The Hidden Treasure
he turned the Luristan aborigine round and round in his
hands. He began to ask me questions about archaeology,
interrogating with perfect courtesy, but in a manner calcu-
lated to discover any weak spot in the defence; and I must
say that I have never been questioned with so much acumen,
or with so expert a knowledge of how a witness is most
likely to give himself away. The Persian, living amid un-
truth, naturally becomes versed in the sifting of information,
and I have noticed even among quite simple people that it
would not do to pretend to knowledge which one has not
got.
The interrogatory, disguised as conversation, lasted for
over two hours, and left me exhausted, but with the certain
and undeserved reputation of an archaeologist to carry me
through the difficulties of the coming days. The Ajuzan
and his friend went, and only returned in time for supper,
which they most courteously provided for me, together with
the unusual luxury of a camp table and chairs. Next morn-
ing they escorted me to the Governor.
The Government of Pusht-i-Kuh
The Governor lived in the new palace, on whose Corin-
thian facade, at the end of a narrow outer court, a portrait
of the Shah was uplifted amid stucco ornaments. The
court had two long tanks in the usual Persian fashion, with
petunias, carnations, and small pomegranate trees which
made it cheerful and pleasant: a little boudoir, raised some
four feet above its level and looking out on to it, was our
reception room. Here the Governor appeared.
He was a tall, thick-set, youngish man in khaki uniform,
with grey-green eyes and black eyebrows in a round, rather
highly coloured face. He had an expression of simplicity