CHAPTER XXXV.
The precipice—Better to die to-morrow than to-day—Livana—The Caimacan—The Padishah of the United States—The Clerk—A man with a node on his forehead—A Christian with a hump-back—The cayek—The owner of the boat—The Georgians—Mohammed's alarm—The current—Miradet—The Mudir—A deserter.
The road took a very circuitous course as we approached Livana. We were several hundred feet above the Tschoroch river, and could gaze down almost perpendicularly into the abyss below. Suddenly the sound of a shout reached our ears. We glanced in the direction of the noise.
"It is the cayek," said Mohammed eagerly. "The men are taking it to Livana. They will next propose that we should hire it from there to Batoum. Holy Prophet!" he continued, "how the waters roar, how near the boat goes to the rocks! My body groans, Effendi, at the idea of going to Batoum by water."
"You will very likely soon have to fight the Russians," I replied; "what difference can it make if you are drowned to-morrow in the Tschoroch, or are shot a few weeks later?"
"To-morrow is close at hand, Effendi. It would be better to die a few weeks later; besides that, when the Russians are shooting at me, I shall be shooting at them. I shall be frightened, but they will be frightened too. It is very different to travel on the river. I cannot drown the river, the river can drown me,"—and Mohammed shuddered as the cayek darting round a neighbouring crag, suddenly disappeared from our view.
We crossed a stone bridge, which spans the Tschoroch, and began to climb the steep hill on which Livana is built.
I stayed at the house of the Caimacan, a Georgian by birth. He was popular with the Armenians. Several of the Christian merchants who came to visit me spoke very highly in his praise. Formerly there had been many robberies in the neighbourhood, but Alinihat Bey, the Caimacan, had arrested all the robbers, every man's life and property were now secure. I now heard, amongst other rumours, one which I had previously heard in Persia, to the effect that the Padishah of the United States had informed the Queen of England that if she were to join Turkey against Russia, that he, the Padishah of the United States, would ally himself with the Tzar. According to the Caimacan, this had restrained England up to the present time from allying herself with the Sultan. You will see the Pacha at Batoum," observed the speaker.
"Yes?"
"Will you do me a favour?"