72 JOURNEY TO THE PAMIRS. 



next morning at another bog ; I had only a shot 

 at a snipe, but Bower got a couple and some 

 teal. When we got back to camp, a man brought 

 up a very nice pony, which I promptly bought, 

 after some haggling, for 150 rupees, a top price 

 in this country ; but I took a great fancy to the 

 animal, a well-shaped dark bay, 13.3, without a 

 white spot, so did not grudge the money. 



We were just going to sit down to dinner when 

 we saw a crowd of people approaching full tilt. 

 It proved to be the Beg of Tashkurgan and his 

 followers, so we had to postpone our repast and 

 go through the usual ceremonies, giving him tea 

 and showing the passport. He was quite a boy, 

 barely twenty, a son of the Hakim Beg of Sirikul. 

 After a little talk we told him we would not de- 

 tain him, and sent him off with a present of a 

 gold-laced lungi. 



We were anxious to be off early next morning, 

 but found the yaks Barat had arranged for had 

 not appeared. He was at his old game of cutting 

 down prices, for when I produced the rupees de- 

 manded they turned up immediately. 



After descending the valley a short distance, 

 we found ourselves on a small table-land which 

 took us to the base of the range of hills dividing 



