"What is the matter?" I inquired. "Have you come to tell me how very industrious you are, or do you want some more money?" I had previously observed that when Osman wished to speak to me, these two topics were almost invariably the subject of his conversation. "No, Effendi, but the horse—" "Which horse?" "The bay that makes a noise." "Well, what of him?" "He is lame. My brother has seen him. I have seen him. He will not be able to carry his pack to-morrow." "Hire two horses instead of one, and lead the roarer." "Yes, Effendi, that is what I have been trying to do; but the people ask for many liras; their hearts are stony at the sight of our difficulties, they open wide their purses for the Effendi's gold." "Have you been to the post?" "Yes, but the postmaster has ten horses, and only one man to look after them. The postmaster says if you hire two baggage animals that you must pay for ten." "Wait here, Osman," I said; returning to my host, I informed him of my difficulties. "Oh! the dog!" exclaimed the Bey. "He is trying to cheat you!" Tearing a piece of paper from an old letter in his pocket, he wrote a note to the chief of the police, desiring him to bring the postmaster immediately before us. "The postmaster is in bed," said Osman, who had entered the room. "In bed or out of bed, he shall be brought here," said the young Bey, stamping the piece of paper with his seal, he gave it to a servant. Presently a noise was heard. The postmaster arrived, followed by the chief of the police. "You must give this English gentleman two horses at once." "Yes, Bey Effendi." "But why did you not do so before?" "Because I did not know that it was the Bey's pleasure—the will of the son of our Pacha is my will. Upon my head be it; the horses shall come." "Good horses," I remarked, "stout and strong." "Have I not said so?" replied the man, and it was agreed that I was to hire two horses as far as Yuzgat, paying the regular tariff of three piastres for each horse per hour. "People in Turkey who deal in horses are great rogues," said the Bey; "are they the same in your country? A horse-dealer near Kars would try and get the best of his dearest friend in a bargain." "They are much the same in England," I replied; and the young Bey began to tell us some stories of horse-copers in Aleppo, where he had passed some years, and in which town the fair sex was more than usually frail. "The young men in that city have a curious way of showing their affection to the lady of their choice," continued the speaker. "A girl has, say, three lovers—a small allowance for a lady in that part of the world—she does not know which to select, each one of the suitors is eager to display his gallantry." "What does she do?" asked one of the party. "Accept them all?"