u a little dispute." "For more than a year past, the
tribes of Kham have been waging a bloody war, and thou callest that a
little dispute. Thou hast only to open thy eyes, on thy way, and thou
wilt behold, on every side, villages in ruins, and forests burnt down.
In a few days, we shall be obliged to resume our work, for no one will
hear the words of peace. The war, indeed, might have been brought to a
conclusion after a few skirmishes; but, since you Chinese have chosen to
meddle in our affairs, the parties have become irreconcilable. You
Chinese Mandarins are good for nothing but to bring disorder and
confusion into these countries. It cannot go on in this way. We have
let you alone for some time, and now your audacity knows no bounds. I
cannot, without shuddering all over, think of that affair of the Nomekhan
of Lha-Ssa. They pretend that the Nomekhan committed great crimes. It
is false: these great crimes, it is you that invented them. The Nomekhan
is a saint, a Living Buddha. Who ever heard that a Living Buddha could
be tried and exiled by Ki-Chan, a Chinese, a layman?" "The order came
from the Grand Emperor," answered Ly-Kouo-Ngan, in a low and tremulous
voice. "The Grand Emperor!" cried Proul-Tamba, turning with an angry air
to his interrupter, "thy Grand Emperor is only a layman. What is thy
Grand Emperor compared with a Grand Lama, a Living Buddha?" The great
chief of the province of Kham inveighed for a length of time against the
domination of the Chinese in Thibet. He assailed in turns the Emperor,
the viceroy of Sse-Tchouen, and the ambassador of Lha-Ssa.

Throughout these energetic philippics, he frequently reverted to the
affair of the Nomekhan. One could see that he felt a deep interest in
the fate of the Grand Lama, whom he regarded as a victim of the court of
Peking. The Pacificator of Kingdoms took care not to contradict him; he
affected to concur in the sentiments of Proul-Tamba, and received each
proposition with an inclination of the head. At length he hazarded a
word as to departure and the oulah.

"The oulah," replied Proul-Tamba; "henceforth, there will be none for the
Chinese, unless they pay the price for them. It is enough that we allow
the Chinese to penetrate into our country, without adding the folly of
furnishing them with the oulah gratuitously. However, as thou art an old
acquaintance, we will make an exception in favour of thy caravan.
Besides, thou art conducting t