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Narayan Singh squatted motionless, from the waist upward like asoldier on
parade.
Then she said she was trying to overtakeSidiki to warn him that some
one had fired the house. And we shall be murdered outside in the dark quite
nicely! It was like trying to illuminate a gas tank with electric sparks.
Sham-bha-la mightbe heaven or hell for ought I cared; I did not wish to go
toeither place. Well dump them herebeside these other dead ones.
Wewere all
mounted, for our host had supplied us with extra poniesin his eagerness to be
rid of us.
If youreceive this, trust the bearer, who will lead you to where I
am. Grim was readyfirst and tried to find the door bolts, but failed until I
strucka match. I know these devilswho have done this thing.
I shall go straight
to the BritishResident and tell him all about you! I could not make themhear me
by shouting against the wind.
Hes one of their insiders,and he knows as much
about us as Lhaten does.
He will give itto another man, whose name I dont know.
He began to try to use the Dalai Lamas letter that he stole fromMordecai.
Grim
seemed to think I was in delirium again; he took no notice.
Grim went on
talking: Its known, even in this monastery, thatthe dugpas have caught Rait.
You wish to findSham-bha-la-is it not so? She jumped on my back and tried to
throttle me, herfinger nails tearing the skin of my throat.
You befriended the
man who was known as Lung-tok, the strangeranswered. His voice was not
pleasing, but it suggested strength and the lastlimit of self-confidence. If I
should try to return to Leh they would murder me.
Icame to find what mischief
Lhaten had been doing. Bothsides practise secrecy to keep the other side from
finding outtheir plans and methods.
To have gone straight to the British
Resident with our story waspossibly the proper course.
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