COLLAPSE OF INDIAN SERVANTS 151 



wished to return, then they clung lovingly about the roof- 

 less walls of Zingzingbar, and had certainly very sad hearts 

 when they were driven onwards. The mule men, too, 

 were unwilling ; but my liver was in its right place at the 

 foot of this pass ; I felt no qualms, and no malingering was 

 allowed ; everyone had to make the best of a bad job. 

 My bed was laid on a patch of bare ground under cover 

 of the grass bundles, and my followers had similar quarters ; 

 I was better off as far as the bundles went — nothing more. 



1 was too anxious for an early start to sleep, and my 

 companions were too cold ; so I had everyone up at 



2 A.M., and we prepared for the ascent : the weather, how- 

 ever, was too threatening, and, instead of starting, we 

 all sat still, and in the end had to put the tents up to 

 protect ourselves. Heavy snow came on shortly after- 

 wards, and continued for six hours ; the sun came out 

 strono- at noon, and the tents were drv in an hour. But 

 at 4 P.M. it began to snow again, and shortly after sun 

 acrain for another hour. This alternation of snow and sun 

 was most tantalising, and kept my hopes going up and 

 down like the thermometer. My three Indian servants 

 collapsed during the day : the bitter cold wind and snowy 

 surroundings were too much for them — they simply lay 

 down in their tents and became torpid. Nothing would 

 rouse them : threats, coaxing, even hunger had no effect, 

 no sound escaped their lips : their faces had become as 

 black as charcoal, and their eyes were fixed in a meaning- 

 less stare. 



It snowed during the whole night, and up to 9 a.m. next 

 day (14th June). The fall was very heavy, and in the 

 pass itself must have accumulated to a great depth. The 

 mules and ponies bolted during the night and sheltered 

 themselves under the roofless walls of Zingzingbar, and 

 some of the men followed their example. There was snow 



