ly route. Towards sunset we began our descent from the latter
point, and we crossed the river with no great difficulty. Having selected
a nicely sheltered depression in the ground, we pitched my little _tente
d'abri_ there, by the side of a pond of melted snow. With natural
eagerness, we all set out collecting lichens and shrubs for our fires,
and each man carried into camp several loads of the drier fuel. In a
moment there were three big fires blazing, and not only were we able to
cook a specially abundant dinner and drown our past troubles in a
bucketful of boiling tea, but we also managed to dry our clothes and
blankets. The relief of this warmth was wonderful, and in our comparative
happiness we forgot the hardships and sufferings we had so far
encountered. With the exception of a handful of _sato_, this was the
first solid meal we had had for forty-eight hours. In those two days we
had travelled twenty miles, each of us carrying a weight averaging
considerably over sixty pounds.

We were at 16,500 feet, which seemed quite a low elevation after our
colder and loftier camping-grounds. The reaction was quite pleasant, and
for myself I contemplated our future plans and possibilities with better
hope. The outlook had changed from our deepest depression to a condition
of comparative cheerfulness and content.

CHAPTER XXXIV

Dacoits--No nonsense allowed--A much-frequented region--A
plateau--The Gyanema-Taklakot track--A dangerous spot--Soldiers
waiting for us--Burying our baggage--Out of provisions--A fall
into the Gakkon River--A bright idea--Nettles our only diet.

IN front of us, to the N.E., was a high mountain, then farther towards
the East, a narrow valley between two hill ranges, while at 238 deg. (b.m.) a
river passed through a picturesque gorge in the direction of the Mangshan
Mountain.

It was necessary for me to proceed along the valley to the east, as we
should thus save ourselves much trouble, time and exertion, though there
would be some risk of our meeting Tibetans, especially bands of dacoits,
with whom this part of Nari Khorsum[18] is infested. We had, therefore,
to proceed cautiously, especially as my Shokas seemed no less timid and
afraid of these folks. We had hardly gone half a mile over the undulating
country, and I had stopped behind my men to take some observations with
my prismatic compass, when my carriers suddenly threw themselves flat on
the ground and began to