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68 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
plete circle, we saw sitting on a silt peninsula 12 dark-brown
vultures, big, heavy, ruffled birds. They had just gorged
themselves upon the carcase of a white horse which lay at
the water’s edge. They merely followed us with their
eyes as we drifted round the promontory, but beyond that
they took no further notice of us.
On 6th November we passed the sheep-station of Bostan,
and the shepherds gave us some vegetables and a big white
cock. No sooner was the new passenger put down on board
than, like an arrow from a bow, he flew upon our old cock
and without more ado drove him into the river, where he
lay flapping his wings, struggling and screaming until fished
out again. After that we had to keep the two on separate
boats, and so long as they had the water between them,
they remained the best of friends. When one of them
crowed, the other was sure to answer him. Funny crea-
tures—cocks ! The only things to be compared to them
for comicality are camel-foals.
We were now approaching more inhabited regions ; the
reed-huts were growing more numerous, and every now
and again we saw a canoe on the bank, hewn out of a single
poplar trunk. After one of these had been calmly appro-
priated by my men, Kasim gave a water pantomime dis-
play in the coggly-wobbly thing, to the intense amuse-
ment of his comrades. And although my men were unable
to understand why I should do so, I afterwards honourably
paid for the stolen canoe. They were clearly of opinion
that stranded goods are common property.
Upon reaching the village of Terez, which I had visited
before, we were received with gladness and hospitality by
my friend Khalil Bai, an old man of seventy-three, who
brought us all sorts of nice things—pears, pomegranates,
vegetables, hares, pheasants, sheep, poultry and eggs, and,
best of all, several big bowlsful of milk. This was a most
welcome replenishment of our stores, and happily we might
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