THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 101 



the bed of the Sutlej, on the slope of a high, steep 

 mountain. I found that my tent had been pitched 

 on a long terraced field, well shaded with apricot- 

 trees, on the outskirts of the village, and that Mr 

 Pagell, the Moravian missionary, was absent on a 

 long journey he was making in Spiti. Mrs Pagell, 

 it appeared, was living with some native Christians 

 near by, in a house guarded by ferocious dogs ; but 

 as she spoke neither English nor Hindusthani, only 

 German and Tibetan, Silas had been unable to com- 

 municate with her, and the use of Nurdass as an in- 

 terpreter had not then been discovered. This was 

 serious news for a man in my condition ; but I was 

 in too deathlike a state to do anything, and lying 

 down in my tent, did not make any attempt to leave 

 it until the day after next. 



Whenever able, I staggered up to Mrs Pagell's 

 residence, and explained the position I was in. She 

 at once gave me access to her husband's store of 

 medicines, where I found all I required to treat 

 myself with calomel, steel, chalk, Dover's powder, 

 and, above all, pure ipecacuanha, which nauseous 

 medicine was to me like a spring of living water in 

 a dry and thirsty land, for I knew well that it was 

 the only drug to be relied on for dysentery. This 

 good Moravian sister was distressed at having no 

 proper accommodation in her house for me ; but, 

 otherwise, she placed all its resources at my disposal, 

 and soon sent off a letter to be forwarded from village 



