CHAPTER XXIV. 
AMONG THE KIRGHIZ 
I GRADUALLY learned to have much sympathy with 
the Kirghiz. I lived amongst them for four months 
a solitary European, and yet never once, during all that 
time, felt lonely. The friendship and hospitality they 
showed me never wavered. They shared with willing 
pleasure in the hardships of my nomad existence ; and 
some of them were at my side in every sort of weather, 
took part in all my excursions, all my mountain ascents, 
all my expeditions across and to the glaciers. In fact, I 
won a certain measure of popularity in the valley of 
Sarik-kol. The people came from far and near to visit 
me at my camping - stations ; bringing me presents of 
sheep, wild-duck, partridges, bread, yaks’ milk and cream. 
And almost invariably, when I drew near to an aul, I was 
met by a troop of horsemen and escorted to the begs 
yurt, given the place of honour near the fire, and offered 
' dastarkhan (refreshments). 
But the little ones entertained me most. Many ot them 
were such sweet, pretty little things, as they ran about 
with a coloured cap on their head, and not a stitch else on 
them, unless it were their father’s huge skin boots, tli^at I 
sometimes found it hard to tear myself away from them. 
At the first glance of such a strange apparition as my 
spectacles and my strange clothes they generally fled and 
hid behind their mothers, or concealed themselves in their 
favourite hiding-places in the yurt ; but the offer of a 
lump of sugar quickly won their confidence. On their part 
too the Kirghiz soon understood that I regarded them 
as friends, and felt at home amongst them. I lived con- 
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