ADVENTURES IN TIBET 287 



watched by the Chukpas, who, not improbably, would 

 make another inroad when our number was reduced. 

 I did not wish any such intention on their part to be 

 frustrated, and as the route between the two camps 

 was not difficult I instructed Lenu not to return till 

 after dark. The fighting strength remaining with me 

 was thus reduced to Tara Singh (an old Sikh) and 

 Dass, the Hindu cook. I next ordered look-out sentries 

 to take up a position close to the camp, where the 

 mules and ponies had been tied up, and sent out two 

 men, one to keep the loose ponies from straying and 

 to bring them back in the evening, the other to look 

 after the sheep. These two men performed their work 

 satisfactorily, but the sentry on duty at night could 

 not keep awake. About half -past two in the morning 

 I strolled round to see how things looked, and find- 

 ing that the tied-up mules and ponies had been allowed 

 to break loose, I had to dispatch other men in search 

 of the animals and to undertake in person the work of 

 sentry. 



At daybreak I was relieved from my post by Tara 

 Singh, whom I had stationed on a neighbouring hill, 

 whence he could see our camp and also the track to 

 Camp 31. The old man's head, formerly black, had 

 recently assumed its natural grey colour, being deprived 

 of the dye which had supplied the lustre of youth. 

 Having some hope of a visit from the Chukpas, I 

 ordered all the men except the sentry, the shepherd, 

 and the man with the loose ponies to remain in their 

 tents ; but my hope was disappointed, and in the 

 afternoon Tara Singh announced that he saw Pike on 

 the way back to camp. I hastened to meet him, and 

 soon learned the result of his expedition. After 



