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| 0453 |
Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.2 |
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indulge in the long-missed pleasure of gathering Alpine
flowers by the handful, among them deep blue gentians
which I could greet as old friends. In the rocky ravines
descending on both sides grew luxuriant brushwood, and
the men were soon drying themselves by huge fires such
as these poor folk of Su-chou could scarcely ever have
afforded to light.
I was just gleefully reflecting how our ponies would
revel in their Alpine pasture when Sahid Bai, my wild-
looking but quaintly tame pony-man from Yarkand
(Fig. 246), came up with alarmed mien to report that five
of the animals were standing about benumbed and refusing
to touch grass or fodder. I at once suspected that they had
eaten of the poisonous grass which infests certain parts of
the Nan-shan, and about which old Marco has much to tell
in his chapter on 'Sukchur' or Su-chou. The Venetian's
account had proved quite true; for while my own ponies
showed all the effects of this inebriating plant, the local
animals had evidently been wary of it. A little bleeding
by the nose, to which Tila Bai, with the veterinary skill of
an old Ladak 'Kirakash,' promptly proceeded, seemed to
afford some relief. But it took two or three days before
the poor brutes were again in full possession of their
senses and appetites. The evening brought more rain,
and to my tent plentiful company. Under the sides of its
outer fly there collected rapidly a dense crowd of humanity,
the pony-men fleeing thither from the elements. How glad
I often felt thereafter for being able to offer this much-
appreciated hospitality! The five soldiers from Chin-fo-ssŭ,
whom the Magistrate had insisted on sending along as
escort, had wisely brought their two tiny tentes d'abri.
Next morning I woke to a delightfully clear day; but
at first a heavy mist clinging to the higher slopes hid its
glory. We had to wait until the bright sunshine had made
its way into the narrow valley and partially at least dried
men and tents. The preceding day's ascent had been
steep and had brought us to a level of about 10,400 feet
above the sea. Yet I scarcely suspected our first pass to
be so near as it actually proved. As soon as we had
turned a rocky spur above the camp the valley widened to
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813
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