Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 147 (Color Image)

0147	Among the Celestials : vol.1

CHAP. vi.] THE VALUE OF TRUST. II9

the north, will, in course of time, gradually

force the poor Mongols into the depth of the

desert.

I was warned to look out for robbers in

this vicinity. Some uncanny-looking gentle-

men came prowling about my camp one day,

and the guide told me to keep my eye on

them and have my revolver ready. But I was

in some anxiety about my Chinese boy, Liu-

san. He knew I must have a large sum of

money with me, for I was obliged to take in

lumps of solid silver sufficient money to pay all

my expenses as far as India, though he did not

know exactly where it was, as I hid it away in

all sorts of places ; one lump of silver in a sack

of flour, another in an empty beef-tin, and so

on. I was afraid, therefore, that if a loaded

revolver were given him, he might make it

very unpleasant for me one day in the wilds.

So, to inspire awe of our party in outsiders, I

gave him an unloaded revolver ; but after-

wards, thinking that doing things by halves

was of little good, I loaded the weapon for him

and told him that I had the most complete

trust in him. He and I must be true to each

other ; I would look after him, and he must

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