The Rose of Tibet, Davidson - B

            During the fall of 1949, Charles Houston is notified by authorities that his brother, Hugh, is missing and presumed dead in the Himalayas. He travels to India, where a porter tells him he saw Englishmen in Tibet after the date Hugh was believed to have died. Determined to find out more, Charles sets out for Yamdring, a community just over the border. He and his guide struggle through the mountains but eventually reach the town, known for its famed monastery, and are told that four Englishmen are hiding there. During the spring festival, Houston is imprisoned—accused of being the reincarnation of an evil invader from 200 years ago. The governor, realizing Houston poses no threat but fearing the people's reaction, declares him a saint and canonizes him as a trulku.  Uncertain of his new status, Houston is both pleased and excited when the stunningly beautiful Rose visits him in bed, claiming that the scriptures decree the two of them must escape with a small fortune in emeralds. Toward the end of the summer of 1951, the Chinese invade Tibet. The governor instructs Houston to flee with Rose, the treasure, and a small hunting party. The group is attacked by the Chinese, and only Houston and Rose survive. As the season turns, they decide to winter in a hermit’s cave with a large back room that can be kept warm. They endure the long winter, but Houston is badly injured by a bear. He later realizes he cannot remember how they made it down the mountains safely into India. He learns that Rose had to return to her people, and his arm has been amputated.  Back in London, still slipping in and out of consciousness, Houston eventually recovers and begins a nomadic life funded by the two bags of emeralds found in his baggage. It is later believed that he drowned off the coast of Tobago. His publishers decide to print his memoirs in 1962.

          Needless to say, this is a very old—and very old-fashioned—rousing tale of derring-do.