4i6 
THROUGH ASIA 
KENG-SHEVAR (THE PLACE WHERE THE IKE-BEL-SU ISSUES FROM 
THE MUS-TAGH RANGE) SHROUDED IN MIST 
of a sudden, white clouds, immediately followed by dark 
ones, would rustle up over the northern horizon. The 
sky above the Pamirs would put on a steel-grey wintry 
aspect : in a moment the entire vault of heaven would 
be packed with clouds. The wind would whistle in 
sudden gusts, then would blow with unmitigated fury. 
The lake immediately under the shore became as green 
as the deep sea, but further out glowed a dusky violet. 
From end to end it would be streaked with running lines 
of white spray ; while the waves dashed themselves with 
headlong violence against the shores, which they have 
been crumbling down and eating at for thousands of 
years. But within an hour the storm would be all gone. 
Then would come a shower of hail ; and then a heavy 
downpour of rain. The wind would die away. The 
lake would lose its brightness, and become grey from 
the splashing of the raindrops. 
But this spell of bad weather seldom lasted long, and 
left no traces behind it. Every afternoon, as regular as 
