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He was most anxious to learn English, and he had a mania for spelling. "'Smart! What is meaning? How spell?" "S-m-a-r-t. It means 'quick, intelligent." "Smart," he repeated, solemnly, as he wrote the newly acquired word into a book which I had given him for the purpose. Kachi was undoubtedly, in spite of small faults, a great character. He was a most intelligent, sharp, well-meaning fellow.
With the full knowledge of what we were undertaking we may have been foolish in starting at all, but lack of determination cannot fairly be charged against us. Alas! four hours' hard work and four entire boxes of matches failed to produce the semblance of a flame. At midnight I sent Chanden Sing and Kachi to collect the men. Two came trembling into the tent, the others could not be roused.
"Why, even on the Devil's Lake we had better weather than this." "Yes, sir," replied Kachi. "But you make the gods angry, and that is why they send thunder, hail, and rain to stop your progress. You are going on against the gods, sir." "Never mind, Kachi. It cannot pour forever." At midnight we had no idea where we were; still we pushed on. "Have we passed the Gomba?
"No, sir; where you go, I will go. Small men never suffer. If they do, it does not matter. Only great men's sufferings are worth noticing. If you suffer, I will suffer. I will come." Kachi's philosophy touched me. He meant what he said. I decided to take him. This was a piece of luck. Kachi Ram had five bosom friends among the young Shoka coolies.
They were now brought to Hakodate and delivered to Rikord, after an imprisonment of more than two years. With them was sent a paper reiterating the Japanese policy of isolation, and declaring that any ships that should thereafter present themselves would be received with cannon-balls instead of compliments. In all this business Kachi had worked with tireless energy.
When everything was ready the five Shokas, including Kachi and Dola, left me, swearing by the sun and all that they held most sacred that they would in no way betray me to the Tibetans. Bijesing the Johari and Nattoo agreed to accompany me as far as the Maium Pass, so that my party, including myself, now was reduced to only five men.
He had been uneasy about us, and during our long absence had quite given us up for lost. We looked for and found Kachi. He had slept like a top, curled up in his warm blanket and my waterproof coat. He was now quite refreshed. All together we continued our race downward with no serious mishaps. Life and strength gradually came back to us when we descended to lower heights.
Here, too, we had more inquiries about the young sahib, the white man. Their description of my supposed appearance was amusing enough to me, and when they said that if the sahib came their way they would cut off his head, I felt so touched by their good-natured confidence that I wanted to distribute a few rupees among them. "Don't give them anything, sir," said Kachi and the doctor.
One of the most peculiar men I had with me was a Tibetan brigand, a man with the strength of an ox. His history did not bear a close examination. He had killed many people. He asked to be employed by me, as he had quarrelled with his wife, and refused to live with her any longer. The son of one of the richest traders of Garbyang, a young fellow called Kachi, also accompanied me.
Kachi and Dola, who knew Tibetan well, were now summoned to address the bandits for me; but these two Shokas were in such terror that they could hardly walk, much less speak. After a while, however, seeing how well I had these terrible people under control, they were able to translate. "I want them to sell me some yaks and some ponies," I said. "I will pay handsomely for them."
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