south."

"No! To the north," I replied very sharply.

"But no, to the south," my companions assured me.

"God and the Devil!" I angrily ejaculated, "we have just swum the Little
Yenisei and Algyak is to the north!"

"We are in Tibet," remonstrated my companions. "We must reach the
Brahmaputra."

Brahmaputra. . . . Brahmaputra. . . . This word revolved in my fiery
brain, made a terrible noise and commotion. Suddenly I remembered
everything and opened my eyes. I hardly moved my lips and soon I
again lost consciousness. My companions brought me to the monastery of
Sharkhe, where the Lama doctor quickly brought me round with a solution
of fatil or Chinese ginseng. In discussing our plans he expressed grave
doubt as to whether we would get through Tibet but he did not wish to
explain to me the reason for his doubts.


CHAPTER XVI

IN MYSTERIOUS TIBET


A fairly broad road led out from Sharkhe through the mountains and on
the fifth day of our two weeks' march to the south from the monastery
we emerged into the great bowl of the mountains in whose center lay the