s;
but the thought that I should be leaving my two men at the mercy of the
Tibetans prevented my carrying the escape into effect. The Rupun, having
risen to see that the guard were asleep, lay down again close to me and
murmured:

"_Nelon, nelon; palad[)o]_" ("They are asleep; go").

Well meant and tempting as the offer was, I told him I must stay with my
men.

Having my hands free, I managed to sleep a little during the night; and
when the morning came I slipped my hands again inside the ropes.

The Rupun, who seemed much disappointed, tied the ropes round my wrists
firmly again, and, though he appeared rather vexed at my not having
availed myself of the chance of flight he had given me, he treated me
with ever-increasing respect and deference. He even produced his _puku_
(wooden bowl), which he filled with steaming tea from the _raksang_,[33]
and lifted it up to my mouth for me to drink.

On perceiving how thirsty and hungry I was, not only did this good man
refill the cup time after time until my thirst was quenched, but he mixed
with it _tsamba_, and lumps of butter, which he then stuffed into my
mouth with his fingers.

It was really touching to see how, moved to kindness, the soldiers
imitated his example, and, one after the other, produced handfuls of
_tsamba_ and _chura_, and deposited them in my mouth. Their hands, it is
true, were not over clean, but on such occasions it does not do to be too
particular, and I was so hungry that the food they gave me seemed
delicious. I had been for two nights and one day without food, and, what
with the exertion of the fight and my various exciting experiences, my
appetite was very keen.

This great politeness, however, and the sympathy with which not only the
Rupun, but even the soldiers treated me now, made me suspect that my end
was indeed near. I was grieved not to be able to obtain news of Chanden
Sing and Mansing; and the soldiers' reticence in answering questions
regarding them made me fear that something awful had happened.
Nevertheless, though my gaolers were friendly, I did not betray any
anxiety, but pretended to take all that came as a matter of course. I
spent the first portion of the day in a lively conversation with the
soldiers, partly to divert my thoughts and partly to improve my knowledge
of Tibetan.

[33] _Raksang_, a vessel in which tea mixed with butter and salt is kept
boiling over the fire.

CHAPTER LXXXI

A bearer of bad new