A Fortnight in N.W. Luristan
mountain rim on all but the western side, basked in suns
and peace. The apricot garden round the fort dwindled
small dark patch in the distance behind us. Villages j
scarce on either hand: the rice-fields changed to stretch<
stubble or empty ground where sheep and black goats gn
We were drawing near to the gentle western rise of
plain when, looking back, we saw the Sardari and an ei
of five horsemen riding not in our direction at all but a
from us northward towards the Gatchkah Pass and Khav<
Presently one small figure detached itself and came gallo
towards us. It turned out to be a policeman almost incohc
with rage. He took no notice of me, women in Persia b
considered so insignificant that their families and not the]
responsible for any foolishness they manage to com
My family for the time being were Hajji and the Lur,
bowed under the torrent without thinking to blame me,
began to pour fulsome apologies into the ear of the 1
We retraced our steps, and came with ruffled feelings to w
the Chief of Police, with two more policemen, two s
tribal headmen, and his Mirza or secretary carrying an e
mous red account book, were all waiting for their lunch
for our truant selves in a colony of six or seven tents at
foot of the Gatchkah hills.
The Sardari Naib was not at all put out and welco
me with great friendliness. Nevertheless, when I mentk
that Dilfan and not Khava was my objective, and that I
no wish to travel in the direction in "which he was going
was rather nonplussed. I spent the whole of lunch-
trying to convince him of the importance of prehisi
tombs, and felt more and more how prudent it had bee
get him away from the official atmosphere of Alishtar
before tackling so difficult a subject. His natural amiab
however, was on my side. He was a pleasant middle-;
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