242 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



of his attendants. And just then, far above us, men 

 were seen taking up their position on the hills com- 

 manding the pass. The Khan now began to look 

 anxious, and asked if the rifle was loaded. He also 

 ordered six fishermen, who had been lazily lounging 

 about half naked, to get their arms and be ready to 

 go with us. We asked how it was he was so anxious 

 now, when he had been so confident before. " Oh, 

 then I had all our followers, who have been left on 

 the off-bank ; now we have only twelve men, and in- 

 vite attack. " However, there was no help for it. He 

 and his men looked to their priming, and we were 

 ready to start. But here a fresh difficulty arose : 

 who was to carry the plane-table 1 His men simply 

 refused to demean themselves by doing so ; and with 

 rifle, cartridges, rations, &c., we had about enough 

 already. However, as a last resort, I was about to 

 pick it up myself, when two more men appeared on 

 the scene and paid their respects to us, and on hear- 

 ing the difficulty, volunteered for the duty. These 

 were outlaws who had, some years previously, com- 

 mitted manslaughter under very extenuating circum- 

 stances, and had fled from justice. Tired of long 

 exile they had applied for pardon, and now offered 

 their services in the hope of obtaining good marks. 

 Their offer was gladly accepted : we had never before 

 been so gratified as now by the arrival of a couple of 

 cut-throats. They took up the instruments, and away 

 we started ; but much valuable time had been lost. 



