The newcomer lifted his hand in greeting--a gesture that Gray returned. He squatted down on the carpets silently, beckoning to Garluk. Gray eyed him appraisingly, thinking that he had seldom seen a man of such fine physique. The stranger's shoulders were shapely, his arms heavily thewed, his waist slender. He moved with the ease of a man poised on trained muscles. The three sat in silence until Garluk bethought him to speak. "This is the Kha Khan, O Man-from-the-Outside," the _tumani_ observed. "Gela, the leader of the _tumani_, and grandson of Bassalor Danek." "I give him greeting," returned the white man, wondering what his visitor had to say. Presently Gela turned his dark head to Garluk and spoke in a low tone that carried resonantly, from a deep chest. Evidently he did not know the dialect that Gray spoke. The majority of the Wusun were ignorant of Chinese. "Bassalor Danek," interpreted Garluk, "has seen the talisman on the breast of the Kha Rakcha. He has pondered, in his wisdom, the words you spoke. And he has made answer to Wu Fang Chien." Once more Gela spoke, while Gray waited impatiently. "Bassalor Danek, who is lord of the Wusun, listened to the complaint of Wu Fang Chien, governor of Sungan. And his decision was as follows: Undoubtedly both you and the white woman came to seek the Wusun. While you have slain many of the men of the Buddhists, they also have killed the men of the caravan. So, there is no debt to be avenged." Gray smiled at this simple, but logical way of looking at the situation. "Furthermore," interpreted Garluk, at Gela's prompting, "since you have sought the Wusun, you may stay here. In the covenant it was agreed that the penalty of attempting to escape is death; still, there is no punishment for entering Sungan. You and the Kha Rakcha will stay in Sungan." This was good news. Gray was surprised, but he did not permit this to appear in his face. "What said Wu Fang Chien?" he asked. "He will try to seize you and the woman. He will call in the soldiers with guns from the desert." "Will Bassalor Danek protect us?" "He has given his word. Moreover, he is bound to guard the woman." Gray did not at first heed this last remark. He was wondering just how far the Chinese would go in their attempt to gain possession of himself and the girl. Probably, he decided, Wu Fang Chien was not over-desirous of forcing an entrance into Sungan. But the mandarin would lose no chance of capturing himself, or possibly of sniping him from the outer wall. But for the present he reasoned that they were safe. Then Garluk's reference to Mary returned to his mind. He recalled that Timur had mentioned that Mary must remain with the Wusun. Gela had risen, his message delivered. Gray halted him with a gesture. "Why is Bassalor Danek bound to keep the Kha Rakcha?" he asked, inspired by a new and potent uneasiness. Gela himself answered this, and Garluk interpreted.