e and a silver
bangle by way of clothing. I quickly secured them, and although one was
really only a boy, I decided to trust to luck and take Dr. Wilson's
assurance that he looked tough enough and would be useful.

This brought my little force up to thirty strong, and now I was ready to
start.

[Illustration: PLAN OF KUTI CASTLE

1. PILES OF STONES 2. STEPS 3. OUTER WALL
4. TOWER 5. BLACKSMITH'S HOUSE 6. WINDOWS]

CHAPTER XXI

The Kuti Castle--Under way--Our first disaster--A cheerful and a
sulky coolie--Mansing--A brigand--A strange medley of
followers--A character--Tailoring--Fields of stones--Troublesome
rivers--The Jolinkan or Lebung Pass--Sense of humour--Pleased
with small comforts.

BEFORE leaving Kuti, I went to see the curious and ancient castle perched
on a small hill about three hundred yards south of the village. It is now
in ruins, with the exception of a quadrangular tower called by the
natives the Kuti Ker, but the foundations of the whole structure can
still be plainly seen. I made a plan, which is here reproduced, as it may
be of archaeological interest. The natives could give me no information
regarding it, except that it was once a king's palace strongly fortified.
A small house of several rooms by the side of the tower is said to have
been the blacksmith's shop in which the arrowheads and swords for the
king's soldiers were made. The tower is four yards square at its base,
and built of stone. Judging by its shape and construction, and the
curious windows, I am inclined to attribute this castle to Tibetan
workmanship, for identical towers are seen in Tibet, even at Taklakot.
The windows, or rather slits, on each floor of the tower were six inches
square; those in the blacksmith's house were considerably larger. There
were outer walls for the defence of the fort at places where the castle
would have been most accessible. Quantities of stones piled up in heaps
probably served as ammunition for the defenders of the fortress in
centuries gone by.

When I returned to camp all was ready, and after endless trouble with
some of my men, who were already uncertain as to whether they would
accompany me on my journey or not, I eventually got under way in the
afternoon. The Kuti village is the highest in Bias, being situated at an
elevation of 12,920 feet.

The track was now comparatively free from snow and ice except here and
there, where we h