DISAPPOINTMENT. 45 



on the point of winning, was suddenly snatched from 

 our grasp. We knew not for how long. Had we 

 been told on our first arrival at Din-yuan-ing that 

 we must not proceed with the Tangutans, the disap- 

 pointment, although great, would not have been half 

 Avhat we now experienced. We had never ventured 

 to hope for such a favourable opportunity, and now 

 it was doubly hard to bear when success appeared 

 so certain. We passed all that day on the tip-toe 

 of expectation. Sordji and the other lamas never 

 once came near us ; only Siya arrived towards even- 

 ing, and him I frightened by threatening to complain 

 on my arrival at Peking of the way we had been 

 treated by the authorities of Ala-shan. The young 

 prince, evidently ashamed at the part he had taken 

 in all these intrigues, entreated us to wait a little 

 while longer, assuring me that the Tangutans would 

 on no account leave without us. After my past 

 experiences I could put little faith in these as.su- 

 rances, and was turning over in my mind what part 

 of Mongolia I should next explore, when suddenly, 

 towards evening the following day (June 17), Siya 

 again appeared, bearing the welcome tidings that the 

 Tangutan caravan was at a short distance from the 

 town, and we might join it the next day. The scouts 

 who had been sent to reconnoitre reported that 

 nothing could be seen of the Dungans, and that the 

 alarm was a false one. Of course this was merely 

 to blind us ; no Dungans had passed anywhere near, 

 but most probably the Prince of Ala-shan wished to 

 gain time to send to Ning-hia-fu, and ask for instruc- 



