“Do the best we can. There is a guard house at the summit of the pass—we can spend the night there.”
“Yes, and be most deucedly uncomfortable till morning. You say there is no town between this and your lamasery?”
“None.”
“Of course you know?”
“I should know. I have passed this way before.”
“Seems to me,” said the Doctor, in his most sarcastic manner, “that when I get ready to drop down on Jupiter, I’ll take devilish good care to select a better place to fall in than Thibet.”
“You will find no such place on the planet Jupiter as Thibet;” replied the adept, calmly.
“Oh, dear! Is that so? Of course you know.”
“I have been there.”
“I find no more difficulty in believing that assertion than some others you have made.”
“That I come from Mars for instance?”
“For instance!”
“Jupiter,” continued Mr. Mirrikh, paying no attention to the Doctor’s offensive manner, “is now passing through a geologic age corresponding with the earth’s Tertiary period. There it is all summer, all—I beg your pardon, Mr. Wylde. For once I forgot myself. You do not like to hear me talk of these matters. I will stop.”
“Go on, if you wish,” I replied. “I have nothing to say, except that you must not expect me to believe you.”
“Oh, don’t stop! Don’t stop!” said the Doctor. “I’m deeply interested. No doubt you’ve been to Mercury and Saturn as well as old Jove; like as not a comet or two has been honored by your presence. It will be worth all this mad journey has cost friend George, to have your personal experiences on the other side of the moon!”
And so it went all through the first part of the time we travelled with Mr. Mirrikh; yet I never saw the man out of temper or even ruffled once.
Usually he and Maurice kept together, the Doctor and I being left to keep each other company as best we could.
Long and earnest were the conversations those two held. What were they talking about? I never knew—do not know now.
The Doctor was right about the snow storm.
That night saw us imprisoned in the guard house at the
