A Midnio-ht Ride. 



unable to see anything in the prevailing gloom. Higher up we 

 sighted the glimmer of fires, and a few moments later came on a 

 number of cattle lying down in the long grass who, stampeding 

 at our approach, threatened to annihilate us by their wild dashing 

 about. 



This brought out the Kazaks from the auls close by, to ascer- 

 tain the cause of the midnight disturbance. With them came a 

 host of dogs constituting an even greater menace than the cattle 

 had done, for their ferocity knows no bounds, and they are 

 particularly averse to prowlers round the camp, a commendable 

 trait in their canine characters. I found the baggage here, it 

 having arrived earlier in the evening. I was too disgusted to do 

 more than pass a few nasty remarks to the author of all the 

 trouble, which must have sunk deep into his Turki soul, judging 

 from his subsequent demeanour. 



A change in the route being now necessitated I decided to 

 proceed by the Kapsalan Pass which the Kazaks said would take 

 me into Kok Su, and thence down the latter to its junction with 

 the Tekkes. None of the people at this camp were certain as 

 to the ground beyond their own valley, and considerable doubt was 

 apparent in their minds as to the right road I ought to take. At 

 this juncture a lady came to my rescue in the person of the 

 head man's chief wife. She informed me that one, Manas Bai, a 

 Kazak, who lived near by would act as a reliable pilot, so I 

 sent off in hot haste for this individual. He duly arrived, and 

 loading up the baggage animals, we started up through the 

 forests on the opposite bank, bound this time I hoped for the 

 Tekkes. 



It was a long march that day up and down through dense 

 woods, and across another river on the far side of the range, 

 whence a long and very steep climb ensued to some auls pitched 

 on the edge of the forest at pine tree level. A heavy thunder- 

 storm came on just after we had camped, drenching every- 

 thing, but as there was an abundance of firewood we soon had 

 them dry again. 



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