Overland to India : vol.1 / Page 308 (Color Image)

0308	Overland to India : vol.1

CHAPTER XIX

A SNOWSTORM IN THE DESERT

WE had been sleeping two hours when the two dogs of

the village began to bark furiously in the middle of the

night, and soon after the ketkhoda returned from his

mission and aroused my men. He wished to deliver at

once the supply of kah or chaff he had succeeded in col-

lecting in the neighbouring villages and had brought with

him in network bags or sacks. We now had four kharvar

of straw at 31 tuman, and they made eight camel loads.

And as the water-supply required two camels the old man

promised to place ten of his best camels at our disposal for

18 tuman. He received at once 25 tuman in silver, for he

had no faith in Persian notes, and was to be paid the other

13 tuman due to him on our arrival at Tallhe. He had

also obtained a large light yellow dog, which we called

Nevengk, and he made a terrible row all night long,

trying to tear himself loose from the boxes to which he

was fastened.

On the morning of January 8 the sky was covered

with dense clouds, and it felt cold and chilly after 13.8°

in the night. I kept myself comfortable near the dying

embers of the camp fire while the caravan was being

loaded up, and this work took a longer time than usual,

owing to the sacks of water and straw. The four small

sheepskins had not lost a drop of their water in the night—

the ground beneath them was quite dry ; but only half

was left in the two large meshk, and they lay in a bed of

mud. They were, therefore, filled again from the canal,

and hoisted with the closely tied opening uppermost on to

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