Guy Boothby

“ At the entrance to the central hall we were received by the abbot, a villainously dirty little fellow of middle age, who conducted us to the rooms we were to occupy. They were small and mean, very much out of repair, and, as a result, exceedingly draughty. But if a view, such as would be met with but in few parts of the world, could compensate for physical discomfort, we should have been able to consider ourselves domiciled in luxury. From one window we could look across the range of mountains, over valley and peak, right away into the golden West. ”

“ Let us hope by that time we shall be back in civilisation again.”
I knocked the ashes out of my pipe and rolling over on my blanket looked Nikola straight in the face.
“By the time you have got to the end of this business,” I said, “your information, presuming all the time that you do get it, will have cost you close on £50,000—very possibly more; you will have endangered your own life, to say nothing of mine, and those of many others, and have run the risk of being subjected to torture and all other sorts of horrors. Do you think it is worth it?” ”

“ Nikola!” I answered candidly, quite carried away by the boldness of his scheme, “you're what I call a really good-plucked one, and since you take it in this way I will go on with you and carry it through if it costs me my life.”
“I thank you,” said Nikola quietly. “I thought I wasn't deceived in you. Now we must think out how these different schemes are to be worked. To begin with we must leave here at least an hour before our friends in the other rooms. Once on the way we must push forward as fast as we possibly can and secure a camel and saddle of the kind described before they can suspect. ”

“ Then, being unable to stand the silence of the room any longer—for Nikola had a fit of the blues upon him—I left our side of the house and went out into the courtyard before the central hall. Just as I reached it a loud knocking sounded upon the outer gate. Two of the monks went down to open it, and when they had swung the heavy doors back a small party of men mounted on donkeys rode into the square. ”

“ With the exception of a few camel teams laden with coal passing down to Pekin, and here and there a travelling hawker, we met but few people. In this region the villages are far apart, and what there are do not bear any too good a reputation.
That night we camped at an inn high up on the hillside and next morning made our descent into the valley on the other side. By the time darkness fell we had proceeded some thirty odd miles along the valley. The country was quickly changing, becoming more and more rocky, and the ascents and descents more precipitous. ”

“ By the time he had perfected the thirtieth—for I counted them myself—he had worked it out to his evident satisfaction.
“By twelve o'clock to-morrow at the very latest,” he said, “if my information be correct, we ought to be at an inn in the mountains fifteen miles ahead. It is the only dwelling between this place and the ford, and they will be certain to call at it. I shall instruct one of my men, whom I will leave behind for that purpose, and he will see that their animals are watered from a certain trough. ”

“ It might be very well asked here why I was so anxious to convince myself as to the man's identity. But one instant's reflection will show that in such a situation as ours we could not afford to run a single risk. ”

“ Then Nikola said—
“The problem resolves itself into this. By hook or crook we must delay this man and his party on the road for at least three hours. Then one of us must go on to the ford and meet the man from the monastery. To him must be handed the letter I received from the chief priest at the Llamaserai, and when he has been sent back with it to the monastery there must be another man, accoutred exactly like himself, to take his place. This man, who will have to be myself, will receive our friends, take their letters and despatch them back to Pekin with a message from the monastery. ”

“ Having received the assurance of his consideration we made our way towards the outer gate, where our ponies and servants were standing ready for us. The gate was thrown open, and in single file we proceeded through it. ”