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PRISONERS! 381
Finally the old man said, with disconcerting assurance,
" You will stay here for three or at the m-ost five days.
This morning we sent messengers to the chief of Nakk-chu,
to ask whether you may go on or not. In answer to our
writing we shall have either a letter with an order for us to
detain you, or Kamba Bombo, the chieftain, will come
himself ; in any case, you are until then our prisoners."
So saying, he took his leave.
After that we hoped we should be left in peace, but
before five minutes were past something happened which
filled us with uneasiness. Around the little encampment
nearest to us there gathered from every quarter small bodies
of horsemen, armed to the teeth with spear, lance, sword
and long black musket. Some wore tall white felt hats,
others dark scarves wound round their heads, and every
man carried a black or red cloak. They looked more like
bandits than soldiers, though they had been called to arms
to protect Tibet from an imaginary hostile invasion. They
sprang up like mushrooms out of the ground, and soon we
counted fifty-three of them as they gathered round their
scattered fires in the open air.
We watched their every movement with the keenest
attention. The Lama was convinced that our last hour
was come ; but I thought that if they really did intend to
make an end of us they would not have collected quite
so many people, as also that they would be more likely
to massacre us at night-time. But after a while it really
did begin to look as if the Lama were right. Seven horse-
men set off east towards Nakk-chu, and others started riding
hard for Lassa, to carry the news of our arrival to the
Dalai Lama. But the rest, who were being constantly
reinforced, charged in a solid body and at full gallop straight
down upon our tent. Resolved not to be slaughtered like
cattle, we sat or stood in the tent-opening with our weapons
ready, prepared for the worst. The Tibetans were coming
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