184 EXPEDITION TO KALMUK. 



On my arrival there, the news soon spread 

 that I had come to kill the redoubtable tigers, 

 and the Beg shortly appeared. I told him, unless 

 I got authentic khubber as to the tigers' where- 

 abouts, there was no use thinking of it. He 

 promised to do his best to get information, and if 

 they were anywhere in the neighbourhood, would 

 turn out the whole place to beat up Mr and Mrs 

 Stripes. His ideas on the subject of beating 

 were rather crude ; and when I pointed out to 

 him that, if he followed the plan he proposed, any 

 of the beaters might get killed, he said that would 

 not the least signify as long as we got the tigers ! 

 However, no news of them coming, I told the 

 Beg that if he could do better on my return, I 

 would see what could be done. 



I had a long march to Charcken, and it was 

 dark before I got near ; so, seeing some men 

 who looked like Chinese hanging about, I called 

 out " Chin, Chin." They came running up, and 

 one of them speaking Turki, I found they were 

 Kalmuks. They showed me the best house in 

 the village, the very one out of which they came, 

 where a blazing fire was excessively welcome. 

 My escort followed me in, so I begged them to 

 be seated, and set to work to find out all about 



