Evening star., 1925-08-23

us had ascertained. that the knots had
never Ioosened and were cursing the
girl whose silly idea had given them a
fright. The poor thing did not need
that added to her nervousness. She
became hysterical. weeping and Shrek
ing It was a scene of picturesque
confusion.
I. x x y
NONGDEN took opportunity OF the
general emotion TO beg for "his
aged mother. who had suffered such
an agony while hanging on that rope
and needed q good meal to refresh her
self" All those present gave rather
literally, and we started, loaded with
a fresh supply.
The out oft -the-way country in which
circumstances had led us proved most
interesting. We often stayed with
village people, witnessing their GUS
toms close at hand and listening to
their talk about the events happening
in Tibet. No traveller other than one
who was believed by them to belong
to the same stock of humble people
could have gathered the treasure of
observations I collected. They could
supply matter for quite number of
volumes.
After these peaceful days the storm
ment had sent officials in remote parts
of the country to establish new taxa
ton. It would be interesting to relate
the details Of their journey and the
motives that led to the establishment
of the tax, but it would be too long
now. These ponpos, moving across
the country with hosts of retainers.
all more inquisitive and arrogant than
their masters, constituted a real dan
ger for US.
Once when We heard about the pres
ence of one of these officials in a GER
tain village we managed to reach it at
night, and. leaving behind the group
of houses in which we supposed that
the big man was sleeping, we spent
the remainder of the night in the bed
of dry waterfall. At dawn we
started, only to discover that the well
decorated building that was no doubt
his abode stood ahead on our way.
AS it was still early, we were lucky
enough to meet no one in the vicinity.
When the sun rose we were already
far from there, congratulating each
other about our escape. In the middle
of the same afternoon we were told
that the ponpo had removed three
DAYS ago from that house to another
village, through which We would have
to pass on the morrow.
We tramped again nightly till we
passed the place. Perfectly convinced
that time that our trouble was over,
we slept happily in a chaos of rocks
and thorns. The following morning,
after 10 minutes walk, we came in
front of large settlement sheltered in
recess of the mountain. About 80
good horses were tied outside of 1t.
Country people already crowded in,
bringing grain, grass, butter, meat.
and so on.
This was the place where the official
actually had put up. A stalwart head
servant supervised the going inside of
the things brought by the villagers.
He stopped Yongden, and after a talk
which appeared endless to me he or
dered man to give us meal of tea
and tsanipa. We could not refuse that
kind offer. Beggars like us could not
but rejoice at that piece of good luck.
We made a pretense of eating it, seat
ed on the steps of the kitchen, smiling.
laughing and joking with the attend
ants of the gentleman when we would
rather have felt inclined to take to our
heels.
CTILL later came the dramatic cross
~ ing of two high passes and our
tragic Christmas, lost among the
SHOWS on unexplored ranges of noun
tains. Our food supply. was exhausted.
The snow, falling during four days
without ceasing, had hidden all traces
of trails, leveled the precipices and
grew higher and higher around the
abandoned midsummer shelter of
cowmen that we had been lucky
enough to reach. Yongden. tired out
by three days of vain researches for a
path, starving, delirious, wanted to
start at night, for where he did not
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