30 ACROSS MONGOLIAN PLAINS 



Both my passengers were delighted to have escaped 

 the Chinese motors, for in them accidents had been the 

 rule rather than the exception. During one year nine- 

 teen cars had been smashed and lay in masses of twisted 

 metal beside the road. The difficulty had been largely 

 due to the native chauffeurs. Although these men can 

 drive a car, they have no mechanical training and danger 

 signals from the motor are entirely disregarded. More- 

 over, all Chinese dearly love "show" and the chauffeurs 

 delight in driving at tremendous speed over roads where 

 they should exercise the greatest care. The deep cart 

 ruts are a continual menace, for between them the road 

 is often smooth and fine. But a stone or a tuft of grass 

 may send one of the front wheels into a rut and capsize 

 the car. Even with the greatest care accidents will hap- 

 pen, and motoring in Mongolia is by no means devoid of 

 danger and excitement. 



About three o'clock in the afternoon of the second day 

 we saw frantic signals from the agony box which had 

 been lumbering along behind us. It appeared that the 

 right rear wheel was broken and the car could go no 

 farther. There was nothing for it but to camp right 

 where we were while Charles repaired the wheel. 

 Gup and I ran twenty miles down the road to look 

 for a well, but without success: The remaining water 

 was divided equally among us but next morning we dis- 

 covered that the Chinese had secreted two extra bottles 

 for themselves, while we had been saving ours to the last 

 drop. It taught me a lesson by which I profited the fol- 

 lowing summer. 



