IN THE MOUNTAIN OF DEVIL-WORSHIPERS 311

while wild, was n! desla!e" In ea#l$ a%!e#nn we

hal!ed &$ a s'#in(, had l)n*h, and allwed !he +)les !
#es!" We 'lanned ! #ea*h ,aad#i, !he s!#n(hld %
Said ,e(, easil$ an h)# # s &e%#e s)nse!"
In !he la!e a%!e#nn, we 'assed ne # !w s!ne
-illa(es aln( !he sl'es, whi*h Me*h+ed said we#e .e/i-
dee" I saw, a! a dis!an*e, w+en *)l!i-a!in( !he %ields"
The$ we#e )n-eiled, s+e in &la*0, !he#s in !)*0ed-)'
#&es % &#i(h! #ed # $ellw" A +an leadin( !h#ee 'a*0
dn0e$s !#ied ! a-id sal)!in( )s, &)! +)+&led Mar-
haba 1a #)(h 2hell
33
4 as he 'assed" He als was .e/i-
dee, in &a(($ whi!e !#)se#s, &la*0 !)ni* whi*h #ea*hed
! his 0nees, a wide, #ed sash, and a #ed *!!n !)#&an
w)nd #)nd his #)s!$ %el! *a'"
Nw and a(ain, &)! #a#el$, we 'assed !he#s a%!,
)s)all$ *a##$in( a sa*0 # s+e #)de %a#+ i+'le+en!"
These %i#s! w#shi'e#s % Sa!an we#e e-iden!l$ a ha&i!)-
all$ 'ea*e%)l 'e'le en(a(ed in !illin( !hei# sil, &)! i%
!he$ shwed n 'en hs!ili!$ !wa#d )s, nei!he# we#e
!he$ %#iendl$"
Twa#d %i-e 5*l*0, n a +)n!ainside se-e#al +iles
ahead % )s, we had )# %i#s! -iew % !he *as!le % Said
,e(, #)le# and 2,la*0 P'e2 % !he .e/idees" I! was a
&6li0e, %la!-#%ed s!#)*!)#e, a''a#en!l$ )n#na+en!ed,
li0e a &l*0h)se # %#!#ess, and s indeed i! see+ed as
we (#ad)all$ d#ew *lse#" I! s!d isla!ed n a sl'e,
and !he li!!le -illa(e % ,aad#i wi!h *l)s!e#in( lw s!ne
h)ses la$ se-e#al h)nd#ed $a#ds &elw i!"
The *as!le (a!e s!d 'en, )na!!ended" We dis-
+)n!ed and en!e#ed a &i(, &a#e #e*!an()la# *)#!$a#d,
whe#e se#-an!s *a+e, (#ee!ed )s *i-ill$, and wen! )! !