olitical Officer began to take his
disciple with him on his tours and patrols along the frontier. Alone
they roamed on Badshah among the mountains on which the border ran in a
confusedly irregular line. Sometimes with or without Tashi they crossed
into Bhutan in disguise and wandered among the steep, forest-clad hills
and deep, unhealthy valleys seamed with rivers prone to sudden floods
that rose in a few hours thirty or forty feet. Wargrave marvelled at the
engineering skill of the inhabitants who with rude and imperfect
appliances had thrown cantilever bridges over the deep gorges of this
mountainous southern zone. Among the dull-witted peasants in the
villages he practised the parts that he had learned, speaking little at
first and taking care to mingle Tibetan and Chinese words with the
language of Bhutan to keep up the fable of his northern birth. He soon
promised to be in time as skilfull in disguise as his tutor.

Colonel Dermot was anxious to investigate the activities of the Chinese
_Amban_, reputed to reach their height in the territory just across the
Indian border ruled by the Tuna Penlop and lying west of the Black
Mountain range that divides Bhutan. This great feudal chieftain was
reputed to be completely under the influence of Yuan Shi Hung and both
anti-British and disloyal to his overlord the Maharajah or Tongsa
Penlop. The close watch that his myrmidons kept on the stretch of
frontier between his territories and India prevented Dermot from
learning what went on behind the screen; for the spies of the Political
Officer's Secret Service could not penetrate it and bring back news.

Wargrave was present when the last sturdy-limbed Bhuttia emissary
reported his failure to cross the line. As the man withdrew the Colonel
turned to Frank and said:

"We'll go ourselves. I wanted to avoid it if possible; for it wouldn't
do for me to be caught. Not only because it would cause political
complications, for I'm not supposed to trespass on Bhutanese territory
uninvited, but also because fatal accidents might happen to us if Yuan
Shi Hung and his friends get hold of us. I'm not anxious to die yet. Be
ready to start at midnight."

"Do you really think we'll be able to get through, sir?" queried the
subaltern. "How shall we do it?"

"Wait and see," was the curt reply.

Before the sun rose next day Badshah was deep in the forest, bearing the
two officers and Tashi on his back. He moved rapidly along animal paths
t