The Tatars entered the city with shouts of triumph, and the chief
was so delighted that he threw his arms around Rob's neck and embraced
him warmly.
Then began the sack of Yarkand, the fierce Tatars plundering the bazaars
and houses, stripping them of everything of value they could find.
Rob searched anxiously among the bodies of the unconscious Turks for
the two men who had robbed him, but neither could be found. He was
more successful later, for in running through the streets he came upon
a band of Tatars leading a man with a rope around his neck, whom Rob
quickly recognized as one of the thieves he was hunting for. The
Tatars willingly allowed him to search the fellow, and in one of his
pockets Rob found the Record of Events.
He had now recovered all his property, except the traveling machine,
the one thing that was absolutely necessary to enable him to escape
from this barbarous country.
He continued his search persistently, and an hour later found the dead
body of the third robber lying in the square in the center of the
city. But the traveling machine was not on his person, and for the
first time the boy began to give way to despair.
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