236 GREAT RUNGEET VALLEY. Chap. XXVI. 



scouts were hourly arriving from the roacl to the Great 

 Rungeet, and if our troops had advanced, the Dewan might 

 have made away with us from pure fear. 



In the forenoon he paid us a long visit, and brought 

 some flutes, of which he gave me two very common ones 

 of apricot wood from Lhassa, producing at the same time a 

 beautiful one, which I believe he intended for Campbell, 

 but his avarice got the better, and he commuted his gift 

 into the offer of a tune, and pitching it in a high key, he 

 went through a Tibetan air that almost deafened us by its 

 screech. He tried bravely to maintain his equanimity, 

 but as we preserved a frigid civility and only spoke when 

 addressed, the tears would start from his eyes in the 

 pauses of conversation. In the evening he came again ; he 

 was excessively agitated and covered with perspiration, 

 and thrust himself unceremoniously between us on the 

 bench we occupied. As his familiarity increased, he 

 put his arm round my neck, and as he was armed with 

 a small dagger, I felt rather uneasy about his intentions, 

 but he ended by forcing on my acceptance a coin, 

 value threepence, for he was in fact beside himself with 

 terror. 



Next morning Campbell received a hint that this was 

 a good opportunity for a vigorous remonstrance. The 

 Dewan came with Tchebu Lama, his own younger brother 

 (who was his pony driver), and the Lassoo Kajee. The latter 

 had for two months placed himself in an attitude of hostility 

 opposite Dorjiling, with a ragged company of followers, 

 but he now sought peace and friendship as much as the 

 Dewan ; the latter told us he was waiting for a reply to a 

 letter addressed to Mr. Lushington, after which he would 

 set us free. Campbell said : "As you appear to have 

 made up your mind, why not dismiss us at once ? ' He 



