caused them to release us. They held an impromptu
durbar on the spot, which lasted for two hours,
Khalik attended on our side, and of course was given
a free hand to do what he could. 1
Neither side would give way an inch; we insisted
upon going straight on, and the lama was determined
that we should return by the way we had come. We
tried bluff: if they would not allow us to Pr°cee
peacefully, we would force our way to Gartok, which
was on the direct road to Lhasa. We maintained that
we were strong enough to fight with the whole district
if forced to do so ; anyhow, we refused to go back.
At length a compromise was fixed upon, as follows .
on condition that they promised to bring grain for
the ponies and barley and ghee for
were willing to return to our last camp, and there await
the arrival of the headman of the^distnct, p io v id ^
that he came within twenty-four hours. T ey
that this headman would arrive almost at once, as the
alarm had been passed along the valley
Accordingly we trudged back, and pitched the tents
on our old camping-ground by the pond, still escorted
by a goodly number of our captors, though several had
ridden away towards Munak Thok, for the purpose, so
they declared, of bringing the promised gram.
After the tents were pitched, it was consideied
advisable to give our opponents an exhibition of our
powers of marksmanship. I t was as good as a play
to watch the expressions of astonishment on their
faces as the shots were placed each a hundred yards or
so beyond the other, and as the bullets ricocheted
across the sandy plain, raising small clouds of dust
wherever they struck. The climax was reached when
the magazine was used, for they had never heard or
dreamt of such a device.