lds in one
hand the Koran and in the other a drawn sword to indicate that this
temple was captured from the Christians by force."

"That prayer rug," he continued pointing to a beautiful carpet hanging
on the wall near by, "was the personal prayer rug of the great conqueror
Muhammed II. There is so much more to be seen," he added, "that we could
spend the whole day here, but the dragoman is beckoning and we must go
on."

We shook the slippers from our feet in the porch and were driven through
narrow streets to the Grand Bazaar.

"The Grand Bazaar," said the guide, "covers several acres. It has one
hundred entrances. There are twelve hundred narrow streets or passages
under roof within the bazaar and on these streets are four thousand
little shops."

The Grand Bazaar, we decided, was the enormous department store of
Stamboul; but we noticed that each little shop had its own proprietor.
To many of the visitors, this Bazaar was the most interesting place in
Constantinople; for here were found the most tempting bargains in
Oriental wares, in its narrow passages were seen the native people in
their most picturesque costumes, and in its maze of dimly lighted
corridors some tourists were lost for awhile and met with novel
adventures.

The store of Far-Away-Moses was one of the largest and most popular of
the shops in the Bazaar and that genial trader did a thriving business.
There seemed to be a magnetic power that drew the guides in the
direction of certain shops, an unseen influence that urged them to
recommend certain places, and one of these places was Moses' emporium.
Some of the ladies found that when they slipped away and entered a shop
without a guide a better bargain could be secured.

The price named for articles in the bazaar shops by the fezzed or
turbaned dealers was generally three times the price that they would
accept before losing a sale; but much tact was required on the part of
the purchaser, and much valuable time was occupied in the diplomatic
struggles between the acute Yankees and clever Moslems. When, however,
the battle was won and the desired article secured at one-half or
one-third the price at first demanded, the joy of the purchaser was
doubled. The person, who, after an hour's dickering, bought a bronze
ornament for twenty piasters, or one dollar of American money, was just
as happy over the bargain as the one who succeeded in purchasing a
magnificent silk rug for twenty thousand piasters.