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172 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
between the granite cliffs of Mandarlik to explore regions
that were then absolutely unknown. Even at the first
camp we made the scenery had assumed a more typically
Alpine character, the altitude being 13,070 feet above the
sea. There was a brook in the valley, which made a merry
tinkling as it flowed, and beside it were pretty little flowers
embedded in luxuriant moss. The only fuel to be obtained
was the dry dung {argol) of yaks and kulans (wild asses).
The shrill whistling of the marmots outside their earthen
burrows, and the chattering of partridges, echoed on the
mountain sides. Cherdon shot some of the latter for our
larder.
Next morning, July though it was, we were in the midst
of winter, the country being buried under a thick fall of
snow. If the weather was like that in the middle of
summer, what must it be in the depth of winter ? When
we continued on the 22nd, making for a glen with scanty
grazing, it was still snowing, and during the following night
the snow came down thick and fast, and we had 8|- degrees
of frost.
At daybreak I was awakened by a fearful tumult in the
camp, and hurrying out saw plainly that something strange
had happened. The ground between our two tents was
trampled by wolves. All the sheep had disappeared, with
the exception of the four which were tied up, and Niaz
had vanished too. x\ll the men went off to look for them,
and managed to find nine sheep scattered amongst the hills,
but all torn to pieces by the wolves ; they only saved one,
while one was missing altogether.
Niaz, who was so excited that he was trembhng from
head to foot, described the night’s adventures as fohows.
He had lain down to sleep as usual under a felt carpet near
to the sheep, and had been awakened in the middle of the
night, which was pitch dark, by hearing the bleatings of
his charges, though their cries were but faint, owing to the
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