"Effendi, a regiment is about to march to Erzeroum. It will be a grand sight. The Pacha will accompany it out of the town. The dancing dervishes will go before the band. Other dervishes will be there with sharp knives; they will cut themselves, but the blood will not flow! It will be a miracle! And all this we can see from the Effendi's window!" "Happy are you, O Mohammed, to be able to see such wonderful sights without paying for them," I remarked; then, giving him my horse, I went upstairs to my room. An immense crowd had gathered in the square; the part facing the barracks was thronged by hundreds of idlers who were eagerly pressing against the gates. Presently they were thrown wide open. The governor, in his dray-like carriage, issued from the portals. He was accompanied by the colonel of the regiment, who was mounted on a superb grey, and rode by the side of the Pacha's vehicle. Next came six dancing dervishes clad in sackcloth, and with long cowls over their green turbans. They in their turn were followed by about twenty men—some carrying what appeared to be bill-hooks—others, maces with leaden balls attached to them by chains, and bright steel skewers. "This is delightful!" said Mohammed, who, by way of seeing better, had climbed on to the top of the divan, torn away the piece of paper which supplied the place of a pane of glass, and, having thrust his head and shoulders through the aperture, was staring with his mouth wide open at the procession. "Please God they will soon begin to cut themselves!" However, he was doomed to disappointment; the dervishes had already cut themselves in the barrack-yard, and were not inclined to repeat the performance. On they went in serried ranks, followed by the troopers, all of whom were excellently mounted on horses averaging about fifteen hands, and which looked in capital condition. The men were armed with American revolvers and repeating-rifles, whilst a short curved scimitar hung by each man's side. "How long will it be before they reach Erzeroum?" I inquired of Mohammed. "About a month," was the answer; "but they are going by a short route by Kara Hissar, and we by Divriki, Arabkir, and Egin, which will be a long way round. We shall arrive first at our destination, as the regiment will not march more than sixteen miles a day." The Pacha ordered his coachman to draw up the carriage on one side of the road; the dervishes raised a mournful yell. The regiment, passing onward, was lost to view behind an avenue of poplars.