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134 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
found nothing further. However, we made very good use
of our time, and it was quite late when we went to bed.
I should have liked nothing better than to spend several
days in that locality, but, unfortunately, the water was
all the time drip-dripping from our ice-store, so that we
durst not linger. Here Abdu Rehim and his camels turned
back. At the same time, I sent with him Khodai Kullu,
to carry back the finds we had made at the ruins, some
way or other, to our head-quarters at Yanghi-kol. The
man was extremely reluctant to leave us ; but apart from
other reasons for sending him away, our water supply
was now reduced to a very low ebb, and every mouth
less was of consequence. Upon continuing my march
from the ruins, my caravan consisted of only Chernoff,
FaisuUah and Ordek, with four camels, one horse and
two dogs.
After proceeding about 12 miles we pitched our camp
in a hollow and resolved to dig a well. If only we could
get down to the ground-water we should be independent
of the ice, and it might melt away as much as it liked.
But we found that the spade had been left behind at the
ruins, and Ordek, who was responsible for leaving it behind,
at once proposed to go back and fetch it.
I hesitated to let him undertake such a long journey
on foot, for if a sandstorm sprang up there was great
risk of the man perishing. On the other hand, it might
be that our very lives would depend upon the spade, if our
position became at all desperate for want of water ;
without it we could not get down to the ground-water.
However, I lent him my saddle-horse, and strictly enjoined
him to keep to our trail. I told him we should not wait
for him, but should push on further, and if he lost our
trail all he had to do was to keep steadily on to the south,
and he would come to the shore of the Kara-koshun,
Then at midnight, after two or three hours’ sleep and
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