20 THE MARKHOR 



beseech, implore, and whimper. They praise and 

 puff up every mortal thing : house-boats, servants, 

 shooting, dancers, shikaris, carpets, ibex, preserves, 

 polo-ponies, cigarettes, grass-shoes, picture postcards, 

 climbing sticks, furs, whisky, and bathing-drawers. 

 They pull out the filthiest letters, purporting to be 

 recommendations from the Highest and Most High ; 

 they give as references the English Resident, His 

 Royal Highness the Maharajah, Major Wigram, the 

 all-powerful arbitrator of shooting matters, the Vakil 

 Sahib at the Residency, feared on account of his 

 expert knowledge and firmness, and the Lady Sahib, 

 who is still firmer and still more feared. They 

 juggle with princely names, amongst which those of 

 Lily Langtry and Bismarck are not missing. 



For the moment they are all well acquainted with 

 the Duke of the Abruzzi, and each of them has been 

 his guide up the K 2, although the Duke himself is 

 still down in the valley. They produce photographs 

 of the loveliest dancing-women and of the most 

 splendid horns of the markhor, the ibex, and bara- 

 singh, with such long antlers that the plates were not 

 big enough to take them. Mercilessly the pack 

 follows me from place to place, until at last, at the 

 gates of the English Residency, they are compelled 

 to leave me in peace. Thanks be to thee, Lady 

 Sahib ! 



