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136 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
However, it turned out not to be so bad as that, for just
as we were putting up our tent at nightfall Ordek appeared
with the spade on his shoulder, leading his horse. Both
were completely exhausted. Ordek’s first cry was for
water ! water ! His throat was completely parched with
all the dust he had swallowed, and he was hardly able to
stand.
It was with breathless attention that I listened to
Ordek’s story. In the dark and stormy night he had lost
our trail and gone astray. But at daybreak he had stumbled
across the ruins of several houses, where there was any
quantity of richly decorated timber. Knowing that I was
strangely interested in such things, he carried away with
him two of the best of the planks. Then he set about
searching for the ruins where he had left the spade, and did
not give up the search until he found them. Having
recovered the spade, he at once set off to return. Two
or three times he tried to fasten the planks on the horse’s
back, but as the animal would have none of them, Ordek
was forced to drag them along himself, and he showed
me the bleeding sores which the rope had made on his
shoulders. Once more he made an appeal to the horse’s
compassion, but the ungrateful animal broke loose and
galloped away. Upon this, Ordek abandoned the planks,
and had no end of trouble to catch his four-legged com-
panion. When he did at length catch him, the poor fellow
was so overcome by weariness and thirst that he made
all the haste he could to find us. This was not the first
time that I had had occasion to wonder at the marvellous
topographical knowledge displayed by the natives.
This story produced upon me the effect of an electric
shock. I at once ordered Ordek to go back first thing
next morning and fetch the planks which he had left behind.
And when I saw them, and perceived that they came from
an entirely different place from the scene of our first dis-
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