The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-06-19
SIGHTS IN
The Kurdish Residents and Their II
Fierce Dogs.

The paramount impression re-
naming on ones mind after having
Travelled in Armenia is that if you
were to go over the same ground
again tomorrow there would always
be the charm of the unexpected to
which to look forward. / am speak
ing of the time before the country
was devastated by the Kurds. When
an Englishman appeared upon the
scene, every one = Turks, Kurds,
Armenians, devil worshipers, and SO
on-got ready to help him. I never
saw such willingness to guide and
direct a stranger in my life. But it
seldom took a O practical form.
Having done everything, in theory,
that was necessary, the Turk or
Kurd Or devil worshiper went back
to his hut and considered it done in
fact.
And there remains in my mind to
this day the sense of deep injury and
vivid annoyance which l used to tx
perience when, toward the end of a
long ride, weary, travel sore, hun
CRY, l would pull up my apology for
a mule and ask some stalwart noun
taineer how far it was to the village
where I intended to pass the night.
He would blandly assure me that it
was only an hours journey and de-
part. At the end of an hour there
would not be what I once heard an
exasperated missionary describe as
"a scintilla of a village in sight.
Then I would meet another man.
"Oh, yes, effendi, you'll get there
in three-quarters of an hourr' The
tired dogs and horses and mules
would prick their ears and start on
again, as if they, too, had heard the
welcome words. Three-quarters of
an hour later a downcast assemblage
Of men and animals would gaze over
the plain in the fast falling dusk
vainly looking for a village.
After this had been repeated some
half a dozen times, however, just as
we sorrowfully gathering up
our reins in our chilled fingers, pre-
pairing to push on with bitter hearts
and empty bellies, 20 or 80 rough
haired, ferocious Kurd dogs would
emerge from the gloom, circle
around us and bite at our riding
boots by way of welcome. These
dogs belonged to the Kurds who had
settled in villages and were enor-
nous brutes. They usually wore
huge collars, studded with nails, SO
that if a wolf flew at their Threats he
was received by a mouthful of sharp
points and could not get a grip.
l once bought a magnificent Kurd
dog for A shillings. He was so fierce
that I dared not go near him. Kind
ness, I thought, would have it's due
effect on him in a few days, so I had
a rope fastened to his collar and
gave the other end of the rope to a
mounted Zaptieh.
The last thing I say of that dog
was a frightened horse and Zaptieh
disappearing in the distance, and the
animal fetching a compass for his
native village, with what Artemus
Ward one described as "a select
assortment of trouser patterns" in
his mouth.
These dogs are so intelligent that
they seem to understand the slight
est sign from their masters. I once
saw my man buy a fowl for our
evening meal from a Kurd and pay
down the money. Then he asked for
the fowl. "Oh, there it is, effendi! p
said the Kurd, pointing to a limp
mass of feathers standing ON one leg
just outside the hut. "A1l you have
to do it to catch and kill it" My
man, like Agag, walked delicately"
toward the fowl, and the limp bun
die of feathers Immediately put
out" in the direction of Sivas. MY
man went after it, sword in hand,
with the full intention of slicing off
the fowls head and bringing back
its CORY body in triumph. A big
Kurd dog Immediately started after
my man, who gained rapidly upon
the fowl. Just as he was about to
slice off it's head an ominous growl
from the ear warned him that he
must turn and defend himself. The
fowl stopped, Imply watched the
struggle and gained her second
wind. When the exasperated man
had driven off the dog, he again pur-
sued the fowl, which seemed to re-
member an important engagement
in the direction of Diarbekir. Again
the fowl was nearly overtaken;
again came an ominous growl, the
CLEAN of magnificent teeth through
the gloom, and again the fowl limp
ly presided as umpire while the COM
bat TRACED. When the dog was driven
away, the fowl started off in the di-
rection of Samsoun, and my man re-
turned to the hut with a piteous re-
quest for sticking plaster. made
my supper that evening off the aged
and moldy heel of a Dutch cheese.
London Chronicle.
The Carlyles' Maid.
d + II - - IL