34 START FOR CHINESE TURKISTAN. 



grass with one or two Kirghiz yurts^ on it, and 

 made our camp for the night. Here we had our 

 first trouble with Baratbai. Three of his drivers 

 came and said they must leave him, as he had 

 the temper of the devil, but that they wanted 

 their pay before starting. They had been en- 

 gaged, they said, to go with him by the Yarkand 

 road, and now they were being taken they knew 

 not where. I was much exercised at the prospect 

 of losing half my drivers, and told them wherever 

 we went I would answer for it they should not be 

 losers. They still insisted, though Baratbai said 

 they were not entitled to anything, being paid in 

 advance. When I told him he must pay them 

 extra to keep them, he said it was as much as 

 his life was worth after the row they had had, as 

 they were Pathans, and would cut his throat the 

 first opportunity. So I called a court of inquiry, 

 with Dogpa (Dauvergne's servant) as president, 

 to try and settle the matter. After a stormy 

 meeting, it was agreed that Baratbai should pay 

 something, and that on arrival at Yarkand the 

 affair should be settled by the Aksakal, or magis- 

 trate. The three men were then told they 

 might go. 



1 A yurt is a dome-shaped tent made of felt. 



