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222 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
" A fire ! A fire in the distance " ! These words acted
upon us all like an electric shock. Involuntarily we
quickened our steps; everybody began to talk at once,
though up till then the silence of the grave had reigned
amongst our little company. All eyes were bent, fascinated,
upon the tiny speck of light. If it were a big fire, it was
so far off that we could not possibly reach it that night ;
and if it were a little one, we should reach it—indeed we
must reach it, even though we dropped. A final push
and our troubles would all be over. One hour more and
we should be sitting, amongst friends, around the warm
fire, telling them of our adventures, our mishaps, and
our troubles, whilst the ash, or " rice-pudding," with its
appetising ingredients, would be spluttering merrily over
the flames. In my own mind, I began to heap encomiums
upon Togdasin, and I promised myself that I would give
him a handsome pile of Chinese silver for his honesty.
On we went through the dark night straight towards
the fire, which kept alternately disappearing and flaming
up again. Our guides maintained a sharp lookout for
ravines and deep watercourses. For my own part, I saw
nothing, and had to hold on to the edge of the boat, first
with one hand and then with the other, according as they
stiffened with the cold. During the last few days I too had
been obliged to walk, for our surviving horses were scarcely
able to drag themselves along without encumbrance.
Then the beacon-fire died down, and it no longer flared
up again ; and with it died our hopes, and weariness once
more laid hold upon us. Upon reaching a locality where
scrubby bushes were growing, we stopped awhile and set
fire to two or three of them. Then by the light they made
we gathered several other armfuls and flung them on the
fire. Greedily the flames leapt up into the air, flinging a
reddish yellow flickering reflection across the barren steppe.
But no answering signal was made—at least, we saw none.
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