Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/324

 make the Buddhist faith supreme in all countries submitted to his rule.

This Gigen even now pays secret visits to Shambaling. For this purpose he has a wonderful horse, who is always saddled, and ready to take his rider in one night from Tibet to the promised land and back again. These journeys became known to the common people quite by accident.

The Gigen had a servant who one night wishing to visit his home clandestinely took his master's sacred steed. The miraculous animal sped like an arrow from the bow into the distance. After a few hours' ride trees began to appear, then lakes and rivers, which do not exist in the servant's country; at length the frightened rider turned his horse's head back. In doing this he broke off a branch of a tree to whip the horse in case he should tire; but this never happened, and towards dawn the servant again returned to the temple, wiped the horse down, and led him back to his stable.

Meanwhile the saint awoke, and at once knew what had occurred. Summoning his servant, he asked him whither he had ridden that night. Thus unexpectedly detected, the servant did not attempt to deny what he had done, but declared that he himself did not know where he had been. Then said the saint, 'Thou hast ridden nearly as far as the happy land of Shambaling, whither my horse knows the road, and no other. Show me the branch thou hast brought back with thee; behold, there are no such trees as this in Tibet, they grow not far from Shambaling.'