Page:Kennedy, Robert John - A Journey in Khorassan (1890).djvu/88

This page has been validated.
74
A Journey in

A night's run of twelve hours, spent in a very uncomfortable second-class carriage, brought us to the station of Bokhara. The only incident worthy of note being the conduct of a young military officer, who made himself very disgreeable, by talking in our presence against England and English people in general, until he was forcibly stopped by the indignant interference of some of the passengers. Excuses were eventually made to us, on his behalf, on the ground that having been recently bitten by a mad dog he had taken to drink, and was consequently not altogether responsible for his actions.

On arriving at Bokhara station, at 7.30 in the morning of Sunday, April 13th, we found a close carriage waiting for us, which had been sent, together with a cart for our luggage, by M. Klemm, the kind and hospitable Russian Acting Political Agent, resident at the Court of the Khan of Bokhara. The carriage was drawn by three horses, harnessed unicorn fashion,and each horse was ridden by a Bokhariot postillion, dressed in gorgeous coloured flowing silk robes and large white turbans, whilst a Russian