The troops were billeted in the neighbouring houses, and they halted for a day, in order to allow the second detachment of the Pioneers and the guns to come up.
Here, also, they were joined by a hundred men of the native levies.
When they prepared for the start, the next morning, they found that a hundred of the coolies had bolted during the night.

Two officers were despatched to find and fetch them back.

Fifty were fortunately discovered, in a village not far off, and with these and some country ponies the force started.

They passed up the valley and came upon a narrow plain.

Here the snow was waist deep, and the men were forced to move in single file, the leaders changing places every hundred yards or so.
At last they came to a stop.