Across the Roof of the World. 



I was now close to Kok Su, in fact camp that night 

 was on the watershed between this river and a tributary 

 on its right bank. The Kazaks here told me it would not be 

 necessary to cross the Kapsalan Pass, but that by keeping along 

 the ridge and across the undulating country to the west I 

 should get down into Kok Su near its confluence with the Tekkes. 

 They were a rough -looking set, these uncouth nomads, and 

 gave me the impression of being experts at horse stealing. 

 Hitherto I had experienced no difficulty in this respect, and as I 

 desired to reach the shooting grounds with the least possible 

 delay was anxious to avoid trouble with them, so took all necessary 

 precautions at night. 



I moved on in the morning over undulating country past 

 many groups of felt tents, whose occupants came riding over on 

 their rough ponies to gaze at us, and enquire whence we had 

 come, and whither we were going. I halted at one of the auls 

 and had tea and cakes fried in fat, which the ladies of the house- 

 hold prepared, and themselves served up. They were very cheerful, 

 and not at all inclined to vanish like a will-o'-the-wisp as is the 

 custom generally amongst Oriental women. Evidently the 

 Kazak ladies believe in a jovial life, and are apparently not 

 unduly worried by a high code of morals. 



Whilst on the march that day the pony Giyani rode threw 

 him, and he was dragged some little distance before the animal 

 could be pulled up. I thought at first he was badly hurt, since 

 he lay on the ground quite still, but soon recovered and pluckily 

 remounted the wayward beast. Like all hillmen of the Hima- 

 layas, Giyani's skill as an equestrian was not of a high order, 

 but it had at any rate the merit of possessing plenty of grit, 

 and though he had many nasty falls during my travels they 

 never deterred him from persevering in his attempts to become 

 a bold sowar. 



I camped at five o'clock in the evening on the edge of a pine 

 slope, and as the Kazaks in the neighbourhood had a bad reputa- 

 tion we kept a close watch that night lest they might attempt 



