Nine Turkish officers out of ten can be bought, and I had reason to know that the officer in command at Saffed was not that tenth man.

Now, according to the law of the country, a man has the right to purchase exemption from military service for a sum equivalent to two hundred dollars.

My case was different, for I was already enrolled; but everything is possible in Turkey.

I set to work, and in less than two weeks I had bought half a dozen officers, ranging from corporal to captain, and had obtained consent of the higher authorities to my departure, provided I could get a physician's certificate declaring me unfit for service.
This was arranged in short order, although I am healthy-looking and the doctor found some difficulty in hitting on an appropriate ailment.
Finally he decided that I had "too much blood"-- whatever that might mean.

With his certificate in hand, I paid the regular price of two hundred dollars from funds which had been sent me by my family, and walked out of the barracks a free man.