Prev | Current Page 323 | Next

Allen, Grant, 1848-1899

"Hilda Wade, a Woman with Tenacity of Purpose"

He will probably try to
cheat us by making preposterous charges when he gets us back to Toloo;
but that's Lady Meadowcroft's business. I don't doubt Sir Ivor will
be more than a match for him there. I'll back one shrewd Yorkshireman
against any three Tibetan half-castes, any day."
"You're right that he would cut our throats if it served his purpose," I
answered. "He's servile, and servility goes hand in hand with treachery.
The more I watch him, the more I see 'scoundrel' written in large type
on every bend of the fellow's oily shoulders."
"Oh, yes, he's a bad lot, I know. The cook, who can speak a little
English and a little Tibetan, as well as Hindustani, tells me Ram Das
has the worst reputation of any man in the mountains. But he says he's a
very good guide to the passes, for all that, and if he's well paid will
do what he's paid for."
Next day but one we approached at last, after several short marches, the
neighbourhood of what our guide assured us was a Buddhist monastery.
I was glad when he told us of it, giving the place the name of a
well-known Nepaulese village; for, to say the truth, I was beginning
to get frightened.


Pages:
311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335