Therein, besides many other things, we beheld great baskets filled with loaves of bread,--not very good bread, nor at all fresh, but staff of life itself to hungry men.

He bade the men count out four loaves for each and every one of us, and then at last, he gave me a little information.
"The Germans in Stamboul," he said, "talked too loud of this place in my hearing." I stood gnawing a loaf already, and I urged him to take one, but he would eat nothing until all the men should have been fed.

"They detrain Dervish troops at this point," said he, "and march them to the shore to be shipped to Gallipoli, because they riot and make trouble if kept in barracks in Skutari or Stamboul.
This bread was intended for two train-loads of them." "Then the Dervishes will riot after all!" said I, and he laughed--a thing he does seldom.
"The sooner the better!" said he.

"A riot might cover up our tracks even better than this rain." "Is there no officer in charge here ?" I asked him, "Aye, a Turkish officer," said he.

"I heard the Germans complain about his inefficiency.