. All the Russias; travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, & Central Asia. rt his life),and bowed profoundly, I of course doing the same. The scenewould have been a great success on the stage, I think—at least Ihad to adjure my Russian companion not to laugh. As a matterof fact, it was rather a shocking farce, for he regarded me as anaccursed Christian dog, thrusting my nose into places where Ihad no business, and was doubtless reflecting that but for thoseother accursed Russians he would promptly have dropped meamong the sheep ticks, preparatory to
. All the Russias; travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, & Central Asia. rt his life),and bowed profoundly, I of course doing the same. The scenewould have been a great success on the stage, I think—at least Ihad to adjure my Russian companion not to laugh. As a matterof fact, it was rather a shocking farce, for he regarded me as anaccursed Christian dog, thrusting my nose into places where Ihad no business, and was doubtless reflecting that but for thoseother accursed Russians he would promptly have dropped meamong the sheep ticks, preparatory to letting my blood rundown the gutters of the bazaar ; while I certainly regardedhim as an old monster, given up to the beastliest vices, andcrafty and cruel and rapacious beyond words. We parted OLD BOKHARA AND ITS HORRORS 307 with an outburst of compliments and affectionate assuranceswhich deceived neither of us. This is one aspect of Easterntravel. If there were much of it, and nothing else, fewpeople would go to the East except for trade or sword inhand. As we were conducted down the passage I noticed hanging. THK STREET GRIMACER OF BOKHARA near the entrance a great club and an enormous whip. Theformer is said to have come from Mecca, and the latter to be thewhip of the immortal Rustum himself. Outside, a crowd hadgathered, and an official made a way for me with his stick. In themiddle a tall native was holding forth at a great rate about ayoung fellow in a blue tunic, who illustrated the different phasesof the patter with an appalling grimace,greeted by the spectatorswith shouts of delighted laughter. Never have I seen such acountenance on a human being. The fellows mouth seemedmade of india-rubber, and inserting a finger of each hand into thecorners he pulled and stretched it and apparently wound it roundhis ears and opened it till you could have inserted a good-sizedmelon. It was a quaint scene, as my photograph shows, proving 3o8 ALL THE RUSSIAS that the natural man fi
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