The Kurds dismounted and prepared to load the horses.
"Do not touch those things, I must burn them," shouted the young man.
"Why?"
"I will burn you with them if you do not let them alone."
"You?"
"I!"
And almost as he spoke, his heavy sword fell on the head of one of the Kurds, and a shot from his revolver pierced the breast of the other. Both Kurds fell. The young man threw their bodies upon the fire with the remaining household articles. Then he seized the best horse, and springing on his back he almost plunged the iron spurs into the animal's body and loosened the rein.
After a short dash, he dismounted and resumed his journey on foot. Perhaps it was impossible to travel on horseback through the narrow and difficult paths which he intended to pursue.
He had left his native village far behind, and had reached a high plateau, when his gaze was attracted by a dark object plainly visible in the rays of the newly risen sun. As he came nearer, the object grew larger. It was suspended in the air at some distance from the ground. He bent his steps toward it. He had scarcely advanced two hundred paces, when the dark object was multiplied; and instead of one, he could now see several. They looked like those scarecrows which are placed on long poles, in farms and fruit gardens, to frighten birds and animals away.
But of these scarecrows neither the birds nor the animals seemed to be afraid. He saw that ravenous vultures, crows and even the timid magpie were making merry flights through the air, soaring, coming down upon the scarecrows, and rising again. There the jackall and the hyena were raising cries of joy. It seemed as if all these animals were gathered around a rich table.
The mystery was solved when he approached. Upon the long poles were impaled human bodies, that had been alive when raised there by a barbarous hand, but were now dead.
