s at stake;
decapitation would await _him_ on his return. That was the impression he
purposely gave them. It curtailed palaver. How in the name of all their
Buddhas were they to stop such a man?

The whole progress of negociations put me in mind of the coercion of
very naughty children. The Lamas tried every guile to reduce his
demands. They would be cajoling him now if he had not given them an
ultimatum, and if they had not learnt by six weeks' contact and
intercourse with the man that shuffling was hopeless, that he never made
a promise that was not fulfilled, or a threat that was not executed. The
Tibetan treaty was the victory of a personality, the triumph of an
impression on the least impressionable people in the world. But I
anticipate.

While the Shapes were holding Colonel Younghusband in conference at
Nagartse, their cavalry were escorting a large convoy on the road to
Lhasa. Our mounted infantry came upon them six miles beyond Nagartse,
and as they were rounding them up the Tibetans foolishly fired on them.
We captured eighty riding and baggage ponies and mules and fourteen
prisoners, and killed several. They made no stand, though they were well
armed with a medley of modern rifles and well mounted. This was actually
the last shot fired on our side. The delegates had been full of
assurances that the country was clear of the enemy, hoping that the
convoy would get well away while they delayed us with fruitless protests
and reiterated demands to go back. While they were palavering in the
tent, they looked out and saw the Pathans go past with their rich yellow
silks and personal baggage looted in the brush with the cavalry. Their
consternation was amusing, and the situation had its element of humour.
A servant rushed to the door of the tent and delivered the whole tale of
woe. A mounted infantry officer arrived and explained that our scouts
had been fired on. After this, of course, there was no talk of anything
except the restitution of the loot. The Shapes deserved to lose their
kit. I do not remember what was arranged, but if any readers of this
record see a gorgeous yellow cloak of silk and brocade at a fancy-dress
ball in London, I advise them to ask its history.

This last encounter with the Tibetans is especially interesting, as they
were the best-armed body of men we had met. The weapons we captured
included a Winchester rifle, several Lhasa-made Martinis, a bolt rifle
of an old Austrian pattern, an Eng