THE START FROM MERKET 487 
1 can see him now as plainly as though it were only 
yesterday we parted. Idis philosophic serenity never 
deserted him. When the clouds of misfortune gathered 
thick round our ill-fated caravan, his good humour never 
failed ; there was always a smile on his face. Even when 
he lay in the delirium of death, a gleam of triumphant 
serenity shone in his eyes, and the light of an inward 
peace spread over his withered copper-brown countenance. 
The second man, who was to help in the management 
of the camels, was Kasim Akhun, a native of Ak-su, but 
at that time an inhabitant of Yarkand, forty-eight years 
of age, unmarried, and a caravan -leader by profession. 
Of medium height and strongly built, with a black beard, 
he was of a serious disposition, and never laughed, though 
always friendly and pleasant ; but he had very often to be 
reminded of his duties. 
We wanted yet another man. Him Niaz Beg found 
for us in another Kasim Akhun from Yanghi-hissar. He 
was of the same age as Mohammed Shah, and every 
spring, for six years past, had gone a ten to fourteen 
days’ journey into the desert in quest of gold, taking 
his food on the back of an ass, but not venturing further 
in than he was able to get water by digging. During 
our journey, in order to distinguish him from the other 
Kasim, we called him sometimes Yollchi (the pointer 
out of the road), sometimes Kumchi (the man of the 
desert). A few years previously he had flitted to Merket, 
and now left wife and grown-up children there behind him. 
His subsequent fate was in part of his own causing. He 
was brutal and of a violent temper; and the other men, 
whom he attempted to tyrannize over, soon came to hate 
him. He conceived that his experience of the desert 
warranted him in assuming a domineering tone ; and he 
entertained an especial grudge against Islam Bai, because 
Islam was appointed karavan - ba.shi, or caravan - leadei, 
and the other three men were bidden obey him. Some 
of the inhabitants of Merket warned us against this man, 
telling us that he had been more than once punished for 
theft ; but the warning came too late. W hen I engaged 
