PREPARING TO START 89 
journey again, there is not a single detail which could be 
added or be changed, excepting perhaps the clothes. 
We were obliged to take all those cartridges, because 
we took them instead of food. For all we knew to the 
contrary, we might have to shoot our way back. 
So I wrote a note for Powys in which I told him we 
were starting for Scharok. This I put in a tin and 
buried it on the cliff, six feet due north by compass off 
a cross. On this was written the words agreed upon 
between us. 
Then we buried the axe in the bank, stowed the tent, 
bunged the barrel, and roped the tent down. 
We were ready to start. 
