THE KHOTAN-DARIA SHEPHERDS 621 
standing between us. The shepherds were now thoroughly 
satisfied of the truth of my story, and I dropped hints 
that their generous services to me should not go un- 
rewarded. 
May loth. A strong north-easterly gale loaded the 
atmosphere with dust. I lay and slept inside the hut 
all day long. The tremendous physical exertions I had 
undergone during the last few days of that terrible desert 
journey now took their revenge upon me. I felt tired 
to death, like an invalid who is convalescent after a year’s 
illness. 
At sunset I was awakened by the screaming of a camel, 
and hurried out. There came Pasi Akhun, leading 
Ak-tuya, the white camel, with Islam Bai and Kasim 
following behind him. My excellent Islam flung himself 
with sobs of joy on the ground before me, and clasped 
my feet with his hands. I at once lifted him up and 
bade him calm his emotion. In his own mind he had as 
little expected to see me as I had expected to see him. 
The white camel was laden with two kurchins (double 
wallets of canvas). One of them contained all my 
instruments (except those for measuring altitudes), my 
drawings, and itinerary notes, paper, pens, and such like ; 
the other the Chinese silver money, the lantern, teapot, 
cigarettes, and several other things. Moreover Islam 
had saved the two Husqvarna rifles, and brought them 
wrapped up in a felt. 
Islam ate a piece of bread, and rallied a bit, and then 
told me his story. For several hours after we left him 
on the night of May 2nd, he lay where he fell ; but finally 
he managed to get up and follow our trail, though very 
slowly, for the four camels, which he brought along with 
him, resisted being urged along. Later on in the evening 
of May 3rd, he saw the big signal fire, which we made 
beside the three poplars ; but it was a great way off. 
However it gave him fresh courage, for by it he knew, 
not only that we were alive, but that we had reached 
the outskirts of the forest, perhaps discovered water. He 
reached the three poplars on the morning of May 4th, 
