Another Armenian now paid me a visit. He was the telegraph inspector in Tokat, and he informed us that orders had just been sent from Constantinople to buy up all the available horses in this neighbourhood. "Things look warlike," he continued, "and the doctor," pointing to his compatriot, "will have plenty of practice before long. The whole Christian population is to be armed. It is clear that the Government has not much faith in the Conference, and is doing its best to prepare for war." The Armenians in Tokat complained of the slack way in which justice was administered throughout that district. According to the doctor, if a man committed a crime, and could get away for a year or two and then return to his home, he would not be pursued by the authorities; that is, unless the aggrieved parties made a formal complaint. "Yes," said another visitor, "three months ago fifty-four malefactors escaped from the prison. Forty of them shortly afterwards surrendered; the rest made their way to the mountains. Their ringleader, who is a murderer, has been recently seen in Tokat: no one has cared to arrest him." Four young Turks entered the room; the eldest could not have been more than three-and-twenty. "What do you want?" I inquired. "We do not wish to go to the war," replied one of them, who took upon himself to be spokesman for the party. "Why not?" "Because we are married men and have children." "I cannot help you." "Yes, Effendi, you can; you might speak to the Caimacan, and he could free us from military service." "His duty is to send you to the front," observed the doctor. "Yes, but he evidently likes the Frank, for we saw them riding together, and if the Effendi would only ask him, he could not be so inhospitable as to decline." I was a little annoyed at this remark, and observed,— "I certainly shall not ask for anything of the kind. Other people who have wives and children are obliged to go, then why not you?" "But they did not love their wives so much as we love ours," persisted the man. The Caimacan now called. Upon his arrival the four visitors, after grovelling almost in the dust before him, took their departure. "What did they want?" said the Governor. I told him. "It is very unpatriotic of them," he observed. "The cunning little dogs, to ask you to intercede on their behalf! But they shall all go with the next battalion!" I was evidently destined to have a succession of visitors on that afternoon, for no sooner had the Caimacan gone than another official arrived. He at once commenced a conversation by saying that he had been employed in collecting the redif soldiery from the different villages in the neighbourhood, and had also started a subscription amongst the wealthier inhabitants to provide the men with warm shirts. "You have acted very kindly, and doubtless with the best motives," I remarked. "Your reward will be in heaven."