The Hunting of Rahmat 2 7 



to Shusp. The short road by which Hunter came 

 lay by a spring called Anjira, among the hills 

 bordering the Afghan frontier, a place that had 

 an evil reputation for murders and robberies ; in 

 fact it was known at that very time to be the 

 haunt of an Afghan gang of "bad men." Up 

 galloped Said Khan ahead of the party, and as 

 Hunter arrived he found the Baluch Sardar 

 patrolling up and down the gorge, the cliffs of 

 which echoed to roars of " I am Said Khan, I 

 am Said Khan," a notice, chiefly perhaps for 

 Hunter's edification, but ostensibly to warn all 

 and sundry who might be lurking among the rocks 

 that they might as well leave ! Whether lolling 

 on a riding - camel or bestriding his wiry little 

 Baluch mare, he was tireless but walk he would 

 not. For Persians he had a supreme contempt. 

 One day we had been riding for many hours 

 under a hot sun, when we met a Persian with a 

 donkey, on the top of whose load was a pitcher of 

 water. " Behold these Iranis ! " said Said Khan ; 

 "they cannot go to gather an ass-load of sticks 

 without taking their bread and water." As we 

 passed, the Persian offered Said Khan a drink. 

 "Ho ho," he roared, "Irani, I drank yesterday; 

 what is water to me ? I, the brother of a camel ! " 

 and he rode on with his head in the air. For 

 the rest Said Khan's magnificent presence and 



