THE GREAT PARK OF THE EASTERN TOMBS 259 



But we were of more interest to the audience than the 

 drama itself, and in an instant a score of men and women 

 had surrounded us. They were all good-natured but 

 frankly curious. Finally an old man joined the crowd. 

 "Why," said he, "there are two foreigners!" Immedi- 

 ately the hum of voices ceased, for Age was speaking. 

 "They've got foreign clothes," he exclaimed; "and what 

 funny hats ! It is true that foreign hats are much big- 

 ger than Chinese caps, and they cost a lot more, too! 

 See that gun the tall one is carrying! He could shoot 

 those pigeons over there as easily as not all of them 

 with one shot probably he will in a minute." 



The old man continued the lecture until we strolled 

 back to the inn. Undoubtedly he is still discussing us, 

 for there is little to talk about in a Chinese village, ex- 

 cept crops and weather and local gossip. 



We reached the Eastern Tombs in the late afternoon 

 of the same day. Emerging from a rocky gateway on 

 the summit of a hill, we had the whole panorama of the 

 Tung Ling spread out before us. It was like a vast 

 green sea where wave after wave of splendid forests 

 rolled away to the blue haze of distant mountains. 



The islands in this forest-ocean were the yellow-roofed 

 tombs, which gave back the sun in a thousand points of 

 golden light. After the monotonous brown of the bare 

 north China hills, the vivid green of the trees was as 

 refreshing as finding an unknown oasis in a sandy des- 

 ert. To the right was the picturesque village of Ma- 

 lin-yu, the residence of Duke Chou. 



From the wide veranda of the charming temple which 



