Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XXI.—A Killing Journey Over the Arka-tagh
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
3i8 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
food we were able to get for our animals in that inhospi-
table country.
Shagdur and Sirkin shot two antelopes ; but when
Sirkin was galloping after his victim to secure it, his horse
suddenly put his nose between his fore-legs and over he
went, head foremost, flinging his rider, so that he rolled
over two or three times on the ground. The horse was
stone dead, though we could not make out whether he had
broken his neck or had a stroke of some sort ; anyway,
Sirkin had always looked after and tended him with the
greatest attention.
Up in the mountains where we were there was no longer
grazing of any description. Since we had sent back the
asses, our loads were very heavy, and we were of deliberate
purpose spendthrift with our provender. The load must
somehow or other be lightened, so every evening we gave
each camel a big portion of grain. Artan, the camel I
rode in the desert, was here seized with a sort of cramp,
and I spent the whole evening massaging him, though it
is hard work massaging camels at an altitude of 16,000
feet above the sea. But Artan recovered, and was one
of the last surviving camels which reached Ladak. He
always marched at the head of the caravan, with one of
the biggest of the bells hanging round his neck.
On the 22nd June the camp was astir early, for we
were now to make the great attempt to climb over the
Arka-tagh. The caravan began to march slowly up towards
the pass we had pitched upon to cross by. Barely a stone’s
throw from camp one of the camels lay down and refused
to get up again. We relieved him of his load, and having
at length induced him to rise, started to lead him without
one ; but at the next slope he fell again. He was evidently
done for, and a resolute slash set his life’s blood flowing.
I now set off to ride after the caravan, which had passed
me. Just as I was overtaking it a tempest burst, the very
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
