Ill THE BALTAL REST-HOUSE 33 



deep in mud that even the coolies would not occupy 

 them, and the steady drip from the roof, which we heard 

 as we peered into the darkness inside, told us only too 

 plainly that no shelter was to be obtained there. In the 

 third room, below the part of the roof on which the 

 couple above mentioned were sitting, and probably on 

 account of the snow having been swept away, there were 

 two dry patches, and here some of the Rentons' things 

 had been unpacked. 



There being evidently no place for us in the rest- 

 house, Jebb and I turned to the hut erected for coolies. 

 This was similar in shape and position to the building 

 just described, but was much smaller, had only one room, 

 and no verandah. The snow had not been cleared away 

 from the front, but a hole had been dug down through it 

 to the door, for everywhere around the drifted snow stood 

 as high as the roofs of the two buildings. Standing in 

 the doorway, and looking into the darkness within, we 

 could see nothing except a speck of light, apparently a 

 candle, some distance away to the left. Stumbling across 

 coolie loads, and shoving aside coolies and servants, we 

 made our way to this, while a few pine faggots were 

 lighted to enable us to prospect further. The light 

 proved to be a candle in a lantern on a table. Beside 

 the table were two beds, and on these lay the other two 

 sportsmen we had heard of, both smoking like tugs, a 

 most necessary precaution in the fetid air they were 

 breathing. We introduced ourselves, and explained our 

 position, and intimated that we proposed to occupy the 

 remainder of the same room, if they did not object to our 

 turning out some of their luggage, most of their servants, 



D 



