286 SPORT, TRAVEL, AND ADVENTURE 



tions to regain the food stolen from camp as well 

 as the much-prized and indispensable beasts of burden. 

 As the missing animals were undoubtedly the best we 

 had and free from sores, it was considered far more 

 likely that they had been stolen >than that they had 

 strayed, notwithstanding their well-known propensity to 

 stray even when in the midst of good grazing. 



As there was evidently an enemy hanging about in 

 this neighbourhood, we held a council to concert 

 measures for the recovery of supplies and transport. 

 Though the general disposition of our company was 

 not warlike, we came unanimously to the decision that 

 the Chukpas must be found and compelled to make 

 restitution. Pike and I had revolvers, and in the camp 

 there were eight magazine carbines and a shot-gun ; 

 but besides ourselves the only men capable of using 

 these weapons were Leno, Sanman, Utam Singh (a 

 Sikh), Changfunchuk (an Argun), and Dass (the Hindu 

 cook), who had courage enough for the discharge of 

 the shot-gun, but was incapable of using it with the 

 necessary deliberation. So far as fighting was con- 

 cerned, it mattered little that a considerable number of 

 our men were absent, looking for the lost mules. Pike 

 undertook the search for the marauders, and chose 

 as his companions Utam Singh, a man who could be 

 relied on, and Changfunchuk, who was a good shot. 

 To my lot fell the duty of remaining in camp for the 

 defence of the property which still remained to us. 

 At Camp 31 we had left some baggage, and for the 

 recovery of this Leno, Ramzan, Sanman, and two 

 caravan men, with sixteen animals, set out to accom- 

 pany Pike as far as our old quarters. There was some 

 ground for thinking that our movements were being 



