Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-23
IN A TIGHT PLACE

The sight of Werner's anger had COMPLETED
the cooling process in me. and by this time
was altogether too cool for comfort If had
not been so. however. Il mightn't have been
spinning this warn" for there Vas no doubt
whatever about it, we were in a very tight
place. We were in the center of probably the
most dangerous place in Peking on the out
skirts OF the city. quarter of mile from tine
street. with half dozen closed gates between
US and 1t, and completely at the mercy of two
hundred savage Mongols and Thibetans. who
had vowed to have our lives. There were a
thousand OF them within call. they acknowl-
edged no Chinese authority whatever. the
Chinese government would be extremely
loathe to interfere with them for fear. of pro-
voklnS trouble in Thibet. and if tlHy Just
Knocked US on the head and hid our bodies in
one OF their Temple dens. we should very prob
any never have been heard of again. The sit
uatlon was most unpleasant. One thing was
quite clear namely. that it was worse than USE
less to attempt anything by force SO stepped
IN between Werner and his assailant folded my
arms and stood perfectly still. begging the
former In low voice to keep cool and do the
same, as probably both our lives depended
upon 1t. Clearly, the only thing to do was to
get out OF the place at any cost. Then called
my boy, who was yelling and struggling to
Keep possession of my two cameras. He
promptly relinquished them to the enemy and
came
PURCHASING LIBERTY.
told him that if he didn't stop jabbering
would knock his head off, and then 1 got him
to quietly ask the best-looking of the monks for
how much they would consent to let us go out.
All this took but half minute to do, and rs
soon as the crowd heard the question the pugil-
lstlc gentleman was squelched by common con-
sent. Fifty dollars was the conclusion ar
rived at after ten minutes discussion. Tell
them we have not SC much money with Us, but
nd cat trnr tn
morrow morning" But they were much too
wary to fall into such palpable trap. SO the
argument continued. while Werner and | dis
cussed the situation. Il have my revolver
under my hand" l said. If the worst comes. "
"For Gods sake don't let them see it." he re-
piled, lit would be certainly all up with us
then" To bring the story to an end. however.
at last my boy made a bargain with them
and we were leeced of several dollars at each
gate that they could manage to lead us through
before We got back to the street and our
horses.
PHOTOGRAPHIC UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
got photograph. too. after all. for Just be-
fore the last gate there was Il wonderful pretty
pavilion with great bronze lion before it, So
took my Scovill camera from the ''boy'' and
snapped 1t at the pavilion when thought the
crowd were not watching me. Three or four
OF them. however. caaght sight of me and made
one Jump for me and the camera. l managed
10 Keep my feet. and a big kick only Just
touched the camera, breaking one of the sup
ports OF the shutter. The picture is not ex-
actly what photographers call ''plucky." and it
might be good deal sharper but it will serve
as souvenir of a peculiarly bad quarter of an
hour. got through the gate all right and my
boy was following when half dozen scourl-
drels precipitated themselves on him and sent
MN flying head first into the middle of the
street. while my other camera. tripod and bag
of double-backs landed each in a separate mud
hole.
That afternoon as was mending my detec-
tive camera my hoy" came in with the tea.
MASTER" Well" Il no go Llama Temple
any mOre-belong velly bad man. You'll
certainly never go there again with me-" And
dld not keep my appointment next morning
to photograph the big Buddha furtively.
HENRY NORMAN