Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 189 (Color Image)

0189	Among the Celestials : vol.1

CHAP. vit.] A GOOD BARGAIN. 153

wearisome camels were no longer required. I

was fortunate in being able to effect an ex-

cellent arrangement with my " boy " Liu-san,

by which he engaged to land me at Kashgar

by contract on a certain date. I was to be

regarded as a piece of merchandise to be carted

from one place to the other, and he was to

undertake the whole of the arrangement. He

was to land me and my baggage at Kashgar

in forty days, and was to be paid seventy taels

(about ‘17 I os.) here at Hami, and thirty

taels more if we reached Kashgar in the stipu-

lated time. He was to receive two taels extra

for every day in advance of that time, and two

taels would be deducted for every day more

than the forty days. This arrangement fully

answered my expectations. The money which

was to be made for transport went into my

" boy's," and not into some outsider's pocket,

so that he at once became directly interested

in the journey. And instead of having to go

through all the irritating and irksome process

of perpetually nagging at the servants and

pony-men, which utterly destroys the charm of

travel, I could go about with my mind at rest,

well-assured that my " boy " would be worrying

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