g. I should mind the plague a great deal
more than I mind a set of howling savages."

By that time the men in yellow robes had almost come up to us. It
was clear they were boiling over with indignation; but they still
did everything decently and in order. One, who was dressed in finer
vestments than the rest--a portly person, with the fat, greasy cheeks
and drooping flesh of a celibate church dignitary, whom I therefore
judged to be the abbot, or chief Lama of the monastery--gave orders
to his subordinates in a language which we did not understand. His
men obeyed him. In a second they had closed us round, as in a ring or
cordon.

Then the chief Lama stepped forward, with an authoritative air, like
Pooh-Bah in the play, and said something in the same tongue to the cook,
who spoke a little Tibetan. It was obvious from his manner that Ram
Das had told them all about us; for the Lama selected the cook as
interpreter at once, without taking any notice of myself, the ostensible
head of the petty expedition.

"What does he, say?" I asked, as soon as he had finished speaking.

The cook, who had been salaaming all the time, at the risk of a broken
back, in his most utterly abject and grovelling attitude, made answer
tremulously in his broken English: "This is priest-sahib of the temple.
He very angry, because why? Eulopean-sahib and mem-sahibs come
into Tibet-land. No Eulopean, no Hindu, must come into Tibet-land.
Priest-sahib say, cut all Eulopean throats. Let Nepaul man go back like
him come, to him own country."

I looked as if the message were purely indifferent to me. "Tell him,"
I said, smiling--though at some little effort--"we were not trying to
enter Tibet. Our rascally guide misled us. We were going to Kulak, in
the Maharajah's territory. We will turn back quietly to the Maharajah's
land if the priest-sahib will allow us to camp out for the night here."

I glanced at Hilda and Lady Meadowcroft. I must say their bearing under
these trying circumstances was thoroughly worthy of two English ladies.
They stood erect, looking as though all Tibet might come, and they would
smile at it scornfully.

The cook interpreted my remarks as well as he was able--his Tibetan
being probably about equal in quality to his English. But the chief Lama
made a reply which I could see for myself was by no means friendly.

"What is his answer?" I asked the cook, in my haughtiest voice. I am
haughty with difficulty.

Our interpreter s