266 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



when we pull up at a convenient spot for the cattle. 

 About two in the day something or other was brought 

 for dinner. If we had killed a sheep the day before, 

 I always liked to have Brutus, his son, Khoda Woor- 

 dee, Fazil Khan, and the commander of the Kipchak 

 sowars at dinner ; but these were feast-days, and rice 

 and a few raisins was often our only food. I was 

 most fortunate in the selection of my party, with 

 one exception, of whom more by-and-by. Never did 

 men behave better, and it was impossible for men 

 to be more attentive to their duty. I should like 

 few things better than to take a three months' trip 

 in any direction in the cold weather with just the 

 same party. The exception to the good men and 

 true to whom I have alluded was a Moollah whom 

 my people brought to me at Herat, saying that his 

 son was a slave at Khiva, and he wished to go with 

 me to endeavour to effect his release. Now as there 

 are in the city of Khiva nearly 12,000 slaves of 

 the inhabitants of the valley of Herat, I could not 

 promise to effect the release of this stranger's son 

 more than that of any other of the 12,000. This 

 I explained to the man, but told him if he could 

 effect his son's release he might accompany us, and 

 I would find food for himself and his horse on the 

 road. The man was profuse in thanks for my liber- 

 ality, as he called it, and prayed loudly for my health, 

 wealth, and prosperity. At Merv this man's horse 

 died, and I purchased another for him ; and he came 



