with its cakes of water-colours.

"What do you do with these?" cried an angry Lama, pointing at the
harmless colours.

"I paint pictures."

"No, you are lying. With the 'yellow' you find where gold is in the
country, and with the 'blue' you discover where malachite is."

I assured them that this was not the case, and told them that, if they
would untie me, I would, on recovering the use of my arms, paint a
picture before them.

They prudently preferred to leave me tied up.

Their whole attention was now drawn to a considerable sum in silver and
gold which they found in the cases, and the Pombo warned the people that
not one coin must be stolen.

I took this chance to make an offering of 500 rupees to the lamasery, and
told the Pombo that I would like him to accept as a gift my
Martini-Henry, which I had noticed rather took his fancy.

Both gifts were refused, as they said the lamasery was very wealthy, and
the Pombo's position as an official did not allow him to carry a rifle.
The Pombo, nevertheless, was quite touched by the offer, and came
personally to thank me.

In a way the rascals were gentlemanly enough in their manner, and I could
not help admiring their mixture of courtesy and cruelty, either of which
they could switch on at a moment's notice without regard to the other.

CHAPTER LXXXIX

An unknown article in Tibet--My sponge bewitched--A Lama fires my
Martini-Henry--The rifle bursts.

THEY had now reached the bottom of the water-tight case, and the Pombo
drew out with much suspicion a curious flattened object.

"What is that?" inquired he, as usual lifting the article up in the air.

My sight had been so injured that I could not clearly discern what it
was; but on their waving it in front of my nose, I recognised it to be my
long mislaid bath-sponge, dry and flattened, which Chanden Sing, with his
usual ability for packing, had stored away at the bottom of the case,
piling upon it the heavy cases of photographic plates. The sponge, a very
large one, was now reduced to the thickness of less than an inch, owing
to the weight that had for weeks lain upon it.

The Tibetans were greatly puzzled at this new discovery, which they said
resembled tinder; and it was touched with much caution, for some of the
Lamas said it might explode.

When their curiosity was appeased, they took it and threw it away. It
fell near me in a small pool of water. This was a golden opportunity to
frig