've got the car They can't deny that Here, you,' and he fixed on Blenkiron, 'who the devil are you?'

Blenkiron s one word, and I took up the parable

'Our passports, Sir, give our credentials,' I said He glanced through thethened