a sickening odor. I ordered them not to come too near us.

Later four Tibetans, who attempted to snatch Chanden Sing's rifle out of
his hand, received from him a battering they were not likely to forget.
After this we were left alone for the remainder of the day. In the
evening Chanden Sing fired at a black wolf which came close to camp. I
discovered, about one hundred feet above the lake-level, imbedded in the
mountain-side, a stratum of gigantic fossils, which, owing to their size
and weight, I was unable to dig out and carry away.

Feeling almost certain that we were being spied upon all the time by the
numerous Jogpas we had met, and knowing their favorite habit of
attacking strangers at night while asleep, we generally resorted to a
simple ruse. Before sunset we pretended to encamp, and having lighted a
fire to let them think that we had halted for the night, after dark
escaped, leaving the fire burning. Walking and stumbling for several
miles, we eventually found a spot high on the hillside, where we
considered ourselves safe. Snow fell heavily during the night, and as
usual we woke up with icicles hanging from our mustaches, eyelashes, and
hair. Otherwise we really felt happy and well.

It was my good-fortune to make quite sure, from many points, that the
ridge between the Rakas and Mansarowar lakes was continuous, and no
visible communication between the two lakes existed. With the exception
of a small depression about half-way across, the ridge has an average
height of 1000 feet all along--a fact which ought in itself to dispose
of the theory held by some that the two lakes are connected by a wide
channel intersecting this ridge. I ascertained from the natives that
there was no visible communication between the lakes, though the
depression in the ridge makes it probable that at a very remote period
some connection existed. The lowest point in this depression in the
centre of the ridge is over three hundred feet above the level of the
lakes.

CHAPTER XI

IN STRANGE COMPANY

Just before leaving the shores of the Rakastal I had a great piece of
luck. We had been detected by another band of brigands, who were trying
to overtake us. I had watched them with my telescope as they rode toward
us. They were driving some twenty yaks in front of them at a fast pace.
The brigands rode ponies. We were about a mile and a half ahead of them,
and close to the edge of the Devil's Lake. We saw them coming down the