ntered Tartary we have
spent a great deal, but we have never taken a single sapek from the
Tartar." "Oh, nonsense!" "What! do you suppose our camels and our
baggage came to us from the Mongols?" "Why, I thought you came here to
recite your prayers." We entered into some explanation of the difference
between our principles and those of the Lamas, for whom the traveller had
mistaken us, and he was altogether amazed at our disinterestedness.
"Things are quite the other way here," said he. "You won't get a Lama to
say prayers for nothing; and certainly, as for me, I should never set
foot in Tartary but for the sake of money." "But how is it you manage to
make such good meals of the Tartars?" "Oh, we devour them; we pick them
clean. You've observed the silly race, no doubt; whatever they see when
they come into our towns they want, and when we know who they are, and
where we can find them, we let them have goods upon credit, of course at
a considerable advance upon the price, and upon interest at thirty or
forty per cent., which is quite right and necessary. In China the
Emperor's laws do not allow this; it is only done with the Tartars.
Well, they don't pay the money, and the interest goes on until there is a
good sum owing worth the coming for. When we come for it, they've no
money, so we merely take all the cattle and sheep and horses we can get
hold of for the interest, and leave the capital debt and future interest
to be paid next time, and so it goes on from one generation to another.
Oh! a Tartar debt is a complete gold mine."
Day had not broken when the Yao-Tchang-Ti (exactor of debts) was on foot.
"Sirs Lamas," said he, "I am going to saddle my horse, and proceed on my
way,--I propose to travel to-day with you." "'Tis a singular mode of
travelling with people, to start before they're up," said we. "Oh, your
camels go faster than my horse; you'll soon overtake me, and we shall
enter Tchagan-Kouren (White Enclosure) together." He rode off and at
daybreak we followed him. This was a black day with us, for in it we had
to mourn a loss. After travelling several hours, we perceived that
Arsalan was not with the caravan. We halted, and Samdadchiemba, mounted
on his little mule, turned back in search of the dog. He went through
several villages which we had passed in the course of the morning, but
his search was fruitless; he returned without having either seen or heard
of Arsalan. "The dog was Chinese," s
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