292 LEH AND LADAK. 



feeble, but his eye is bright and his voice strong. A 

 large group of slovenly attendants and my own suite 

 were admitted to the presence. We had much chat 

 about my journey, and then brought Murad upon the 

 ' tapis.' Basti Ram became excited and energetic, de- 

 claring that he would force him along with me, and send 

 an escort with him : had he not come under my protect- 

 ion, he would have been imprisoned immediately on his 

 arrival, so strong were the suspicions entertained against 

 him: there were merchants of the first respectability 

 now in Leh aware of all the circumstances of M. Schla- 

 gentweit's murder, who distinctly taxed Murad with 

 connivance and complicity in the treachery that betrayed 

 him to Walli Khan. The old man was quite roused as 

 he dwelt on this topic. I now made up my mind, and 

 explained my wishes to Basti Ram that he should sum- 

 mons all the credible persons from Yarkand, who were 

 cognisant of any of the facts of this wicked business, 

 examine them, and duly and officially record their depo- 

 sitions in Persian, attaching his sign manual thereto; 

 and that the same parties should also give evidence 

 before me. To this he readily assented, issuing the 

 necessary orders on the spot. He told me that there 

 was a merchant, a man of importance, in the town, who 

 was actually present when M. Schlagentweit was killed. 

 This arranged, I took leave. 



There was food for reflection in the information just 

 received, and my resolve thereupon at once taken I sent 

 the jemadar, who followed me from Basti Ram, to bring 

 me the head from Murad, and then returned to camp. 

 After a while the jemadar arrived with Murad, the head, 

 book, and instrument. The head, taken from the box 

 and unwrapped, exhibited a skull complete with facial 

 bones. Earth and dust adhered to it as when it was 



