ge in the breach, but failed
to push it home firmly. He then discharged the gun. The muzzle of
the barrel burst and the face of the Lama was much injured
thereby. I laughed heartily at this, and this apparently amused
the _Pombo_, for he, too, joined in. About half an hour after
this incident my feet were untied. It was then sunset. I found I
had lost the use of my feet. It took my right foot some two or
three hours before the blood began to circulate freely, but my
left foot remained like dead until the following day. That night
my feet were secured by cords. A bowl of some boiling steaming
liquid, which I was informed was tea, was presented to me to
drink. The eagerness of the surrounding Lamas that I should
partake of it aroused my suspicion. When it was pushed up to my
lips I merely sipped it and declined it. After a short time I
felt most sharp, excruciating, pains in my stomach, which
continued for several days. I could not but conclude that the
drink proffered had been poisoned. The following day Man Sing and
I were led back on foot to Toxem, our jailers riding on horses.
We had to go at a great speed despite our severely lacerated
feet. We crossed several cold streams, sinking in mud and water
to the waist. At Toxem, to my great delight, I beheld Chanden
Sing still alive. We were detained there for that night. On the
following day we were placed on yaks' backs and hurried off
towards Taklakot. Thus we journeyed at an unpleasantly fast pace
for fifteen days, from before daybreak to nightfall. Our guards
were bent on taking us _via_ the Lumpiya Pass; but as this meant
a long protracted journey of fifteen or sixteen days, over ice
and snow, I knew that we would, in our starved, weakened state,
succumb. We were all but naked. This was a day's journey on this
side of Mansarowar, where our bonds had been unloosed. We
rebelled, and it well-nigh ended in a fight, but our guards
consented to halt at Dogmar, until they sent to inquire if the
Jong Pen of Taklakot would give us passage through his
jurisdiction. After much demur we were eventually taken to
Taklakot. This arrangement, I subsequently learnt, was entirely
due to the good offices and energy of the _Political Peshkar_
Kharak Sing Pal, Rev. H. Wilson, and Pundit Gobaria. On arriving