r
enough I claimed my two yaks back. They refused to give them up. They
said they were twelve men, and were not afraid of one. Dismounted from
their ponies, they seemed ready to go for me.

[Illustration: BRIGANDS WITH SHEEP]

As I saw them take out a flint and steel to light the fuses of their
matchlocks, I thought I might as well have my innings first, and, before
they could guess at my intention, I applied a violent blow with the
muzzle of my rifle to the stomach of the man nearest to me. He collapsed,
while I administered another blow to the right temple of another man who
held his matchlock between his legs, and was on the point of striking his
flint and steel to set the tinder on fire. He, too, staggered and fell
clumsily.

"_Chakzal, chakzal! Chakzal wortzie!_" ("We salute you, we salute you!
Please listen!") exclaimed a third brigand, with an expression of
dismay, and holding up his thumbs, with his fist closed in sign of
approval.

"_Chakzal_," I replied, shoving a cartridge into the Mannlicher.

"_Middu, middu!_" ("No, no!") they entreated, promptly laying down their
weapons.

I purchased from these men about thirty pounds of _tsamba_ and eight of
butter, and got one of them to carry this to my camp, while I, without
further trouble, recovered my yaks and drove them back to where Chanden
Sing and Mansing were busy lighting a fire to make some tea.

[Illustration: SADDLE BAGS]

CHAPTER LVII

Travelling Tibetans--Over a high pass--A friendly meeting--A
proffered banquet--Ascent to 20,000 feet--Looking for the Gunkyo
Lake--Surprised by a phantom army.

TOWARDS noon, when our things had got almost dry in the warm sun, the sky
became overclouded, and it again began to rain heavily. I was rather
doubtful as to whether I should go over a pass some miles off to 93 deg.
(b.m.), or should follow the course of the river and skirt the foot of
the mountains. We saw a large number of Tibetans travelling in the
opposite direction to ours, and they all seemed much terrified when we
approached them. We obtained from them a few more pounds of food, but
they refused to sell us any sheep, of which they had thousands. I decided
to attempt the first-mentioned route and, making our way first over a
continuation of the flat plateau, then over undulating, ground, we came
to two lakelets, at the foot of the pass in question. The ascent was
comparatively gentle, over snow, and we followed the river de