ANPARH'S DILEMMA 297 



decision was that I could not be allowed to go any farther. 

 I was in despair, and sent Yakiib and Anparh back for a 

 last effort, the former with some rupees in his pocket. 

 This last move had the desired effect. After a time they 

 returned and said the Panboh and his friends were willing 

 to let me go to Nilang by the Sangyukh-la, provided I 

 made a short d(^tour so as to avoid villages, and also 

 provided that a consideration was forthcoming. I went 

 off to the assembly at once with Anparh and Yakiib, and 

 it was at length arranged that Anparh should go bail for me, 

 and give a written agreement that I should not enter the 

 villages. The noise and talk and squabbling over this 

 business was indescribable. Anparh cut a most wretched 

 figure; his very small modicum of courage gave way 

 entirely. He had little confidence in me, and no doubt 

 thought that as soon as he was bound down by the agree- 

 ment, and in the hands of the Tibetans, I would sacrifice 

 him to my own wishes. I never met before such a 

 chicken-hearted individual for a highlander. At length 

 we got him to the sticking-point, and Yakub dribbled out 

 the rupees : first he put five into the hands of the Panbuh, 

 who looked disappointed ; then five more, and so on, the 

 Panboh's face expanding in smiles as each dose was ad- 

 ministered, till the magnificent sum of twenty rupees was 

 reached. At this point it became evident that the man's 

 face could expand no more, and the dole ceased. The 

 next business was Anparh's oath and written agreement. 

 But it now appeared that Anparh could not write. The 

 difficulty was got over in this way — no doubt another 

 Tibetan custom : Anparh took up a small stone, round 

 which he wrapped some white woollen string. This implied 

 that if the agreement made was infringed, Anparh would 

 have to pay that weight in gold. This solemnity was 

 ratified by the attachment of my seal to the woollen string, 



