employments, a number of dark forms,
most of which were robust Arnauts, clad in their national dress, which
in the distance is not unlike that seen among Highlandmen, consisting as
it does of a snowy white kilt, green velvet jacket, and bright-coloured
scarf wound round the waist. Here and there, the glare from the
firelight was reflected from the barrels of guns, rifles, and
matchlocks, which the owners were cleaning or examining; while, before
several of the fires cooking operations were going on. Kids, whole
sheep, and pieces of raw flesh, were being slowly broiled, hanging from
bits of stick stuck in the ground, or suspended by pieces of string
attached to the branches of the overhanging trees that encircled the
plateau. This added to the "effect" of the scene.

"Quite operatic, and better than old Drury," I heard Mr Moynham say;
but we were all too depressed and uncomfortable from our constrained
attitudes to feel inclined to appreciate the picturesque, the brigands
having taken us off the horses, and flung us down on the ground, having
this time bound even Bob and myself; indeed, they treated us with even
less attention than they would have bestowed on anything eatable,
judging by the care they evinced in their cuisine, although they did not
offer us anything either to eat or drink, much to Mr Moynham's great
chagrin especially, nor did they give us the slightest covering to
protect us from the night air when the waning watch-fires told us that
bedtime--save the mark--had arrived. I suppose they thought that it did
not much matter if we did catch cold, considering that we were going to
be shot within twenty-four hours!

Tired out with fatigue, we finally sank to rest in the same place where
we were first pitched down, not awaking till late the next morning, when
we found most of the brigands had departed--to look-out for other
"welcome guests" like ourselves, I suppose! Only three were left to
guard us, but they were quite enough, considering that we were tied up
fast, and couldn't move if we wished.

How slowly that day dragged out! We thought it would never end. They
gave us some hard coarse dry bread to eat and water to drink, nothing
else; and the hours dragged themselves slowly along, as if they would
never end.

Our hopes gradually sank, as the sun declined in the heavens, for we
watched the progress of the glowing orb with almost the devoted zeal of
the followers of Zoroaster.

At last, just a