262 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



considering his years, and there is no doubt as to 

 the general facts of his career. Listening to his 

 graphic narrations, Central Asia vividly appeared as 

 it was more than half a century ago, when English- 

 men could traverse it not only with tolerable safety, 

 but usually as honoured guests. 



But most usually the Resident and myself spent 

 our evenings tete-a-tete, no one coming in except an 

 old Afghan chuprassie, whose business it was to place 

 logs upon the fire. This Abdiel had been a sepoy, 

 and was the only man in his regiment who had 

 remained faithful at the time of the [Mutiny 

 " among the faithless, faithful only he ; " and the 

 honesty of his character extended down into his 

 smallest transactions. He took a paternal but re- 

 spectful interest in us, clearly seeing that the fire 

 must be kept up, though our conversation ought not 

 to be disturbed ; so he Avould steal into the room as 

 quietly as possible, and place logs on the fire as 

 gently as if we were dying warriors or Mogul em- 

 perors. Wynne himself was a man of very interesting 

 mind and character, being at once gentle and firm, 

 kindly and open, yet with much tact, and combining 

 depth of thought with very wide culture. When a 

 student he had employed his long vacations in attend- 

 ing universities of Germany and France, and was 

 widely acquainted with the literature of these coun- 

 tries, as well as able to converse fluently in their 

 languages. To the usual oriental studies of an Indian 



