Leh 189 



a great concourse of people to the polo ground. 

 My wife and I had our seats under an awning, and 

 by our sides on a carpet sat a Committee of reput- 

 able traders. After measuring height and girth 

 and trotting up and down for soundness for an 

 animal could not have much wrong with him if he 

 trotted sound after a march from Yarkand the 

 Committee would assemble to assess values. The 

 way this was done would be as mysterious to one 

 unversed in the Eastern art of dallali as the 

 operations of a modern thought - reader. The 

 owner of the animal would join hands with each 

 one of the Committee in turn, the clasped hands 

 being in each case concealed in voluminous sleeves. 1 

 Emotions would then be seen to pass over the faces 

 of the bargainers, engaging candour, surprise, 

 anger, encouragement, pitying contempt, like 

 clouds on an April sky. Then they would drop 

 hands and the same operation would be gone 

 through with some one else. After five minutes, 

 the chief of the Committee might announce the 

 result of the dumb agreement : " Your honour, 

 this man has less sense than his mule. We are all 

 agreed that the animal is not worth more than 

 three hundred and fifty rupees, but he says he will 

 not take one rupee less than four hundred and fifty." 

 " Protector of the Universe," would interrupt the 



1 The bargaining is done by the extension of the fingers of the 

 hand. 



