Then he asked--"Strangers, what seek you ?" Now I grew cunning and did not answer, fearing lest, should he learn the truth, he would thrust us back into the river.

But Leo had no such caution, or rather all reason had left him; he was light-headed.
"We seek," he stuttered out--his Greek, which had always been feeble, now was simply barbarous and mixed with various Thibetan dialects--"we seek the land of the Fire Mountain that is crowned with the Sign of Life." The man stared at us.

"So you know," he said, then broke off and added, "and _whom_ do you seek ?" "Her," answered Leo wildly, "the Queen." I think that he meant to say the priestess, or the goddess, but could only think of the Greek for Queen, or rather something resembling it.

Or perhaps it was because the woman who had gone looked like a queen.
"Oh!" said the man, "you seek a queen--then you _are_ those for whom we were bidden to watch.

Nay, how can I be sure ?" "Is this a time to put questions ?" I gasped angrily.