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156 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
shore, with the whole of the broad lake spread out before
us. We raced across the peaceful water, making the spray
dash high from the prows. The paddles were bent like
bows, and every moment I expected to see them snap.
According to the log, we travelled at the rate of 2|
yards a second, or about 5^ miles an hour, which may be
considered pretty good for paddling. The Mussulmans
were, however, uneasy in their minds, and kept ejaculating
in hollow, earnest tones, " Ya Allah ! Ya Allah !
" (Oh God).
All this while the atmosphere was perfectly motionless ; but
one could not help feeling that something appalling was
about to happen, and the rapid changes of colour in the sky
betokened how swiftly the storm was gaining ground.
"There it comes!" cried Kirgui Pavan, "over the top
of the dunes !
" and at the same moment the sharply
defined outline of the yellow ridge disappeared and the
whole of the eastern shore of the lake was swallowed up
in a thick greyish -yellow haze. " Row, children, row !
"
he added encouragingly. " Khodaim var !
" (there is
indeed a God).
For one minute more all was peaceful and still, and the
next the glittering mirror of the lake vanished as though
it were eaten away in an instant of time by a powerful
acid. The wind came with an eerie sough. Then the
black tempest swooped down upon the lake, and then the
first gusts struck us, and were instantly followed by
several others in quick succession. Darkly the waves
came rolling broadside on towards the starboard of the
canoes, while broader and broader grew their hissing crests.
The Lop-men plied their paddles with desperate energy ;
I am sure we must have travelled at the rate of six miles
in the hour. " We sha’n’t win through !
" they cried. "We
sha’n’t win through ! Ya Allah !
" Hurriedly I divested
myself of half my clothing, and made haste to secure the
instruments and papers which I could not afford to lose.
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