In that mood we reached a bridge on the Nu River.
"Let us take our chance." I said] to my companion. "On this side of the stweam we risk meeting old acquaintances from the province of Kham because that is the way they go to Kha Karpo. We will aleo have to cross Zogon where, maybe, these lamas have spoken about us, if even they are not sent on our account. Here is a bridge, and they are few in Tibet. This one shows that there is a trail of some portance on the other bank. The River flows in that direction; let us try to reach it and we will see then what can be dor So, we crossed the bridge and bravely climbed the trail beyond it without knowing where it would ead us.
Our good luck brought us, the second day, near an encampment of gow-men. They gave us some butter and tsamba (flour of roasted Darley) but did not allow us. to sleep in their hut, There were Nobody, happened to be on the yond, We left behind the dangerous thouse. No one was posted there to 'THe Avruon stop us or at least to put questions and examine the luggage of those of the dreaded apparition, who went their way by that pass. looking desperately to the right and We could already see before us the to the left in the hope that, as in ekivt of the woods into which our the old tales, a rock or a tree would da. "Lhe goal open suddenly and shelter us till exclamation of the danger would be over.
But, especially on the! alas! no miracle happened!
Fairies asses) we would shout it loudly on gods left us apparently un- i the next summit above the village. led.
Once more we had escaped safely. the middle of the afternoon, we suddenly heard the jingling of
"Oi! ai!.. 2" A villager ran] winding path, appeared a well.
An Oficial Summons bells, Just above our heads, on the after uw across fields, calling.
"You purdy man followed by must "come before pongo servants leading (chief)," he suid when he joined] horses. He stopped, astonished at] on sight of us. According to Tibetan These were the very same words custom, we threw ourselves hurried, that had been told to me when I ly on the tow bad been stopped some months ago, show our respect.
The official pro-after my hard journey in the snows] ceeded downward and stopped again and the crossing of the surrounded by I became cold. followers. perfect Now began the questions about! Yongden mastered immediately th our mother.country, questions about situation as much as it was in his our journey and other things. hen power. He put his load on the! all had been said, the pongo still ground and followed the man, chat-remained looking silently at us ax ting with him, without having even! did all who were behind hi cast a glance at me, as if the idea I felt like needles piercing that such an insignificant old mother as I endeavoured to look was worth being led before a Kudak (nobleman) could never arise in his mind, Left alone T humbly sat down' among the luggage. What would be the end of the meeting? Were w oatied as any other travellers might have been, or had the pongo special about us? I already saw] myself escorted to the nearest China prey to the curiosity, of the country folk, Still I did not think a single minute of giving no the game. I had taken the chal-brain, 8 awful was the tension of my, ner s. Did these men doubt]
That silence must be broken or something bad was to come out of it, How could 1? Yes, I knew.
With the same chanting tone of! the Tibetan beggars, only a little
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.