152 THE JOURNEY TO LADAKH 



again during most of the day. Under these circumstances 

 the firewood began to disappear rapidly, and I at once sent 

 men oft' to Darcha for a fresh supply. The servants were 

 so utterly helpless that they could not cook for me, and, 

 after existing on tea and biscuits as Ion" as nature 

 permitted, I was driven to cook for myself. The men them- 

 selves had not energy enough to take any nourishment ; they 

 lay like logs under all the blankets and warm things they 

 could put their hands on, I must say my appetite did not 

 suffer, and my spirits rose as the thermometer fell. The 

 condition of my followers, however, caused me anxiety, and I 

 long debated in my mind the wisdom of a backward move. 

 The next day was clear, and the crisis came : the servants 

 were manifestly unequal to any exertion whatever ; they had 

 had no food for three days, and looked most miserable — 

 black, shrivelled-up, shivering bits of humanity, I made 

 up my mind at last, and decided to send back my Indian 

 servants and mules, and push forward with the coolies and 

 ponies I had brought up from Kailang. I reduced my 

 traps to eighteen light loads, and there were twenty-five 

 coolies : the tattoos would carry the grass and fuel. The 

 mules, too, were in bad condition ; it was too early in the 

 season to cross these passes with them, and they would 

 certainly collapse farther on, in a situation perhaps beyond 

 help. I therefore made up my mind to free myself from 

 these encumbrances. I should certainly have a bad time 

 without any servants ; but I depended upon Sarap, who said 

 servants could be procured from Leh. When I announced 

 my intention, the countenances of the cook and syce lit up 

 with joy, but the third man, Yakiib, the smallest and 

 weakest of the three, but a Pathan and with the Pathan grit 

 in him, objected as strongly as his weak condition would 

 allow. He had suffered the worst, and was certainly the 

 least fit of the three ; but he flatly refused to return. 



