. Across Asia Minor on foot . l, but with just enoughuncertainty to add a further interest. It was pleas-ing to the eye—a jumble of white buildings extend-ing along the foot of a broken cliff*, with meadow-landand orchards sloping to the river in front. In size,too, it had even the appearance of a town, thoughwith a certain vagueness difficult to account for. Itlooked so much of a town—indeed, a clean, pleasant,busy town—as to make me doubt whether, after all,I should find, as I hoped, an old cave-dwelling inwhich to sleep. By this time the sun was gettinglow and the air keen with mountain fro
. Across Asia Minor on foot . l, but with just enoughuncertainty to add a further interest. It was pleas-ing to the eye—a jumble of white buildings extend-ing along the foot of a broken cliff*, with meadow-landand orchards sloping to the river in front. In size,too, it had even the appearance of a town, thoughwith a certain vagueness difficult to account for. Itlooked so much of a town—indeed, a clean, pleasant,busy town—as to make me doubt whether, after all,I should find, as I hoped, an old cave-dwelling inwhich to sleep. By this time the sun was gettinglow and the air keen with mountain frost. The horse is cold, said Ighsan with concern,wondering what kept me here so long, and wishingto set out again. With that we got upon the turn-ing path, went down the mountain-side, and crossingthe stream by a ford and stepping-stones, reachedUrgub of the Holes before dark. There was no delay in coming to close quarterswith cave life after we arrived. The khan to whichwe went was built of stone; two stories of pointed. INTEODUCTION TO CAVE LIFE 219 arches made an arcade round the interior courtyard,one side of which was formed by the cliff: the khanwas like many others in the country. Not much caveaccommodation here, I thought, as I looked they took me upstairs, passed along one of theside arcades, and at its farther end put my baggageinto a room as certainly formed in a cliff as any cavein the world could be. It. was a cell perhaps nine feetsquare and seven high to the crown of its archedceiling, with floor, ceiling, and walls of naked door and window opened to the arcade, and in therear wall was a second door, a flimsy affair, whichexcited my curiosity. Opening this door I lookedinto a black opening from which issued echoingvoices, the sound of chains and a gust of foul of unpleasant possibilities rose before me atonce. A cave was what I wanted, but not a caveconnected with inner recesses of which I knewnothing, but could imagine a great
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