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PRISONERS! 387
Jthe way from Urga, in Mongolia, to the Holy City on his
knees, flinging himself forward with his hands on the
ground at every step, a penance which took him six years
to perform, and then at the end of it he was not allowed to
enter the city. Our Lama feared, therefore, not without
reason, that similar hard measures might be meted out to
him, and " even if I escape with my Hfe," he said, " my
career is ruined and I shall never see Lassa again."
Meanwhile I was beginning to weary of sitting still and
doing nothing, except sleeping, preparing meals, eating,
and watching the coming and going of the Tibetans. On
the other hand, it was a relief to rest without having to
mount and ride through the everlasting rain, for it was so
cold, and grey, and raw, and wet, and dark. All the same
the loss of liberty was irksome. I hated to be at the beck
and call of the Tibetans, and looked forward eagerly to
Kamba Bombo’s arrival ; for when he came something
decisive would be done. Meanwhile Jallokk seemed to
have been converted into a military rendezvous, for scouts,
messengers, couriers and convoys were coming and going
all day. However, the nomads had a fine time of it, for
Tibetan soldiers, when called to arms, possess the right of
demanding from the natives whatever they want, and pay
them by credits upon the capital.
In the afternoon we were sitting talking to seven Tibetans,
when we perceived a troop of horsemen approaching our
tent from the east at a rapid pace. Ah ! here comes the
Bombo (Governor) of Nakk-chu ! It turned out, however,
to be not the distinguished chieftain himself, but only his
Mongol interpreter, an easy-going, good-natured Tibetan.
The moment Kamba Bombo learned of our arrival, he
had ordered the interpreter to ride night and day to Jallokk,
and he himself was to follow as speedily as he could.
Then the old round of cross-questioning began again.
All suspicions as to my nationality were swallowed up in
25*
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