The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-22
Experience of Adventurous Wheel
men in the Persian Mountains.
Chicago Tirnes-Herald

One of the three wheelmen commissioned
by a London paper to supply reports of
journey on cycles sends to a friend in Chi
cago the following account of the Persian
part of the trip:
"A solitary chaper-kaneh or caravanserai
stands at Kha v-koreh. Our way to Deb
bid lay through the dreaded pass of Kohl
Kush-literally the shoulder of death'-and
as l knew the snow lay deep and had dritted
in many places, and that 1t was region
where many lives had been lost we hired
horseman to show us the way. 1t was then
o'clock in the afternoon. Dehbd was
twenty miles distant. We expected to reach
Ii before nightfall. Away we started, well
muftied up, as biting wind was blowing.
For the first few miles it was all our guide
could do to keep up with us. But the mo-
ment we were in the pass, where the snow
lay a foot deep and the track was narrow,
skirting slippery, rugged Lodges, cycling was
out of the question. The great hill frowned
wild and desperate, the gale swept the loose
snow in icy clouds down the ravine, the
horse slowly and cautiously climbed the
rocks We followed silently. 1t was dark
when we neared the summit of Koll-Kush.
I'VE thought it was now only eight miles
to Dehbid the way down hill and we would
soon spin the distance, but We were wrong.
The snow was much deeper this side of the
mountains Not a word was said as for an
hour we followed each others dark figures
across the white mask. AT last our guide
dismounted. peered strangely about and
then with quaking voice said: 'Sahibs, L
1.-THE darkness was pitchy. We were on a
bleak mountain side eight thousand feet
Snow was again falling.
Let the horse find its way, one of us
suggested. For some time the animal
roamed about We kept close conscious
that we were walking in q circle. 1t was
fatiguing work and we called a halt. The
horse however, had gone on some twenty
yards and our guide went forward to catch
him.
'Yawash. yawashr we yelled at the man
(come back, come back). it flashed upon
us that he was trying to escape, leaving us
to fare as we might. We ran, adjuring him
to come back, threatening him with all
sorts of vengeance, but he needed not.
There was only the howl of the storm and
the swish of the driven. frozen snow, and
all around white, featureless sea.
Well, boys, were in for a rough time
of it tonight. There is nothing for it but
to keep on moving. Don't let US lose heart
or funk it. When that rascal gets 10 Deb
bid alarm will be raised and searching
party will be sent out. Let us look for the
poles of the Indo-European telegraph,
which, before dark, we saw away on our
Eve spread apart just far enough to he
able to distinguish each others form. After
half an hour one shouted:
'ReVolvers out; look ahead
~ There a were two ,I proving e forms I h
and they scampered off. Another long strug
gle through the snow and then suddenly we
came upon telegraph pole. 1t was too dark
to see the pole ahead but we noted the di-
rection Of the wires and plodded on. BY the
light of fuse we saw that it was twenty
minutes past midnight We were faint and
1t was no good, we had to abandon our
bikes, we agreed. And yet perhaps, that
would be unwise Each offered to stop to
look after the machines while the others
pushed on 10 Dehbid for help. After some
debate we propped the bicycles against a
post and went on without them.
we plunged to our waists in snow, and
at every pole we felt like succumbing. One
of us deserted light far to the left-a pale
green ight-like the reflection of a lamp
in courtyard. We left the poles and fam
ished with hunger, dead weary with walk
ing, we labored another hour through the
drifts. But there was no house, only the
snow forever and ever. The lights had been
from the eyes of the prowling beasts
" / can't go another step, one of us ex-
claimed, sinking TO the ground in a faint.
posed.
I'VE were on a rocky slope blown free
from snow, and about were tufted, rank,
cracking bushes. We gathered all could
and lit a fire. We crouched round 1t for a
time, and then it went out. Then we lay
down on the frozen soil, very CLOSE, and
putting our arms around one another for
mutual warmth. kept one another awake by
talking and occasional kicks 1t was, as
may be imagined, most uncomfortable,
shiVering with our numbed limbs. not
knowing where we were nor what our fate
would be before morning came. Every half
hour we rose and stamped our feet and ran
about. Then we lay down again, half dazed,
at times even wishing empowering sleep
would take possession of US and put an emu
TO trials.
AT o'clock in the morning there was
dim sckly dawn. We set on 10 find the
telegraph poles again. 1t was so misty that
1t was nearly two hours before we discov-
cred them. our clothes were covered with
mud and sodden with wet our features
drawn and our eyes bloodshot. Suddenly the
fog cleared and we saw two horsemen com
ing toward us. They had been sent out by
the superintendent of the testing station al
Dehbid to look for our bodies. In case OF
our being alive they had brought with them
some good brandy. We were so weak that
they lifted us on the horses. wrapped their
great felt coats about US and took us TO
Dehbid where everybody was relieved from
anxiety. We had been on the mountains for
We got our bikes the next day and resumed
our Journey