204 EXPEDITION TO KALMUK. 



about I got separated for a short time from the 

 shikari, and when he rejoined me, he said that soon 

 after I got out of sight a big stag rose up from 

 the grass where he had been lying and ran past 

 within 50 yards of him. Was there ever such 

 luck ! 



In the afternoon a dust-storm began to blow, 

 and all the ponies strayed, so Mahomed Atta 

 went after them. Shortly after they came in 

 of their own accord : Mahomed Atta was not 

 with them, and as it was dark we feared he 

 had lost his way. All about the camp there 

 were hillocks covered with high reeds : these 

 we set a light to, at intervals, up to ten o'clock ; 

 but as he did not turn up, we concluded he had 

 stayed with some shepherds for the night. We 

 waited a while before striking camp, leaving a 

 man behind to show him the way we had taken. 

 Soon after we had pitched the tents on the 

 banks of the Tarim river, he came in. He 

 said he got benighted and lost his way in the 

 dusk, and after wandering about for some time, 

 gave it up, and, lighting a fire, went to sleep 

 until the morning, when he found his way back 

 and followed us. 



Getting back to my old camp between Koro- 



