The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-12
STORY or THE SlkKIM WAR.
pan Nan Gazette.

pail Mall Gazette.
Yes. twas q cruel climax. The
uneo' guild would call IT judgment,
but az you want the incidents rather
than homiiy here goes for the mel
ancboly chronicle. Say, when you
have heard the details. whether they
would net work up into sufficiently
sensational story for the latest craze
in the semi-occuit branch Of Light
literature. To proceed: As you
knox, was ordered to join the little
column which was destined TO show
the Thibetans that, II they erected
barriers TO British commerce on our
trade route between India and Thibet,
why, the British nation vas quite
theoretically Quixotic enough 10 pull
the Instructions down again. even
though no practical good should re-
ward the feat. | vas too late
in arriving az the rendezvous of
Darieeling TO start with the main
party. A detachment conveying
stores. however, was leaving the day
after arrived, and joined Ii. On
our way FROM the front | parted from
the detachment for the night, in order
10 visit the famous Able at his
mission station called Pedong, small
village nesting In a tiay Sikkim val
lev. at some distance across our from
tier. I found him with his one French
associate in their queer little settle
ment, much 81 which these two de-
voted men had constructed with their
own hands The able welcomed me
cordially. and after little chat, pro-
ceeded To show me his school and
other buildings also his little press.
from which he himself struck of in
Thibetan whole chapters from the New
Testament, and short tracts. as he
translated them for the purpose. His
enthusiasm aud simplicity are truly
apostolic. IL IL not with him, how
ever. nor with his self-saeriiicing zeal
that ! have now TO deal. Before
showing mic round his station he offer
ed me cup OF tea, which
had joyfnliy accepted. for the
raritied air at these high
attitudes makes newcomer from
the plains 80 sleepy that il II almost a
painful feat 70 keep awake. even In the
daytime. The tea vas brought 10 us
by an attendant in Thibetan costume.
Now, tkis mans appearance had so
strangely rlve'ed my attention that be
was in my thoughts the whole time of
my tour around the village In the
first place be was clean. This was re-
markable in itself. No less 50 than,
say. a white sweep, dead donkey, or
m old maid with u squint-~in fact.
one might 60 further with perfect adj
herenee 10 truth and say that a clean
Thibetan WAS even more remarkable
than either OF these phenomena, rs no
Thibetan has ever yet been seen who
could be cleaned down TO bis skin
under six bars of soap and river az
hot water. This man. however. was
superiatiyely clean. In the next
place, he had strangely AngIo-Saxon
look about bis eyes. The color of his
beard. too. helied his costume. Bat,
withal, and what most appealed To my
curiosity. were his features
which struck me SIS strangely
familiar. Finally. the well.
suppressed little indication OF surprise
which the susdeaness OF his first entry
into my presence prevented him from
completels mastering ere ] bad motto
ed Ii convinced me that we had met
before. But whenf Wheref These
were the questions which preoccnpsed
me In my tour round the village, and
which was beginning to irfitate me,
whilst they agitated me. He knew
tne; so much was certain WHY
should he try 60 avoid me. as he seem.
Ell 10 be doing. ever since that first
meetinFf How came any man I had
ever known In this outlandish valley
under these peculiar conditions, al
tendant at mission station on tbs
confines of rhihet, of all Places Was
he obeytng some ''caiiFg Or, was he
escaping from offended civilization
The latter doubt had made me hest
tste TO question the dear old Ahbe
lest should cause him pain in haSius
TO conceal ssfne confidence reposed III
him by one whom he now possihlv r.
gartied as q convert living in perpetual
penances My curiosity vas grow
iag desperate. when the mystcr,
solved itself by one Of those
sudden recoyerse< Of memories which
flash upon one. often when ieaSt ex
peesed. What could this be pon,
H. whom We bad all lamented al
account OF hiS TOO early death. only !
few years ago. Il, 90 whom fats
had been 81 cruel. cutting him off jys.
when his hrst great literary saoces.
had brought him fortune. eaap,et
with tame. In two hemisphere
fame which bad gwen such value Il
ANYTHING frs>n his pen that all his oil
Mss. were diligently dug cat frua
their dusty hiding places Tor poSthe
nous publication. could not aeaht
the identity now that Il had been re
yealed 30 me-. Hat stop W. eere neal
Ththcs. the laad OF esoteFic Buddhism
81 mysterious transformations. a
~Aahatmasl" The thought. as IN,
Identification dashed a beacon nfssr
nay then somewhat excited fna.fna
tieH. tcald there he indeed truth il
all this Could this appAritioa N
= MahatsnaF" Gould | tAus hsvs
soSvesf mystery by mystery IL so
here Was a hrsf-caaSS adventure. In
deed. which Uast bear @stsaeSS Ia !
great tSsith al adventure which
n3ssi &c prosecuted sish a SEE parfssSs
50 high as to Justify it, prosecution 4
the very last link ef evidence az al
costs f'Ae unique importance az the
situation, the strange mission "a ths
thinking world which / glsscernes.
opening heterr ne. The immense re
srSaasshtlity which bad slev0lysd afeeg
me OF acquiring nay facts and evidenes
ia such manner 81 "a carry eanvss
ton wherever nav experience mighi
Dc Published, all these soSk hold a
me ~ natural sequence. coas3 anly
spend one night Awav fzam my de.
tschueass 10 more The Afternoon
was already Tar advanced. ia ;hs
short one az Tay dtsposza boa much
tAsre wss "a be done ere cogla hs,s~
- carry Away wsth nae thr sassseie7ss
~ eenrlefe ana Atse~sea prs,,sS nece<
szrS ~ carry oaaytclsaas. aud to eStal,
hsh .he satsseaaoas .rGth. In ths,
ss@e the revelation had preceded shs
sfsssstng miracles. The worsf va.
Aifsssfy vel acquainted Nlsh II.
ga AtBES ns s<0fefs@ Buddhism
A.