"We are the escort," said one, apparently the leader, from the bar of rusty gold braid on his sleeve.

"You cannot go on alone.

It is not safe." We then learnt that a large lion had infested the caravan-track over the pass for some days, and had but yesterday attacked the mail and carried off one of the mules, the native in charge only just escaping by climbing a tree.
Persian travel is full of these little surprises or rather items of news; for one must be of a very ingenuous disposition to be surprised at anything after a journey of any length in that country.

If the man had said that an ichthyosaurus or dodo barred the way, I should have believed him just as much.

Gerome sharing my opinion that the report was got up for the sake of extorting a few kerans, we soon sent our informants about their business, and calmly proceeded on our journey.
Nevertheless, the Kotal Doktar would not be a pleasant place to encounter the "king of beasts," I thought.