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Angel, who was with them, now began one of his peculiar chattering exhibitions which betokened alarm, and the yaks exhibited a restless disposition. Harry moved forward to ascertain the cause, and before he had gone two hundred feet, saw the cause of the disturbance.
Still worse becomes the tumult when a couple of men on yaks push themselves into the scrimmage. The yaks prod the horses' loins with their horns. The horses are irritated and kick, and the yaks defend themselves; then there is a perfect bullfight in full swing. A strong fellow has now succeeded in getting a firm hold of the goat.
The moon went down before four o'clock that morning, and the yaks were yoked up and led to the river. When Harry returned he was surprised at what he saw in their camp. The Professor and George had been at work also.
Throughout September various parties passed my tent at Momay, generally Lamas or traders: the former, wrapped in blankets, wearing scarlet and gilt mitres, usually rode grunting yaks, which were sometimes led by a slave-boy or a mahogany-faced nun, with a broad yellow sheep-skin cap with flaps over her ears, short petticoats, and striped boots.
The night was brilliant and starlight: the minimum thermometer fell to 27 degrees, a strong north-east wind blew down the valley, and there was a thick hoar-frost, with which the black yaks were drolly powdered.
Jack and Jill were the yaks selected for the journey, as they were tried and true, and had now grown to be strong and well domesticated. Freedom was given to the cattle, and all the buildings closed up. This was done to secure the interiors from intrusion on the part of animals. An inscription was also placed on the door of the house.
Next day a guard on horseback took us back, bound as we were, on yaks' backs, toward Mansarowar. There I had my cords unloosed. My master was kept bound until we got to Tangchim. We were eventually taken to Taklakot, where the Rev. Harkua Wilson met us and saw our condition. He attended to our wants. My master was well-nigh at death's door.
But when we turned off to the right and came to more southern districts of the country, we met with Tibetan hunters and nomads, from whom we purchased tame yaks and sheep, for the greater part of our animals had perished owing to the rarefied air, the poor and scanty pasture, and the cold and the wind. The temperature had on one occasion fallen as low as 40° below zero.
It was no light job to have to run afield to capture the yaks, which had wandered off in search of grass; and having found them and driven them back to our primitive camping-place, to tie upon their backs the pack-saddles, and fasten on them the heavy tin-lined cases of scientific instruments and photographic plates.
Their knowledge of training, in view of the former experience with these animals, was such that within a week they could drive the yaks without much difficulty, although the new team was not by any manner of means as efficient as the lost one.
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