ght, that I became suspicious. When
they pushed a bowl of the liquid to my lips, I merely sipped a little
and declined to take more, spitting out what little they had poured
into my mouth. I unfortunately swallowed a few drops. A few minutes
later I was seized with sharp pains in my stomach, which continued for
several days after. The drink proffered me was poisoned.

The following day my left foot, which had remained lifeless since I had
been untied from the rack the first time, began to get better, and the
circulation was gradually restored. The pain was unbearable.

In the morning indecision again prevailed as to what they would do to
us. A number of Lamas were still anxious to have us beheaded, whereas
the Pombo and the others had the previous night almost made up their
minds to send us back to the frontier. Unluckily, it appears that the
Pombo had a vision during the night. A spirit told him that, if he did
not kill us, he and his country would suffer from a great calamity. "You
can kill the _Plenki_," the spirit was reported to have said, "and no
one will punish you if you do. The _Plenkis_ are afraid to fight the
Tibetans."

Among the Lamas no important step is taken without incantations and
reference to occult science. The Pombo ordered a Lama to cut off a lock
of my hair. A soldier did this with a blunt knife, and the Pombo rode up
with it in his hands to the Lamasery to consult the oracle. The lock was
handed in for examination. After certain incantations, the oracle
answered that I must be beheaded or the country would be in great
danger.

The Pombo rode back disappointed, and now ordered that one of my
toe-nails should be cut. This operation was performed with the same
blunt knife; the oracle was again consulted; the same answer was
received.

Three such consultations are usually held by the high court of the
assembled Lamas, the Tibetans on the third occasion producing for the
oracle's decision a piece wrenched from a finger-nail. The Lama who
performed this last operation examined my hands and spread my fingers
apart, expressing intense astonishment. In a moment all the Lamas and
soldiers came round and examined my hands--a repetition of my experience
at the Tucker monastery. The Pombo, too, on being informed, immediately
came and inspected my fingers. Matters from that moment took a different
turn.

When, some weeks later, I was released I was able to learn from the
Tibetans the reason of their am