A Morning with the Mehtar s Falcons 127 



men, whose fair complexions betokened their 

 origin to be north of the Hindu Kush, were 

 preparing their early cup of tea. Shop doors 

 were being opened, and clouds of dust voluming 

 forth showed that the morning clean-up was going 

 on. The bazar passed, the Meh tar's fort, with 

 its four towers, came in sight down among the 

 chinar-trees, where the river flowed. 



As soon as we appeared, a crowd of men who 

 were waiting outside the fort began to show signs 

 of life, and shortly afterwards to move along the 

 road which joined with ours a quarter of a mile 

 farther on. As our roads converged, we recognised 

 the Mehtar at the head of the procession on a 

 good-looking Badakshan pony. A dozen Chitrali 

 nobles and retainers, who happened at the time 

 to be doing feudal service in the fort, formed the 

 mounted part of his retinue, the people on foot, 

 twenty or thirty in number, being servants and 

 followers of no particular standing. 



The Mehtar, Shuja-ul-Mulk, was a young man 

 of five-and-twenty, though old beyond his years 

 from the stirring scenes he had witnessed. Al- 

 though his personality was not at first sight strik- 

 ing, his face indicated the possession of both 

 shrewdness and determination ; and, indeed, to 

 rule over Chitralis successfully, as he has done 

 since an unexpected turn in the wheel of fortune 



