"Take care that your friends do not eat you some day," said the Usebashe.
"They will eat you first, and we shall help them!" said the Kurd.
This aroused the captain's indignation. I thought that there would have been a disturbance. But, after a little more verbal warfare, the belligerents parted.
"All the people in this village are in Russian pay," said the Usebashe, "and that is why they are so hostile to you as well as to ourselves. These men," he continued, "are foolish enough to believe in the Russians, and think that because the Tzar's agents give them money and presents, this same sort of treatment will be continued. Poor fools! they will find their mistake some day."
We rode by men driving before them oxen laden with wood for fuel. There were many villages on either side of the track. The Persian inhabitants, attired in loose blue garments, and with their beards dyed red, gazed curiously upon us as we passed.
Some of the greater dandies amidst these gentlemen had their finger-nails also stained; and unless a man has his beard dyed a bright colour, he has very little chance of meeting with the approval of the fair sex. A stout red-haired Welshman would have what is termed un grand succes amidst the ladies in these regions.
"These Persians are ridiculous creatures," said the Usebashe. "Only think of the men dyeing their beards red! One would have thought that black would have been a more appropriate colour."
"Some of our English women dye their hair a light colour," I remarked.
"With women I can understand it," said the Usebashe. "Every part of a woman is false from her tongue to her smile, dyeing her hair red, enables her to carry on the deception; but for men to dye their hair red—they might as well form part of a harem at once! However, these Persians are a nation of women."
And the Usebashe pointed contemptuously at a little knot of men who were seated outside a small dwelling, and watching eagerly for the moment when the sun would disappear behind the hills.