about half round it, praying
alternately, when insensibly our voices fell, and our steps were stayed.
We both stopped spontaneously, and listened intently, without venturing
to interchange a word, and even endeavouring to suppress our respiration.
At last we expressed to each other the cause of our mutual terror, but it
was in tones low and full of emotion: "Did you not hear, just now, and
quite close to us, what seemed the voices of men?" "Yes, a number of
voices, speaking as though in secret consultation." "Yet we are alone
here:--'tis very surprising. Hist! let us listen again." "I hear
nothing; doubtless we were under some illusion." We resumed our walk,
and the recitation of our prayers. But we had not advanced ten steps,
before we again stopped; for we heard, and very distinctly, the noise
which had before alarmed us, and which seemed the confused vague murmur
of several voices discussing some point in under tones. Yet nothing was
visible. We got upon a hillock, and thence, by the moon's light, saw, at
a short distance, some human forms moving in the long grass. We could
hear their voices too, but not distinctly enough to know whether they
spoke Chinese or Tartar. We retraced our steps to our tent, as rapidly
as was consistent with the maintenance of silence; for we took these
people to be robbers, who, having perceived our tent, were deliberating
as to the best means of pillaging us.

"We are not in safety here," said we to Samdadchiemba; "we have
discovered, quite close to us, a number of men, and we have heard their
voices. Go and collect the animals, and bring them to the tent." "But,"
asked Samdadchiemba, knitting his brows, "if the robbers come, what shall
we do? May we fight them? May we kill them? Will Holy Church permit
that?" "First go and collect the animals; afterwards we will tell you
what we must do." The animals being brought together, and fastened
outside the tent, we directed our intrepid Samdadchiemba to finish his
tea, and we returned on tip-toe to the spot where we had seen and heard
our mysterious visitors. We looked around in every direction, with eye
and ear intent; but we could neither see nor hear any one. A
well-trodden pathway, however, which we discovered among the reeds of
tall grass on the margin of the greater lake, indicated to us that those
whom we had taken to be robbers were inoffensive passengers, whose route
lay in that direction. We returned joyfully to our