ashed across my mind. Four of my men should go disguised,
two as traders and two as beggars, into the Takla fort (locally called
_Takla khar_ or _Taklakot_), and buy food from my enemies. We, in camp,
would remain hidden until they returned. I spoke to my followers, and,
after some natural reluctance, four Shokas undertook to perform the
daring duty. Discovery would mean to them the loss of their heads,
in all probability preceded by cruel tortures. Although these men
eventually betrayed me, I cannot help giving them credit for the pluck
and fidelity they showed on that particular occasion.

During the night my men were particularly good to me. We did not sleep
for fear of being surprised by the Tibetan soldiers. We passed hour
after hour listening to Shoka stories of brigands and barbarous Tibetan
tortures. Little I knew then what was in store for me. Early in the
morning, when it grew light, we gathered a quantity of nettles, which
were plentiful near this camp, and having boiled them thoroughly, we
made of them a hearty if not quite an appetizing meal. They did not seem
unpalatable at the time, and had we possessed salt to add taste and
digestibility to our prickly diet, we might have felt quite happy. We
supplied the deficiency by mixing with them a double quantity of pepper.
At any rate, it was a relief to know that, while nettles lasted near our
camp, we should at least not die of starvation.

CHAPTER IX

AN ATTEMPT AT MUTINY

The entire food-supply for my men was now reduced to four pounds of
flour, two pounds of rice, and two pounds of _satoo_. This we gave to
the four men who were to attempt to enter Taklakot. Their journey would
be long and fatiguing. For us there were plenty of nettles to fall back
upon. For myself I had a small quantity of tinned provisions, but I
intended to keep these for worse days which, I feared, were in store for
me.

I carefully instructed the four Shokas how to enter the Tibetan fort one
by one in their disguises, and, in order to avoid suspicion, purchase
only in small quantities at a time the provisions we required. When a
sufficient amount was obtained to make one load, a man should
immediately start back for our camp. The others were to follow
separately for a few marches. At a given spot they would all four meet
again and return together to us. It was exciting work to prepare the
different disguises and arrange for everything. At last, after repeated
good-byes and