'Through Persia on a side-saddle' [‎272] (313/360)

272 THROUGH PERSIA ON A SIDE-SADDLE
We anchored at the wharf belonging to Messrs. Lynch,
in front of a well-built, comfortable-looking house, and
were surprised to hear Mr. Parry (Messrs. Lynch's agent)
asking in anxious tones whether the doctor were on board.
Ihere was no doctor with us, owing, as we afterwards
found, to the not infrequent occurrence of the Persian
telegraph wire which connected Bunderi Nasseri with
Mohammerah, and so with Busreh, being broken; and
sorry indeed we were when we learnt the cause of these
inquiries.
Mr. Tanfield (one of Messrs. Lynch's agents) had been
brought down that day from the fanatical city of Shuster
in a terribly mutilated condition. One of his servants, a
man Saduk by name, had stolen his master's watch and
also some money, and when Mr. Tanfield paid him his
wages he deducted part of them to punish the man, whom
he could not well dismiss as no other servant was to be had
at Shuster. Upon this Saduk vowed vengeance on his
employer, and even went so far as to tell the other ser
vants that he would have his life.
On the night when he made his criminal attempt he
came up some three or four times to the roof where
were his master and the Armenian clerk, before he found
Mr. Tanfield really asleep. He then set upon him with
a sword, and when his master woke and parried the blow,
he cut off his left hand, mutilated his face terribly, and
leaving him for dead went to rouse up the town, affirm
ing that his employer had been attacked and killed by
Persian thieves. This story was, however, not credited,
as the Goanese cook had met Saduk on his descent
from the roof and had fled in fear of his life from the
ruffian, who had done his best to murder this witness to