, I'll thrash him if I can; better to toil out my
life-blood drop by drop than let it mount to my cheek as a mantle
of shame when I find myself defeated when I might have been
victorious." Then they conscientiously work themselves to death. If
they did not work as hard as they do, and refrain from recreation
as they do, they would have in their breasts the uneasy feeling
that they have not done as much as they might have done; and what
noble nature can be content to live under that accusation written
against them by the supreme court in their own breasts?

'Several times I have resolved to refrain for health's sake, but in
a short time found such an uneasy feeling about not doing as much
as I might, that I had to give it up and go at it. I _never_ feel
that I have done as much as I might, and when I am doing most I
feel best.'

Very dissatisfied with his progress, and stung one day by a remark of
Grant's to the effect that he did not seem to speak Mongolian readily,
Gilmour changed his plans. He resolved to go out upon the Plain, and
persuade some Mongol to allow him to share his tent. On December 13,
1870, he left Kiachta and journeyed out into Mongolia to the first
cluster of tents, named Olau Bourgass. There he found a friendly Mongol.
'Grant's contractor. Found him at his prayers. He motioned me to sit
down, and when his devotions were finished he gave me a warm welcome. He
lives alone in his tent, having nothing to care for but the horses for
the courier service, and a couple of lamas[2] to attend to his wants,
one of whom goes with the letters when they come. We talked, and I
learned a great deal, when at last I broke my mind to him, and was glad
to find that he received it favourably. I settled to remain there during
the night. Nothing very remarkable happened except that we were invaded
by a great blustering lama, intoxicated. He came ramping into the tent
as if he would have knocked everything down. After a time he went away
and lodged in the next hut. I went to bed about ten and slept well,
though my feet were cold towards morning.'

[2] A lama is a priest of the lama section of Buddists. More than half
the population of Mongolia are lamas.

The next three months were passed mainly in this tent. Gilmour used,
whenever possible, to return to Kiachta to spend the Sunday at Grant's
house; but by enduring the hardships and suffering all the
incon