their stables, and the men smoking their pipes, previously to going
to their work in the field. As soon as we were perceived making for the
village, it was evident that a great stir was produced. The women ceased
from their cries, and hid their faces, and the men arose from their
seats. I wish my reader could have seen the air and countenance which
Shir Ali Beg put on as we approached. He swelled himself out at least
into the size of the chief executioner himself, and with a tone of
authority, which sufficiently indicated who and what he was, inquired
for the chief of the village. A plain man, with a grey beard, humble
mien, and still humbler clothing, stepped forward, and said, 'Peace
be with you, Aga! I am he; I am your servant. May your footsteps
be fortunate, and your shadow never be less!' And then saying,
'_Bismillah!_ in the name of God!' we were helped off our horses with
all due respect. One held the horse's head, another the stirrup, whilst
a third put his hand under the arm-pit, and thus we alighted, giving
ourselves as much weight as we could, and making up our backs like men
of consequence. A small carpet was spread at the door of ked khoda's
house, to which we had been conducted, followed by almost all the male
population of the village, and there we seated ourselves until a room
within was prepared. The ked khoda himself pulled off our boots, and
otherwise performed all the acts of politeness and attention which are
shown to guests on their arrival. Shir Ali having received this with the
dignity of one who thought it his due, and having let off several long
whiffs from his pipe, said, with great emphasis, to our host, 'You, that
are the ked khoda of Kadj Sawar, know, that I am come on the part of
Shah--on the part of the Shah, again I say--that I am come to know why
this village has not sent its quota of provisions for the use of the
royal camp at Sultanieh, according to the order issued in the firman
two months ago, signified to you by the governor of Hamadan? Give me an
answer, and make your face white if you can.'

The ked khoda answered, 'Yes, by my eyes! what I have said before I will
say now. All these men present' (pointing to his fellow villagers) 'know
it to be the truth; and if I lie, may I become stone blind! _Arz mi
kunum_, I beg leave to state, O nasakchi! that you, by the blessing
of God, you, in fine, are a man--you are a wise, a clever, and a
sharp-sighted man--you are also a Mussulman, an