MONGOLS AT HOME 147 



with eczema, and for three weeks one of the lamas in 

 the tiny temple near their yurt had been mumbling 

 prayers and incantations in his behalf, without avail. 

 Fortunately, I had a supply of zinc ointment and be- 

 fore the month was ended the baby was almost well. 

 Then came the lama with his bill "for services ren- 

 dered," and Tserin Dorchy contributed one hundred 

 dollars to his priestly pocket. A young Mongol with 

 a dislocated shoulder was my next patient, and when 

 I had made him whole, the lama again claimed the 

 credit and collected fifty dollars as the honorarium for 

 his prayers. And so it continued throughout the sum- 

 mer; I made the cures, and the priest got the fees. 



Although the Mongols all admitted the efficacy of 

 my foreign medicines, nevertheless they could not bring 

 themselves to dispense with the lama and his prayers, 

 Superstition was too strong and fear that the priest 

 would send an army of evil spirits flocking to their 

 yurts if they offended him brought the money, albeit 

 reluctantly, from their pockets. Although the lama 

 never proposed a partnership arrangement, as I thought 

 he might have done, he spent much time about our 

 camp and often brought us bowls of curded milk and 

 cheese. He was a wandering priest and not a perma- 

 nent resident of the valley, but he evidently decided 

 not to wander any farther until we, too, should leave, 

 for he was with us until the very end. 



A short time after we had made our camp near the 

 Terelche River a messenger arrived from Urga with 

 a huge package of mail. In it was a copy of Harper's 



