Chapter IV Summary and Analysis

David-Neel and Yongden approach the part of Tibet known as Po. There are two roads they have been told about across the region. One is a well-traveled valley road that passes through several villages. It is generally safe, although there may be small bands of thieves along the way. The other road is not on any map. It runs through two mountain passes with a low area in between them. It is unlikely the travelers would meet anyone on this path, but there is the possibility of running into more dangerous bands of raiders who might kill them to protect their hiding places. There will not be any place to get food, so plenty must be carried. There is also the danger that the passes might be blocked by snow while the travelers are between them, trapping them. Nevertheless...