68 JOURNEY TO THE PAMIRS. 



out, having snow on their summits, but with 

 beautiful grassy slopes lower down. It looked 

 like excellent ibex-ground, but no one had ever 

 shot over it. Here and there we saw big flocks 

 of sheep and goats on the downs, and in the 

 bottom an occasional yurt of the shepherds. 

 Dauvergne, who was already encamped, gave us 

 a cup of tea, for which we were very grateful 

 after the worry of the road. The ponies came in 

 late dead beat, entailing a halt on the next day. 



Dauvergne started early to cross the Kolkand- 

 har Pass, and we were left in the lurch. How- 

 ever, there was a man who was said to have some 

 yaks, and we sent for him. He tried to make 

 excuses, but when asked point-blank his reasons 

 for refusing, said that Sultan Beg, Dauvergne's 

 guide, had told him that if he took service with 

 me I should beat him on the road ! Naturally I 

 was rather put out, and had I been able to lay 

 hands on Mr Sultan Beg, he would have re- 

 membered it. His reason, no doubt, was enmity 

 with Barat, there having been a feud for a long 

 time between the servants of our two caravans- 

 no unusual occurrence when two parties travel 

 long together. I told him he was a fool to 

 believe what he was told by a liar like Sultan 



