Strange noises--Ando the traitor--Purchasing provisions and
ponies--A handsome pony--Decoyed away from my tent and
rifles--Pounced upon--The fight--A prisoner.
[Illustration: A DISTAFF]
DURING the night I was aroused several times by noises, and I went out of
my tent to look for the disturbers, but failed to discover any one. This
had become my nightly experience, and I attached very little importance
to these sounds.
In the morning, Ando and two or three Tibetans came to sell us provisions
and ponies, and, while my two servants and I were engaged in purchasing
what we required, I saw a number of villagers coming up in groups. Some
spun their wool, others carried bags of _tsamba_ and flour, while others
still arrived leading a number of fine ponies. Having purchased
provisions to last us a couple of months, we now began the selection of
mounts, and naturally my servants and myself were overjoyed at our
unexpected piece of luck in finding ourselves, after untold sufferings
and privations of all kinds, confronted with abundance of everything we
could possibly desire. The demeanour of the Tibetans was so friendly, and
they seemed so guileless, that I never thought of suspecting them.
Chanden Sing and Mansing, who at bottom were sportsmen of the very first
order, delighted at the prospect of getting animals, rode first one pony
and then another to suit themselves; and Chanden Sing, having selected a
handsome beast for his own use, called me to try it and examine it before
paying over the purchase-money. Unsuspecting of foul play, and also
because it would not be convenient to try the various lively ponies
with my rifle slung over my shoulder, I walked unarmed to the spot, about
a hundred yards away from my tent, where the restless animal was being
held for my inspection. The natives followed behind me, but such a thing
being common in any country when one buys a horse in public, I thought
nothing of it. As I stood with my hands behind my back, I well recollect
the expression of delight on Chanden Sing's face when I approved of his
choice, and, as is generally the case on such occasions, the crowd behind
in a chorus expressed their gratuitous opinion on the superiority of the
steed selected. I had just stooped to look at the pony's fore-legs, when
I was suddenly seized from behind by several persons, who grabbed me by
the neck, wrists, and legs, and threw me down on my face. I struggled and
fought until I shook off some of my assailants and regained my feet; but
others rushed up, and I was surrounded by some thirty men, who attacked
me from every side, and clinging to me with all their might succeeded in
grabbing my arms, legs and head. Weak as I was, they knocked me down
three more times, and three more times I regained my feet. I fought to
the bitter end with my fists, feet, head and teeth each time that I got
one hand or leg free from their clutches, hitting right and left at any
part where I could disable my opponents. Their timidity, even when in
such overwhelming numbers, was indeed beyond description; and it was
entirely due to it, and not to my strength (for I had hardly any), that I
was able to hold my own against them for some twenty minutes. My clothes
were torn in the fight. Long ropes were thrown at me from every side, and
I became so entangled in them that my movements were impeded. One rope
which they flung and successfully twisted round my neck completed their
victory. They pulled hard at it from the two ends, and while I panted and
gasped with the exertion of fighting, they tugged and tugged to strangle
me, till I felt as if my eyes would shoot out of their sockets. I was
suffocating. My sight became dim, and I was in their power. Dragged down
to the ground, they stamped, and kicked, and trampled upon me with their
heavy nailed boots, until I was stunned. Then they tied my wrists tightly
behind my back; they bound my elbows, my chest, my neck and my ankles. I
was a prisoner!
[Illustration: PURCHASING PONIES]
[Illustration: I WAS A PRISONER]
[Illustration: ROPE RIDING-WHIP]