Across the Roof of the World. 



His ideas on the subject of distance were Hmited, as I was destined 

 to discover by practical experience. Just how much " not far " 

 represented in his computation was at the moment a problem 

 I could not solve but I certainly was sanguine enough to hope 

 the close of the day might see us in the valley on the far side. 



It was a quiet, restful spot where I camped, a grassy 

 patch by the brook, whose rippling waters flowed almost 

 noiselessly down the narrow valley, a pleasing contrast to the 

 rush and roar of the Hi Su. I spent the evening in re-packing 

 and arranging the loads in readiness for the ordeal of the morrow, 

 since I was sure it would be a formidable one. Whilst thus 

 occupied some fresh yaks arrived in accordance with arrange- 

 ments made the previous day, when I had despatched one of the 

 Kirghiz drivers with orders to that effect. This worthy had 

 disappeared into the hills with the object of rounding up fresh 

 transport, though from where I knew not, but he had assured me 

 scattered groups of Tajiks and Kirghiz lived in even these 

 inaccessible parts, and that from them he would be able to 

 secure other yaks capable of tackling the ground ahead leading 

 down to Yarkand. He omitted to mention the main reason of his 

 anxiety to secure fresh animals was that it would permit him 

 to return to the Pamirs with his own yaks, and thus avoid the 

 probable loss of his life on the perilous Ootchkor Pass. 



The yaks with me were suffering from exhaustion and the 

 hardships of the march down the Hi Su, and were consequently 

 quite unfit to tackle the still more difftcult portion of the route 

 ahead. The arrival of the fresh animals gladdened the hearts 

 of the yqk men from the Pamirs, and mighty pleased they 

 were to turn back and avoid treacherous and unknown routes 

 with their manifold dangers. When I paid them off the next 

 morning in solid coin of the realm their faces beamed with 

 delight, and we parted the best of friends, they to return to 

 the snows and wind-swept uplands of the Pamirs, I to cross 

 into the Kulan Urgu and Asgar Sai Valleys on my way to 

 Yarkand. 



96 



