Departure with an escort
he explained. I have never seen that the genuine tribesman
has that respect for civilization which the effendi takes for
granted, except in the matter of education, which the
nomad looks upon with great reverence. The Mirza's
family had a particular grievance too, for the beautiful
daughter was secretly married, but dared not let it be
said and was unable to get permission to travel to her
husband.
On the fourth day of my stay, instructions at last came
from Teheran. I was to be treated with the greatest con-
sideration, to be given an escort of four men, and to be
accompanied the shortest way to the Iraq frontier. All I
could do, and that with some difficulty, was to persuade the
Ajuzan to let me take the new road along the Gangir River
to Mandali instead of the slightly shorter one to Zurbatiyah,
The morning was fixed for our departure.
The last arrangements were causing the usual delay, when
the sergeant in charge of the escort turned up with his
three men: he was smart and red-headed, with thin legs and
gold teeth, and a reddish moustache brushed outwards from
his upper lip. He saluted with great curves of his arm
that seemed to include a whole horizon within their sweep.
Behind him the three policemen stood with a little less
soldier-like smartness, each holding his horse by the bridle.
One of them was the lad from Kermenshah who had
escorted us before. They were reviewed by the Ajuzan
with some solemnity. He described in a few well-turned
sentences the extreme consideration with which I was to
be treated. To be treated with consideration is, in die case
of female travellers, too often synonymous with being
prevented from doing what one wants.
" Must I have four men?'* I asked the Ajuzan. " I would
much rather have only one."
M [177]