1 110
2 WHERE
3 THREE
4 EMPIRES
5 MEET
6 This day the puppies had also the hick to ' stick-up '
7 the Maharajah's mail. Encountering the dak wallah, they
8 of course badgered him with their playful barkings.
9 The poor wretch threw down his mail-bag, rolled him-
10 self in his blanket, and cast himself, screaming for pro-
11 tection, at Bower's feet. We called the dogs oiF, and left
12 the postman lying on the snow weeping bitterly, his
13 nerves completely upset by this unprovoked attack.
14 The puppies were highly amused, and decided that
15 Kashmiri-baiting altogether beat marmot-hunting as a
16 sport, and was, besides, so very much safer.
17 All our men at last straggled into Matayun, most of
18 the coolies having occupied ten hours on the road.
19 Here amidst desolate scenery we found a house of refuge
20 risino- from the snow. This was one of the usual serais
21 of this country, consisting of a square of low, flat-roofed
22 buildings enclosing a central courtyard. There was
23 room for all of us in the dark little chambers, on the
24 floors of which we soon had our fires burninD- and the
25 welcome tea was got ready by our servants.
26 Here we found the Afi>han merchant who had failed
27 to cross the pass, with some members of his caravan.
28 He told us that he had left Kashgar in the preceding-
29 autumn, and had wintered at Leh ; so he did not appear
30 to be in any hurry. These people do not believe that
31 ' time is money.' They like to get a high profit on their
32 venture, and care little how lon^ thev mav have to wait
33 for it. To turn over money quickly and enrich oneself
34 by frequent small profits is not the Oriental's way of con-
35 ducting business
36 a
37 ; it is, among other things, too lacking
38 in dignity for an Asiatic. This Afghan was wearing
39 over his clothes a choga, or robe of Eussian chintz.
40 Bower asked him why he did not purchase English
41 chintz. ' It is not of nearly such good material," he
42 replied, ' as the Eussian ; besides, the English do not