I 12 
THROUGH ASIA 
straw was scattered amongst the rocks. Shrill shouts 
pierced the air. The caravan came to a standstill. We 
rushed down by the nearest side -paths. One of the 
Kirghiz fished out my tent-bed, as it was dancing off 
dow"n the torrent. The others encouraged the horse to 
try and get up. But he lay in the water with his head 
jammed against a large fragment of rock, and was 
unable to respond to their exhortations. The Kirghiz 
pulled off their boots, waded out to him, and dragged 
him towards dry land. It was however wasted labour. 
The poor brute had broken his back ; and after a while 
we left him lying dead in the middle of the river, whither 
he had struggled back in his dying agonies. 1 he straw 
was swept together, sewn up again, and packed on one 
of the other horses, which carried it till we reached our 
night-quarters at Langar. 
As soon as we got back to the track, we went to 
work with spades and axes, and cleared away the ice, 
and then strewed sand over the place from which we 
had cleared it. 
I'he horses were led across this dangerous spot one 
by one, and with every precaution for their safety. I 
need scarcely say that I traversed it on foot. 
Before we reached the end of our day’s journey we 
were suddenly overtaken by the twilight. The shades 
of night crept thicker and thicker together in the deep 
narrow g'orge, choking it with gloom. But after a while 
the stars began to peep forth ; and their keen glitter, 
piercing the obscurities of the ravine, gave us a faint 
light by which to continue our perilous journey. I have 
encountered a fair share of adventures and dangers in 
High Asia; but the three hours’ travelling which still 
lay before us till we reached Langar were, I believe, 
the most anxious of any I had hitherto experienced. 
The first ice-slide was merely the forerunner of others 
to come. They now followed one another in quick 
succession, each more perilous than the last. Thus we 
walked, and crept, and slid slowly on, beside the black 
abysses gaping for their prey. This occasioned in- 
