The Merv Oasis: Travels and Adventures
East of the Caspian During the Years 1879-80-81,
Including Five Months' Residence Among
the Tekkes of Merv
By
Edmund O'Donovan
Published by G. P. Putnam's sons, 1883 Volume II
Page 66
66 BORDER TREACHERY.
and several prisoners, fell into the hands of the
besieged, who cut the throats of the unfortunate captives
shortly afterwards. This partial success, however, had no
further results. Reinforcements were reported to be on
the way to the front from Bami, where the bulk of the
Russian forces were stationed, and it was evident that
the final struggle was close at hand. Before the lines of
investment were completed, a large body of cavalry had
left the town, and were hovering about between Geok Tepe and Ashkhabad.
This force was not unoccupied in the meantime, owing to a
characteristic event. The Khan
of Kuchan, thinking the moment a favorable one for doing
a stroke of business on his own account, while the Tekkes were
occupied with the defense of their stronghold, sent
out a chappo of a hundred horsemen to seize whatever
corn, cattle, or horses
they could find in the outlying Turkmen villages. The Tekke
warriors outside, however, got notice of the intended
visit, and ambushed
their Kuchan invaders so successfully that not a man of
them escaped, sixty being killed and forty made
prisoners. This
affair, which took place two days after the sortie from
Geok Tepe of course did not diminish the danger of the
journey before me, but it would never have done to
turn back after having come so far, so I pushed on to
Kaltachenar, the last village acknowledging the Persian
authority in that direction, and not far from Ashkhabad.
Not deeming it safe to trust myself in the plain, where I
was equally liable to fall in with Russian scouting
parties or Tekke
warriors, I kept along the slopes of the mountain chain,
though travelling there was very fatiguing to the horses.
Besides my two servants,1 an escort of six
or seven Deregez troopers accompanied me, but at such
a i A Kurdish
ex-brigand and an Akhal
Tekke Turkmen,
whom I had hired to replace my
Teheran servants who
refused to accompany me to the Turkmen territory.
Chapter 30 - Chapter 31 - Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Page 55 - Page 56 - Page 57 - Page 58 - Page 59 - Page 60 - Page 61 - Page 62 - Page 63 - Page 64 - Page 65 - Page 66 - Page 67 - Page 68 - Page 69 - Page 70 - Chapter 34
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