takes to tell it the nationalities were mixed and
sorted again. Gaul, Briton, and Teuton--there were seven of us from the
north-western end of Europe--got shoulder to shoulder, and every man of
us had half a score to tackle. I never saw so funny a fight in all my
life, and certainly never enjoyed myself at less personal risk. The
room was clear in something under five minutes, and England, France, and
Germany stood triumphant. The little Levantine crowd streamed down the
winding stair, and Campbell added insult to injury and injury to insult
by picking up the hindmost small man and dropping him on to the heads
of those who had gone before him. We all laughed heroically; but when
we got downstairs, after the outgoing crowd, the aspect of affairs was
changed considerably.

I am talking of many years ago, and I am not quite certain of local
names at any moment People who know Constantinople can correct me if I
mistake the name of the place; but I think it is the Rue Yildije which
stands nearly opposite the entrance to the old Cafe Flamm and leads, or
led, to the low Greek quarter. Anyhow, there is a sloping street there
which runs down by a flight of rough stone steps towards the Galata
district, and from this a fierce crowd came swarming, armed with
broom-handles, knives, pokers, tongs--any weapon snatched up in the
vengeful tide of the moment. Poor Campbell took command of our party,
formed us in line, and made us draw our revolvers. The entrance to the
cafe was wide enough to allow us to issue shoulder to shoulder in a sort
of bow. We ranged ourselves along the wall, flanked the crowd, and took
up a position across the pavement. Amongst our enemies those behind
cried 'Forward!' and those in front cried 'Back!' We paced backward
until we reached the Byzance Hotel, some fifty or sixty yards away,
and there, once within the gateway, we put up our weapons, entered the
hotel, and called for drinks. In a better-regulated city we might have
heard something more about it; but, as it was, nothing happened, and the
Chief Constable of the Consulate--from whom, by the way, I had bought
the Irish Constabulary revolver which enabled me to make my show against
the crowd--joined us in the course of the evening and laughed heartily
at the tale.

IX

I have told how I went out as 'special correspondent' to an American
paper in the Russo-Turkish war. From the hour at which we said good-bye
to each other on the platform of Charing