My servants were fond of the man, and their hearts began to soften after
they had enjoyed the first hearty laugh at Georgi's expense, and
Christo, who was always the factotum, shortly came with a suggestion,
that, "If I would write an order for the immediate return of Georgi's
bullock, on the plea that as I had hired the animal no one had a right
to exchange it until the expiration of my contract," there would be no
difficulty, as "the purchaser would be afraid to retain the animal upon
seeing Georgi armed with a written paper." "But," I said, "what is the
use of my writing in English, which no one can understand?" Christo
assured me that it would have a better effect if nobody could read the
contents, as Georgi could then say anything he pleased. I wrote an order
for the return of the ox as belonging temporarily to me by contract, and
Georgi having wiped his eyes, immediately set off on foot towards
Gallibornu, full of confidence and hope.
Theodori declared that it would be impossible for his oxen to reach
Trichomo in one day; I therefore loaded the camels, and advised him to
await Georgi's return; should they re-appear at Kuklia, where the vans
were lying, I would re-engage them as far as Lefkosia, and in the
meantime I would pay them for the daily keep of their animals, who were
to be well fed, and to discontinue the course of wild artichokes and
thistles.
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