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294 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
from Kara-shahr ; and Islam was wending his way through
the worst of the summer heat to Kashgar. I felt like a
general who has to keep the threads of his forces in his
hands, and I had to manoeuvre them in such a way as to
make all their movements fit together at the right moment.
A messenger came on the 14th May to tell me that the
Buriats were approaching. Thereupon, I sent a courier
to meet them, with a command to Cherdon to ride up by
the nearest road, and go and join the main body under
Chernoff. I need not say that Shagdur had accomphshed
his mission in an exemplary way. He brought with him
a complete Mongol outfit, and Shereb Lama, a Lamaist
monk of 27, who was born at Urga in Mongolia, but now
belonged to a temple outside Kara-shahr. He was dressed
in his red priestly robe, which was more like a long night-
shirt than anything else, and was fastened round the
middle by a yellow girdle, and on his head he wore a small
Chinese skull-cap. I gave him a very friendly welcome,
so that from the first moment he might feel himself at
home, and I at once began to brush up my rusty know-
ledge of the Mongol language. Ere many weeks had
passed I was able to talk pretty fluently with the Lama,
for so we quite simply called him. This man, the Lama,
became the most interesting figure in all our company.
In me he soon came to repose the utmost confidence, and
used to confide to me all his troubles. He was ready to
lay down his life for his master, and of a truth it was a
very great wonder he did not do so.
Shereb Lama, when approached by Shagdur with the
invitation to accompany him and Cherdon to Lassa—for
being Lamaists they both enjoyed the right of visiting
the Holy City—Shereb Lama had at once shown himself
willing. But he had made it a condition that no
" Russian " {i.e., European) should accompany them, for
if so he could not go, it might cost him his life. vShagdur
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