SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 
red lamas, the laughing bevies of Mongol damsels 
and the blue-gowned Chinese, while the little 
devils were jostled about, much to their annoyance 
and disgust, as the crowds, regardless of blows and 
curses, sought shelter upon the extensive verandahs 
of the prayer hall. It rained for an hour, during 
which time the mournful dirges continued un- 
abated. At the end of that time the clouds dis- 
persed and the lamas, dressed in long, yellow robes 
and high, helmet-like caps, issued from the’ hall 
in a double line. Two, bearing a tall, pyramid- 
shaped object, surmounted with a grinning human 
skull, preceded the rest. They walked side by side 
bearing aloft the object of veneration, in such 
fashion that it passed over the heads of a long line 
of kneeling Mongols. 
Having arrived at the outermost court, the 
long procession of monks found to its dismay 
that it was flooded a foot deep with water. This 
brought the proceedings to a close, so we returned 
to camp, without being able to watch the actual 
devil dance. From what I could gather the devil 
dance itself would have been a sight well worth 
seeing. It is performed by lamas and acolytes 
dressed up as skeletons, demons and mythical 
beasts such as dragons, unicorns and horned lions. 
The dancers draw up and execute figures not unlike 
those in some of our dances, to the accompaniment 
of cymbals, gongs, drums and trumpets. 
The following day it rained incessantly, but 
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