We
Accordingly Dismounted About Half A Mile From Kyrenia, And Having Tied
The Animals Beneath A Wide-Spreading Caroub, We
Selected another tree,
beneath which we sat to await the arrival of the camels and servants; in
the meantime I
Sent the muleteer into the town to buy us something to
eat. After about an hour he returned, with a bottle of Commandoria wine,
a bunch of raw onions, a small goat's-milk cheese, a loaf of brown
native bread, and a few cigarettes, which the good, thoughtful fellow
had made himself for my own private enjoyment. Many years of my life
have been passed in picnicking, and when really hungry, it is
astonishing how vulgar diet is appreciated; we regretted the loss of our
friends, but we nevertheless enjoyed the simple fare, and having looked
at our watches, we speculated upon the probable arrival of the camels
and luggage, and waited patiently beneath the tree.
There is a limit to all endurance, and when 5 P.M. arrived without a
sign of camels, we came to the conclusion that something had gone wrong.
It was in vain that I had searched the pass with my binocular; only the
white thread between the green shrubs appeared, that denoted the path;
and this was desolate.
At length I observed something moving on the crest of the pass: mules or
horses! then a parasol! somebody was coming; most likely returning to
Kyrenia from the picnic? Presently a mule, saddled but without a rider,
came galloping down the road. This we stopped, and secured; it looked
like a practical result of a good luncheon and champagne cup. Shortly
after this first appearance a dismounted English servant came walking
down the road after his mule, which he was happy to recover from our
hands. He had neither seen nor heard anything of our camels or people,
but his master, the chief commissioner of Kyrenia (Dr. Holbeach, 60th
Rifles), was approaching, together with Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson, all of
whom were returning from St. Hilarion. At length the distant parasol
drew nearer, and by degrees we could distinguish the party as they
emerged from the pass upon the broad straight road.
As there are no highwaymen in Cyprus, I had no hesitation in walking
suddenly out of the green wood upon the road-side and intercepting them
as they arrived in front of our position; I explained that we were
"waifs and strays" upon the wide world of Cyprus without baggage or
servants, or, in fact, what Shakespeare calls "sans everything." Mr.
Holbeach with much kindness and hospitality captured us as vagrants, and
insisted upon escorting us to his house. Mrs. Stevenson was good enough
to supply Lady Baker with a few little necessaries for the night, and
Mr. Holbeach, having thoughtfully made up an impromptu little
dinner-party of all named, we passed a most pleasant evening, although I
fear that our sudden invasion of his bachelor's quarters must have
caused him some inconvenience.
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