"A Chinese official seldom acts on his own initiative," he responded. "Wu Fang Chien has received instructions. Yes, I think he intends to bar our passage beyond Liangchowfu. By advancing as we are from Honanfu, we are running blindly into danger." Gray squinted back at the dusty road, nursing his rifle across his knees. His brown face was impassive, the skin about the eyes deeply wrinkled from exposure. The eyes themselves were narrow and hard. Delabar found it increasingly difficult to guess what went on in the mind of the taciturn American. "I've been wondering," said Gray slowly, "wondering for a long time about a certain question. Admitting that the Wusun are there, in the Gobi, why are they kept prisoners--carefully guarded like this? It doesn't seem logical!" The Syrian smiled blandly, twisting his beard with a thin hand. "Logic!" he cried. "Oh, the mind of the inner Asiatic is logical; but the reasons governing it, and the grounds for its deductions are quite different from the motives of European psychology." "Well, I fail to see the reason why the Wusun people should be guarded for a good many hundred years." "Simply this. Buddhism is the crux of the oriental soul. Confucius and Taoism are secondary to the advent of the Gautama--to the great Nirvana. Buddhism rules inner China, Tibet, part of Turkestan, some of India, and--under guise of _Shamanism_, Southeastern Siberia." Gray made no response. He was studying the face of Delabar--that intellectual, nervous, unstable face. "Buddhism has ruled Central Asia since the time of Sakuntala--the great Sakuntala," went on the scientist. "And the laws of Buddha are ancient and very binding. The Wusun are enemies of Buddhism. They are greater enemies than the Manchus, of Northern and Eastern China. That is because the Wusun hold in reverence a symbol that is hateful to the priests of the temples." "What is that?" Delabar hesitated. "The symbol is some barbarian sign. The Wusun cherish it, perhaps because cut off from the world, they have no other faith than the faith of their forefathers." The scientist's high voice rang with strong conviction. "In the annals of the Han dynasty, before the birth of Christ, it is related that an army under the General Ho K'u-p'ing was sent on plea of the Buddhists to destroy the Huing-nu--, the 'green-eyed devils' and the Wusun--the Tall Ones,' of the west. The military expedition failed. But since then the Buddhists have been embittered against the Wusun--have guarded them as prisoners." "Then religious fanaticism is the answer?" "A religious feud." "Because the Wusun will not adopt Buddhism?" "Because they cling to the absurd sign of their faith!" Gray passed a gnarled hand across his chin and frowned at his rifle. "Sounds queer. I'd like to see that sign." Delabar settled himself uneasily against the jarring of the cart. "It is not likely, Captain Gray," he said, "that either of us will see it."