180 A THIBETAN INTERLUDE 



about our escort in a most professional manner. 

 He, poor wretch, expostulated. The amateur 

 prizefighter spat on his hands by way of answer, 

 and regularly went for him. A crowd of followers 

 joined in, and they started to hustle the repre- 

 sentative of law and order towards the outer 

 gate. Once outside he would undoubtedly have 

 come in for a sound beating. However, some 

 Mohammedan merchants staying in the inn 

 separated the combatants, and peace was restored. 

 Such an incident might, however, easily have 

 grown into an ugly fight. 



Next morning we were up at 2 a.m., and in 

 the dark and mist started back for Taochow. We 

 had some little difficulty in finding the way as 

 we wandered down the hill ; shallow depressions 

 developed into huge gullies, low knolls were exalted 

 into mountains, and the shadowy pack-train into 

 the advance guard of a host. It grew lighter 

 by degrees, and by the time the sun was up we 

 were well on our way, so, sending the pack-train 

 ahead, we started on a small detour in the hope 

 of falling in with some gazelle. The tops of the 

 hills which composed the plateau were still in 

 mist, but we made out some indistinct forms and 

 George tried a stalk. The gazelle, however, took 

 the alarm and fled over into a hollow. To make 

 a long story short, we saw several scattered groups 

 of from nine to five, but no buck save that 

 which George had stalked. They are pretty little 

 animals, about the size of a roe-deer, and not at 

 all unlike one in appearance. Their colouring is 

 much the same, and they have a similar white 

 rump patch. 



