Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 217 (Color Image)

0217	Among the Celestials : vol.1

CHAP. vII.] AN AWKWARD SITUATION. 179

he told me that night that the people were

badly disposed towards us, and advised me to

be watchful.

Next morning matters were worse. As I

mounted to ride away, crowds of these rough

Kirghiz collected round me, gesticulating wildly.

I asked Rahmat-ula-Khan what was the matter,

and he said that they had determined not to

let me through their country. They argued

that no European had been through before

(though this was not true, as a party of British

officers from Sir Douglas Forsyth's Mission

came into their country as far as the Below-ti

Pass), and that they did not see any reason

why I should be allowed to. Some of the

more excited were for resorting to violent

measures, but Rahmat-ula-Khan, who all the

time was keeping very quiet and even smiling,

talked and reasoned with them, while I sat on

my pony and looked on, well knowing that the

Pathan could arrange matters best by himself.

It was curious to watch the gradual effect of

his arguments, and the cool way in which he

proceeded. He first of all drew them out, and

allowed them to expend all the spare energy

for vociferation they possessed, and then asked

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