Black Partridges 1 1 



It is time, however, we arrived at our partridges. 

 Breakfast is eaten in the exhilarating morning 

 cold, which a December's sun has so far done 

 nothing to spoil, so that the warmth which streams 

 through the tent -door from the log -fire outside 

 is pleasing. 



Though much may be said in disparagement of 

 the Seistan climate in general, there are samples of 

 weather experienced here in winter cold, bright, 

 and still that would be hard to beat anywhere. 

 Such is our luck to-day. A start is made at no 

 dismal early hour ; in fact, in that respect we 

 might almost be in Christian England. I once 

 read, and noted with satisfaction, a pronouncement 

 about early rising by a brain specialist. The free 

 and easy savage, he pointed out, never got up 

 before he felt inclined, and never became insane. 

 Pulling oneself out of bed, on the other hand, with 

 sleep still unfinished, " grinds the soul, curdles the 



country side, as an Indian doctor once remarked to me, was 

 " deserving of vaccination " ; but our medical officer's efforts in this 

 direction were less appreciated than other quite minor benefactions. 

 Thus the story was popularly believed that H. had raised the dead 

 to life by prayer. The foundation for this somewhat embarrassing 

 reputation was merely this, that a boy who had stopped breathing 

 under an anaesthetic, had been restored by artificial respiration, i.e., 

 raising the hands above the head. The incident curiously recalls 

 the Bible story of the prophet who prayed and "stretched himself" 

 upon the Shunamite child, so that his life came again ! 



