SERVANTS FROM LEH 207 



the ram's hair. These, he averred, were from the bullets I 

 fired at the ram two days before when he was crossing the 

 stream, my shots haviDg splashed off boulders. We 

 moved camp across the main valley to the mouth of the 

 Longser on the other range, explored the valley, and found 

 it empty. 



The Joint Commissioner at Leh laid me under an eternal 

 obligation by sending me two servants in place of the rascal 

 Sarap ; they arrived with the post. 'No one was more 

 grateful for this kindly thought than little Ydki'ib, who, it 

 will be remembered, was the only one of my Indian servants 

 who did not collapse at the foot of the Baralacha Pass. He 

 was the only servant I had had from that time to the 

 arrival of the men from Leh, for Sarap counted for nothing. 

 Yiikiib had all the work of the camp to perform, and he 

 did it manfully and well, with the help of the coolies and 

 yakmen. He had to pitch the tents and take them down 

 almost every day, make things inside comfortable, do all 

 the cooking for me and for himself, look after Chamiirti, 

 whom he groomed every day and fed with cakes when 

 there was no grazing ; — all these duties, be it noted, in 

 addition to a long march almost daily. He had no caste 

 prejudices ; he drank my tea from my teapot and ate the 

 same food that I had. His only luxury was a pipe, and 

 he would have dearly loved a glass of whisky after a day's 

 labours ; but during the whole of my long journey he never 

 once abstracted a drop, though the temptation must have 

 been sore indeed. These traits are not common in a 

 Hindustani Musalman. My experience with this man 

 showed how useful a servant of his stamp can be when 

 untrammelled with the prejudices of the caste-beridden 

 peoples of India. In addition, Yaki'ib was cleanly in his 

 habits : he brushed his teeth every morning with a 

 civilised Western tooth-brush, and, more remarkable, he used 



