Mutinous Caravan M( 



Signs of discontent and lawlessness were now visible amongst 

 the caravan men, the climax being reached when they came to 

 a sudden halt and the ringleader declared they would go no further. 

 The latter leaped from his horse, and, shouting and gesticulating, 

 commenced to throw the loads off, uttering various threats 

 against myself and servants. But the Kazak is a coward at 

 heart, and were instant action taken I felt the situation could be 

 saved. So, in desperation, I waded in with my long whip and 

 administered a thrashing to the blustering bully who thought to 



CARAVAN MEN WHO MUTINIED IN THE BLACK IRTISH VALLEY. 



overawe me, an action that galvanised the rest of my party into 

 activity. This turned the tide of events, and the Kazaks, in 

 whom the yellow streak is evident, wavered, and then went on. 



Soon after 8 o'clock we heard the barking of dogs to our left, 

 and a few minutes later saw the lights of some auls in that direc- 

 tion. They proved to be part of a Kazak encampment of a 

 semi-permanent nature, one of the five dwellings being a log hut 

 and the others built round with substantial walls of wooden 



373 



