"The time of the Kha Rakcha in Sungan is ended," returned Gray boldly. "Like the crescent moon she has come and will go. She must carry the word of the talisman in the shrine back with her. It was for this that the Kha Rakcha was sent. She will return to a king who is greater than the Manchu emperor once was." The Gur-Khan shook his head shrewdly. "What power is greater than the Dragon Empire? What other people are there than the Mongols, the Kirghiz and the Buddhists priests?" "Beyond the desert is a sea, and beyond the sea are those whose blood was once yours. We will take our message to them and they will know of the Wusun." Timur limped forward to the Gur-Khan's side. "A thought has come to me, O Khan of the Wusun," he said slowly. "It is a high thought and an omen. It is that this man and woman will return whence they have come, with speech of what they saw in Sungan. It is written in the book of fate that this shall be. Why else did the white man overcome Gela?" He turned to Gray, with a moody smile on his lined face. "Your people, O Man-from-the-Outside, will not find the Wusun, if they send again. That is my thought. The sun passes from the heavens and it is night; the camel leaves his bones to dry in the sands. So will the Wusun pass from Mongolia. The priests of Buddha are powerful. Soon the sands will climb over the walls of Sungan." A murmur from a hundred throats, a muttered lament, greeted this. "We will deliver our message," said Gray. Timur was silent, standing beside the troubled Gur-Khan. A quick emotion of friendship for these resigned captives of Sungan swept over Gray. He turned to Gela. "Will you do this for the Kha Rakcha?" he asked. "Will you escort us through the ranks of the Buddhist priests and the soldiers? It will not be an easy task. There will be bloodshed. But it would save the life of the Kha Rakcha." Timur interpreted his request. The Kha Khan lifted his head proudly. He spoke rapidly, harshly, pointing to the watching warriors. "He will do what you say," assented Timur. "The _tumani_ will take you through the guards of Sungan. It has not been done before----" "Wu Fang Chien first broke the covenant," reminded the American. "_Aie_! It will be a hard struggle. The soldiers have guns----" Gela broke in sternly. Already the light of conflict showed in his keen eyes. He issued a series of guttural commands to the _tumani_. The women began to press from the hall, uttering wailing laments. The young men clustered around the Kha Khan. "Wu Fang Chien will scourge us for this," muttered Timur. "Wu Fang Chien," pointed out Gray grimly, "may not live to do it. Likewise, it is better, for the peace of the Wusun, that we should go from Sungan."