y became diamonds. All three rushed to raise them but not
one of them could break them loose from the ground. Then the old Lama
exclaimed:

"'Oh Gods! All my life I have carried this heavy burden and now, when
there was left so little to go, I have lost it. Help me, great, good
Gods!'

"Suddenly a tottering old man appeared. He collected all the diamonds
into the basket without trouble, cleaned the dust from them, raised the
burden to his shoulder and started out, speaking with the Lama:

"'Rest a while, I have just carried my burden to the goal and I am glad
to help you with yours.'

"They went on and were soon out of sight, while the riders began to
fight. They fought one whole day and then the whole night and, when the
sun rose over the plain, neither was there, either alive or dead, and no
trace of either remained. This I saw, Bogdo Hutuktu Khan, speaking with
the Great and Wise Buddha, surrounded by the good and bad demons! Wise
Lamas, Hutuktus, Kampos, Marambas and Holy Gheghens, give the answer to
my vision!"

This was written in my presence on May 17th, 1921, from the words of the
Living Buddha just as he came out of his private shrine to his study.
I do not know what the Hutuktu and Gheghens, the fortune tellers,
sorcerers and clairvoyants replied to him; but does not the answer seem
clear, if one realizes the present situation in Asia?

Awakened Asia is full of enigmas but it is also full of answers to
the questions set by the destiny of humankind. This great continent of
mysterious Pontiffs, Living Gods, Mahatmas and readers of the terrible
book of Karma is awakening and the ocean of hundreds of millions of
human lives is lashed with monstrous waves.

Part V

MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES--THE KING OF THE WORLD

CHAPTER XLVI

THE SUBTERRANEAN KINGDOM

"Stop!" whispered my old Mongol guide, as we were one day crossing the
plain near Tzagan Luk. "Stop!"

He slipped from his camel which lay down without his bidding. The Mongol
raised his hands in prayer before his face and began to repeat the
sacred phrase: "Om! Mani padme Hung!" The other Mongols immediately
stopped their camels and began to pray.

"What has happened?" I thought, as I gazed round over the tender green
grass, up to the cloudless sky and out toward the dreamy soft rays of
the evening sun.

The Mongols prayed for some time, whispered among themselves and, after
tightening up the packs on the camels, moved on.

"Did you see,"