2/0 THE KARAKUL PAMIR AND HOME. 



of a letter of introduction given me by Monsieur 

 Teutsh at Kashgar. A large bungalow was 

 pointed out, which looked thoroughly deserted ; 

 but there was a smaller house in the compound 

 which seemed inhabited, and after some hammer- 

 ing a boy came out and said no one was in. 

 Through Jaffer I informed him this was a lie, as 

 it was the public rest-house, and as travellers we 

 required accommodation. A very sleepy, sulky- 

 looking Sart, as the people are called in these 

 parts, came out at this point of the proceedings, 

 and said this was his private house, and asked 

 what the - I meant by disturbing him. Being 

 cross, hungry, and wet, my reply was made in 

 choice Hindustani, which he understood to a cer- 

 tain extent ; then remounting, I turned my back 

 and rode away. 



After wandering about, looking in vain for the 

 rest-house, I thought, after all, it would be just as 

 well to make use of my letter of introduction, and 

 showing the address to the first decent-looking 

 man, I was directed back to the very house from 

 which we had been ejected ! This was indeed a 

 joke. We inquired for the owner, giving the boy, 

 who appeared to be his servant, the letter. In a 

 moment out came my friend, Atta Khan by name, 



