276 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



begged me to reflect that the beard was given to man 

 as an ornament ; that, according to the Book, damages 

 might be recovered from any one who deprived you 

 of this appendage ; that to lose it was the most 

 serious disgrace and misfortune that could befall a 

 man ; but that knowingly, and from forethought, to 

 deprive one's self of such an ornament was, he begged 

 to submit to my superior judgment, not the act of a 

 wise man ; and here followed some flattering remarks 

 on the promising appearance of the beard that was 

 in danger. I humbly urged that the custom of Fer- 

 inghistan was such, and that surely the dust was an 

 argument in favour of the razor : but rny remarks 

 made no impression on the old conspirator, who re- 

 mained stroking his own thin beard with a very 

 serious, thoughtful countenance. After some time, 

 I asked him what would Khoda Woordee do in 

 Russia ? This was too much for the old gentleman's 

 gravity : we had a hearty laugh at the idea of any 

 barber being rash enough to think he could remove 

 the forest of a beard which flows from Khoda 

 Woordee's chin. The Kipchaks did not relish the 

 trip, and I was not anxious to take them. They 

 have accompanied Brutus on his return to Herat. 



Old Brutus was very anxious to grace his return by 

 taking away several Herat slaves with him, amongst 

 the rest, the daughter of the Kutub. Long and 

 often did he dwell upon the latter woman's sufferings. 

 She, the daughter of the "Sayer of Prayers," be- 



