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TIBETAN NOMADS. 359
it was scarcely audible owing to the monotonous patter of
the rain. Were the Tibetans beginning to howl like hyaenas,
as the band of Tangut robbers did who threatened to attack
me near the Kuku-nor, or Blue Lake ? Out I slipped with
the revolver cocked under my cloak. I stood still and
listened, waiting in the rain. The same weird, complaining
sound reached me again. Pshaw ! it was only Yolbars
expressing his discontent at the weather. Another time it
was a distant rumble of thunder which caused me to rush
out ready for instant action, and on yet another occasion
an innocent switch of a tail. It was no use trying to smoke,
everything was wet through. The mules were sleeping as
they stood, and their regular monotonous breathing began
to make me feel sleepy. But I should have despised myself
if I had slept at my post.
At half-past eleven I began to stroll about in the darkness,
firmly resolved that I would not go into the tent before
midnight struck and the hour of my deliverance came.
And when my watch was done, I sat down beside the candle-
end, thinking that it was a pity to wake up Shagdur, he
was sleeping so soundly. I had just persuaded myself to
let him have an extra half-hour, when the dogs began to
bark furiously—madly. This woke up the Lama, and he
came hurrying out with his rifle, while I blew out the light
and followed him with the revolver. We crept stealthily
towards the direction from which the suspicious sounds
came, and distinctly heard horses moving and dogs barking
in the distance. Our camp was being spied upon by
mounted men from a couple of hundred yards away ! I
then sent back the Lama, and Shagdur now joining me, we
two walked further in the same direction, stopping and
listening every few yards. Very soon we heard, and heard
quite distinctly, the sound of horses moving rapidly away.
After that the dogs gave over barking, and everything was
quiet. It was now Shagdur’s turn to keep watch, and it
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