ut half an hour later another person, in a great state of excitement,
rushed into the tent and signalled to my guards to lead me out. This
they did, after making my bonds tighter than ever, and placing extra
ropes round my chest and arms. In this fashion I was marched off to the
mud house and led into one of the rooms. A large number of soldiers and
villagers assembled outside. After we had waited some time, Mansing,
tightly bound, was brought into the same room. My pleasure at seeing my
man again was so great that I paid no attention to the insults of the
mob peeping through the door. After a while a Lama came in with a
smiling face, and said he had good news to give me.

"We have ponies here," he said, "and we are going to take you back to
the frontier, but the Pombo wishes to see you first to-day. Do not make
a resistance. Let us exchange the ropes round your wrists for these iron
handcuffs."

Here he produced a heavy pair of manacles which he had kept concealed
under his coat.

"You will not wear them for more than a few moments, while we are
leading you to his presence. Then you will be free. We swear to you by
the Sun and Kunjuk-Sum that we will treat you kindly."

I promised not to resist, chiefly because I had no chance of doing so.
For greater safety they tied my legs and placed a sliding knot round my
neck; then I was carried out into the open, where a ring of soldiers
with drawn swords stood round me. They made me lay flat on my face on
the ground, and held me down firmly while they unwound the ropes from
around my wrists. The iron fetters, joined by a heavy chain, were
substituted for them. They took some time in fastening the clumsy
padlock, after which, all being ready, they unbound my legs.

When I stood up again, and knowing that I could not possibly get my
hands free, they began to load me with insults, not directed to me as an
individual, but as a _Plenki_ (an Englishman). They spat upon me and
threw mud at me. The Lamas behaved worse than any of the others. The one
who had sworn that I should in no way be ill-used if I submitted quietly
to be handcuffed was the most prominent among my tormentors and the
keenest in urging the crowd on to further brutality.

Suddenly the attention of the crowd was drawn to the approach of the
Rupun with a number of soldiers and officers. He seemed depressed. His
face was of a ghastly yellowish tint. He kept his eyes fixed on the
ground. Speaking in a low tone of v