NEWS FROM BOWER. 159 



habits, and having hunted for them on foot before, 

 I also knew what a fluke it would be. 



I searched all the surrounding forests for two 

 days without seeing a horned head, though I 

 came across some hinds, but as I did not require 

 meat, I left them alone. So when a courier came 

 in from Bower telling me not to wait for him, 

 I determined to work on towards Aksu, having 

 heard that beyond that place there was good 

 hunting-ground for stags, jeran, and tigers. 



Bower returned my passport, having after 

 some trouble succeeded in getting one for him- 

 self, but to do so he had been obliged to take the 

 Dotai into his confidence. He said he had sent 

 off the two men with whom the Commissioner had 

 provided him, also the man whom he had en- 

 gaged at Yarkand as interpreter, so that he could 

 not start after me until he got another one, which 

 would delay him some days : he therefore begged 

 me not to wait, and he would follow as soon as 

 he could. The news he had received of the 

 murderer was very vague, and he felt his task 

 was almost hopeless. 



I went on for twelve miles, walking mostly 

 through jungle, to Jogdubotak : it all looked 

 likely ground, and there were tracks all about, 



