The Washington times., 1911-08-18
CHAPTER XIV.
In the Mountains.
By CHARLES WILLING BEALE

NM Oul "ncH the sun rose Int
lamasery Of Tad-sa-fuh wa.
far beneath and behind u.s.
Our guns were loaded, and We wer,
feaay ior the fray If it came. Gwynn,
nag outlined a plan of action.
he would take the travellers by sur
prise II possible. We would hold then
Shuer cover until our identity should
become become known to the girls-we would
they prefer the Englishmen, we would
Tetlre, but If they evinced the slight.
est ueslre to go with US we would tigh
If necessary.
mere were two other conditions to bt
If the Englishmen We're alone W,
would return to the lamasery and re.
new our search. If we failed TO over.
Ae taAe the travellers after three days, We
Moulo whip the chedas for lying, brinl
them back with US, and turn them oyel
10 the lamas. We told the bows this
and although they looked Serious they
SUCK to their bargain.
Nelther "a look nor Kuh appeared ir
the ieast frightened as they sal perched
W sue by side in the middle Of the air.
enlp. From time to time they pointed
out the direction, and, although we
could see no trail, they declared we
Should come upon it later and that we
mea meIe merely taking, a short cut to the
pass. They seemed confident, and we
h50 no knowledge to dispute their word
Inc increased buOyancy of the airship
Mas marked, despite the extra load.
we were travelling faster and the
ground was flying beneath us like the
mlSts in the morning wind
mere We're elevations to be overcome
cNalleys to be Crossed-sC udding snow
orits in the higher pIaces-green plains
ana mowers in the basins. There were
smiling streams and lowering CHATS of
gravel, and here and there weIe patches
of dwarfed and NANCY timber
we hghted our pipes and offered to-
bacco TO the boys, but they snuok their
neads, being busy in spying out the
land. But little was said by either: the
ing.
Even Gwynne and l had but few
words, and each time We spoke Za-look
and kuh stared till l thought their eyes
would drop out of their sockets. The
wonder of foreign speech was over
Whelming-a miracle equal 10 any wit
sery.
At noon we came down for dinner
There was a fair supply Of wood that
grew near the edge of a small river
where wild flowers bloomed and tufts
OF grass sprang up between the stones
earth as gently as ghost. Gwynne
and 1 bounded over the side, while the
boys Climbed out more cautiously. He
said something in Tibetan, and I
thought the chedas looked as II they
We're frightened. l asked Gwynne what
1t was.
Il only reminded them of tat beat
ing they re sure to get II We don't catch
up with the Englishmen, that's alI!''
we had brought fresh supply of
meat from the lamasery to make up for
the unned goods We had been obliged
10 throw overheard The purchase was
negotiated through the chedas, and how
they managed 1t without suspicion l
never knew
There was an abundance Of kid and
mutton, besides some well-filled bags of
barley. We had stores of tea sufficient,
10 last throughout the journey, in add!-
ton to the other supplies we mad saved
The boys We're handy, and we soon
had them at work fire-buiIding and pre-
pairing our midday meal Like most
T1betans, they were taciturn, though
possibly our presence may have awed
them into greater quiet than was their
They refused to eat with US, walt
ing until We had finished before they
would touch the food-meanwhile eyeing
us from a distance as in the light Of
time they whispered into each others
ears, as though momentarily expecting
eome new and greater marvel at our
hands.
After dinner we stretched our legs
on the level sward and smoked our
pipes while the boys packed tie debris
of the feast and restored the bundles
to the airship. They were quite willing
to work their passage, and we found
them useful
About 2 o'clock we resumed our Jour
over the earth hun
dred feet above the level OF the vale
Though the herbage was good, we saw
no cattle. 1t was a desolate, uninhab-
tied region, yet watered, and green
along the banks OF the creek. In the
gaps between the hills we caught Gimp
ses of wind-buffeted trees which never
seemed to have attained to any size.
Nowhere was there evidence of culti-
vation or human habitaGiOn. There
were times when we sped through deep
Bashes only to enter upon new and
amazing scenes. The chedas were al
ways ready to direct our course, but
how they were able to do so was a
We had a good fire that night and
camped in the open, the chedas occu-
pying one side of the Dlaze while
Gwynne and l bundled up on the other.
far-off sounds. We listened, but could
not locate them.
At last Gwynne got up and walked
around the camp. In a few minutes he
and lay down again beside me.
you found out anything!''
Yes, what do you suppose?"
Rad not been able 10 guess.
ITS Za-look. He's crying in his
Sleepv'
Gwynne had not been able TO find out
what was the matter, as the boy had
not spoken word. Kuh was undis-
turbed.
Perhaps the little fellow is homesick
Tor Tad-sa-fuh," l suggested.
''Or perhaps he's thinking of the lick
Ing he's going to get when he gets
there"
The wind whistled mournfuIly through
The gorge. but above the signing of the
wind there came from time to time,
through the hours of darkness, :he mel
lncholv sobbinE of a child
n last. 1T gets on nv 1erVes!"
Then he got up from the fire and
moved back into the air-ship. where he
was out Of reach of the sound.
In the morning the boys were up and
retting breakfast at an early hour. They
proved themselves such excellent ser
rants that there was little left for
1wynne and me to do.
Unlike Tibetans. they were wonder
'ully neat in all that they did, and
,eemed to take real pleasure in waiting
Ipon us. The sun lit up the valley with
| searching. glitter, hut there was no
ndfnation Of a trail, sign OF yak or hu-
nan footstep. Whittier were we going7
There was nothing to show. although !
he boys still appeared to be confident. |
Pe sped swiftly along as before, the |
curse constantly CHANGING to conform |
With the lay of the land, the broken |
ILLS, and tortuous valleys. Even the |
,eneraI direction was difficult to decide, |
.lthough We both observed that the ge- |
suls had n habit of looking at the sun |
t each new turn.
It was all very mysterious, and our |
uspicion Of foul play was constantly |
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