# The Eye of Zeitoon

Four European friends get caught—not very unwillingly—in a savage war between the Zeitoonlis, Armenians and the Turks.
| “ | Monty and Rustum Khan now hurried into the mêleée, where two Turkish officers and eight zaptich were fighting to keep Maga from four gipsies and us three. Nobody had seen fit to shoot, but there was a glimmering of cold steel among the shadows like lightning before a thunder-storm. Monty used his fists. Rustum Khan used the flat of a Rajput saber. Maga, leaving most of her clothing in the Turk's hands, struggled free and in another second the Turks were on the defensive. Rustum Khan knocked the revolver out of an officer's hand, and the rest of them were struggling to use their rifles, when the German shrieked. All fights are full of pauses, when either side could snatch sudden victory if alert enough. We stopped, and turned to look, as if our own lives were not in danger. Kagig had the German off his feet, face toward the flames, kicking and screaming like a madman. He whirled him twice—shouted a sort of war-cry—hove him high with every sinew in his tough frame cracking—and hurled him head-foremost into the fire." | ” |
Layout 4
"When sleepless on Eternal hills—"
THE
EYE OF ZEITOON
By TALBOT MUNDY
Author of
Rung Ho, King—of the Khyber Rifles Hira Singh, The Ivory Trail
etc.
ILLUSTRATED BY
DWIGHT FRANKLIN
INDIANAPOLIS
THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
CONTENTS
* CHAPTERPAGE
* I.Parthians, Medes and Elamites ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
* II"How did sunshine get into the garden? By whose leave came the wind?" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................21
* III"Sahib, there is always work for real soldiers!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................40
* IV"We are the robbers, effendi!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................52
* V"Effendi, that is the heart of Armenia burning!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................74
* VI"Passing the buck to Allah!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................91
* VII"We hold you to your word!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................118
* VIII"I go with that man!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................128
* IX"And you left your friend to help me?" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................142
* X"When I fire this pistol—" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................163
* XI"That man's dose is death, and he dies unshriven!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................176
* XII"America's way with a woman is beyond belief!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................195
* XIII"'Take your squadron and go find him, Rustum Khan!' And I, sahib, obeyed my lord bahadur's orders." ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................211
* XIV"Rajput, I shall hang you if you make more trouble!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................229
* XV"Scenery to burst the heart!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................243
* XVI"What care I for my belly, sahib, if you break my heart?" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................257
* XVII"I knew what to expect of the women!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................277
* XVIII"Per terram et aquam" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................290
* XIX"Such drilling as they have had—such little drilling!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................303
* XX"So few against so many! I see death, and I am not sorry!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................316
* XXI"Those who survive this night shall have brave memories!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................333
* XXII"God go with you to the States, effendim!" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................349
THE EYE OF ZEITOON
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1940, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 83 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse