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 THE RED RUGS OF TARSUS

They were still killing stray ones especially at night. The four soldiers left remonstrated. They could not understand me any more than I could understand them. They tried to bar the way. But they did not dare touch me. So they decided to resign themselves to the inevit- able. Two of them came along with me.

It was a weird mile with only the lantern to light us. One soldier went in front, finding the path, and the other was beside me. From occasional zigzags I suspected what we were avoiding. Mercifully I could not see. Finally we reached the station. Herbert and his of- ficer and the telegraph operator were in the little ticket office. Herbert was at the end of his patience he just could n't get up a locomo- tive. When he heard my news, he was very happy. The Albanian officer was not. He was for the adventure. Doubted if the news was true. Why had n't the Mersina operator mentioned it? Just then a message went through for Adana about a special train for [145]

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