410 



ADVENTURES WITH A PRIEST. Chap. XXI. 



ance. All his old fears seemed instantly to return, 

 the smile left his countenance, and he gave me a 

 look which told plainly enough that I had struck 

 the right chord in order to gain my object, and that 

 he would be as averse to sleeping in my company 

 as I was to his. " Ah ! " said he, " my ya-za ! I 

 have lost my ya-za ! " and commenced the search 

 as before. 



It was now getting very late, and as I had a 

 long journey in view for the following day, my 

 patience was completely exhausted. I therefore 

 rose from my chair, and, putting my hand on his 

 shoulder, said, " Come with me and I shall find you 

 a bed for the night." Leading him out of my 

 room, we proceeded across the hall to one occupied 

 by another priest, at whose door we now knocked, 

 and who readily admitted us. " Here is your supe- 

 rior," said I ; "he has lost the key of his bedroom ; 

 pray give him a bed in yours, and make him as 

 comfortable as you can until the morning." Leaving 

 the two Buddhists to explain matters in their way, 

 I returned to my own room, bolted the door, and 

 went to bed. Nothing occurred during the suc- 

 ceeding part of the night to disturb my slumbers. 



It was now the end of October, and the weather 

 was cool and pleasant. When I awoke at day- 

 break on the following morning I found the atmos- 

 phere clear, and the sky without a cloud ; every- 

 thing gave promise of one of those glorious days 

 which are common in the north of China at this 

 season, particularly amongst the mountains. My 



