s resident in British territory, detailed to
receive and guide them to the Government Dak Bungalow in which the _Deb
Zimpun_ and as many of his followers as could crowd into it were to
reside during their stay. Arrived at it the long line filed into the
compound.

Half a mile away down the hill Colonel Dermot and Wargrave watched them
through their field-glasses.

"Who is that fellow in khaki uniform, sir?" asked the subaltern.

The Political Officer lowered his binoculars and laughed.

"A gentlemen I've been very anxious to meet. He's the Chinese
_Amban_--we call him an Envoy of the Republic of China to Bhutan. But
the Chinese themselves prefer to regard him as a representative of the
suzerainty they pretend to exercise over the country. I'm curious to see
him. He is a product of the times, an example of the modern Celestial,
educated at Heidelberg University and Oxford, speaking German, French
and English. He has been specially chosen by his Government to come to a
Buddhist land, as he is a son of the abbot of the Yellow Lama Temple in
Pekin and so might have influence with the Bhutanese by reason of his
connection with their religion."

"But what have the Chinese to do with Bhutan?"

"Nothing now. But they've been intriguing for years to re-establish the
suzerainty they once had over it. This _Amban_, Yuan Shi Hung by name,
is a clever, unscrupulous and particularly dangerous individual."

"You seem to know a lot about him, Colonel."

"It's my business to do so. There is no apparent reason for his coming
here with the _Deb Zimpun_, nor has he a right to. But I won't object,
for I want to study and size him up. By the way, the Envoy will make his
official call on me this morning. Would you like to be present?"

"Very much indeed. I'm always interested in seeing the various races of
India and learning all I can about them. I'd love a job like yours, sir,
going into out-of-the-way places and dealing with strange peoples."

"Would you?" The Political Officer looked at him thoughtfully. "Are you
good at picking up native languages?"

"Fairly so. I got through my Lower and Higher Standard Hindustani first
go and have passed in Marathi and taken the Higher Standard, Persian."

Colonel Dermot regarded him critically and then said abruptly:

"Come to my office a few minutes before eleven. That's the hour I've
fixed for the _Deb Zimpun's_ visit."

Punctually at the time named Wargrave reached the Dermots' bungal