CHAPTER LXIV. 
A CURIOUS SHEPHERD RACE 
UR guides, being now superfluous, were sent back. 
'Fhey returned over our trail, resting at the wells we 
had dug. I continued my journey with the four men 
who started with me from Khotan. 
On January 25th we crossed eight davans, running to 
eighty feet or more in height ; though towards evening, 
when we halted, we found water at a depth of six feet. 
The next day the sand was heavier, as we worked our 
way across eight davans. Beyond the eighth we came 
upon a number of tamarisks and dying kamish (reeds) 
in a depression, and were tempted to make a halt, al- 
though we had not gone far. To the east there was 
a huge davan, looking through the haze like a distant 
mountain. We held a council of war ; it was decided 
to see first what lay beyond the formidable davan. It was 
as much as 130 feet high, and was the biggest we had so 
far encountered. At sight of it the men became very much 
depressed. The camels tramped along at a slow, sluggish 
gait, but the donkeys lagged a long way in the rear. 
At last we reached the top. But to our amazement, 
there no longer was any davan ! Still, we could not see 
far ahead, for the atmosphere was laden with dust from 
the last storm. Shortly afterwards we observed the track 
of a fox, and found a dead wild-duck. Tamarisks and 
other desert plants were more numerous. To our un- 
speakable delight, the sand-dunes became lower and lower. 
We saw the footprints of men and of horses. We 
emerged into the open, where the tall bare poplars faced 
us in serried lines of forest. We discovered a deserted 
hut, merely a roof resting on its uprights. That night 
we encamped on the banks of the Keriya-daria. 
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