THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 83 



of drugs, whether to put an end to what had become 

 to them a trying and hateful journey, or in answer to 

 the bribery of agents of the Lassa Government, whose 

 business it is to prevent Europeans passing the border. 

 I don't suppose any one who started with me from 

 Simla, or saw me start, expected that I should get up 

 very far among the mountains ; and, indeed, Major 

 Fenwick politely told me that I should get eaten up. 

 A nice little trip along a cut road, stopping a week 

 at a bungalow here and another bungalow there, was 

 all very well; but this going straight up, heaven 

 knew where, into the face of stupendous snowy 

 mountains, up and down precipices, and among a 

 Tartar people, was more than was ever seriously 

 bargained for. 



I could not, then, in the least wonder, or think it 

 unlikely, that when it was found I was going beyond 

 Pangay, some attempt might be made to disable me 

 a little, though without any intention of doing me 

 serious injury. However, I cannot speak with any 

 certainty on that subject. If the illness which I had 

 at Pangay was not the producing cause of the dysen- 

 tery, it at least prepared the way for it. What was 

 certain at Lippe was, that I had to meet a violent 

 attack of one of the most dangerous and distressing of 

 diseases. Unfortunately, also, I had no medicine 

 suited for it except a little morphia, taken in case of 

 an accident. Somehow, it had never occurred to me 

 that there was any chance of my suffering from true 



