us articles, which we
were bound to miss at every turn and which we had absolutely no means of
replacing.

Of thirty picked servants who had started with me, twenty-eight had now
abandoned me, and only two remained: faithful Chanden Sing and Mansing
the leper!

The weather continued horrible, with no food for my men and no fuel! I
proposed to the two to go back also and let me continue alone. I
described to them the dangers of following me farther, and warned them
fully, but they absolutely refused to leave me.

"Sahib, we are not Shokas," were their words. "If you die, we will die
with you. We fear not death. We are sorry to see you suffer, sahib, but
never mind us. We are only poor people, therefore it is of no
consequence."

CHAPTER LIV

My time fully occupied--Our own yak drivers--A heavy blow--Along
the stream--Soldiers in pursuit of us--Discovered.

THIS last disaster should, I suppose, have deterred us from further
progress, but it somehow made me even more determined to persist than I
was before. It was no light job to have to run afield oneself to capture
the yaks, which had wandered off in search of grass; and having found
them and driven them back to our primitive camping-place, to tie upon
their backs the pack-saddles, and fasten on them the heavy tin-lined
cases of scientific instruments and photographic plates. This task was
only part of the day's routine, which included the writing up of my
diary, the registering of observations, sketching, photographing,
changing plates in cameras, occasionally developing them, surveying,
cleaning of rifles, revolver, &c. &c. The effort of lifting up the heavy
cases on to the pack-saddles was, owing to our exhausted condition, a
severe tax on our strength, and the tantalising restlessness of the yaks
forced us to make several attempts before we actually succeeded in
properly fastening the loads, particularly as we had lost our best pieces
of rope and leather straps. Our sole remaining piece of rope seemed
hardly long enough to make the final knot to one of the girths; anyhow
neither my bearer nor Mansing had sufficient strength to pull and make it
join; so I made them hold the yak by the horns to keep him steady while I
pulled my hardest. I succeeded with a great effort, and was about to get
up, when a terrific blow from the yak's horn struck me in the skull an
inch behind my right ear and sent me rolling head over heels. I was
stunned for sever