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diff --git a/2067.txt b/2067.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..52bc9f6 --- /dev/null +++ b/2067.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8850 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Beasts, Men and Gods, by Ferdinand Ossendowski + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Beasts, Men and Gods + +Author: Ferdinand Ossendowski + +Translator: Lewis Stanton Palen + +Release Date: May 13, 2006 [EBook #2067] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEASTS, MEN AND GODS *** + + + + +Produced by Donald Lainson + + + + + +BEASTS, MEN AND GODS + +by Ferdinand Ossendowski + + + + +EXPLANATORY NOTE + + +When one of the leading publicists in America, Dr. Albert Shaw of +the Review of Reviews, after reading the manuscript of Part I of +this volume, characterized the author as "The Robinson Crusoe of the +Twentieth Century," he touched the feature of the narrative which is at +once most attractive and most dangerous; for the succession of trying +and thrilling experiences recorded seems in places too highly colored +to be real or, sometimes, even possible in this day and generation. +I desire, therefore, to assure the reader at the outset that Dr. +Ossendowski is a man of long and diverse experience as a scientist and +writer with a training for careful observation which should put +the stamp of accuracy and reliability on his chronicle. Only the +extraordinary events of these extraordinary times could have thrown one +with so many talents back into the surroundings of the "Cave Man" and +thus given to us this unusual account of personal adventure, of great +human mysteries and of the political and religious motives which are +energizing the "Heart of Asia." + +My share in the work has been to induce Dr. Ossendowski to write his +story at this time and to assist him in rendering his experiences into +English. + +LEWIS STANTON PALEN. + + + + +CONTENTS + + +PART I. DRAWING LOTS WITH DEATH + + +CHAPTER + +I. INTO THE FORESTS + +II. THE SECRET OF MY FELLOW TRAVELER + +III. THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE + +IV. A FISHERMAN + +V. A DANGEROUS NEIGHBOR + +VI. A RIVER IN TRAVAIL + +VII. THROUGH SOVIET SIBERIA + +VIII. THREE DAYS ON THE EDGE OF A PRECIPICE + +IX. TO THE SAYANS AND SAFETY + +X. THE BATTLE OF THE SEYBI + +XI. THE BARRIER OF RED PARTISANS + +XII. IN THE COUNTRY OF ETERNAL PEACE + +XIII. MYSTERIES, MIRACLES AND A NEW FIGHT + +XIV. THE RIVER OF THE DEVIL + +XV. THE MARCH OF GHOSTS + +XVI. IN MYSTERIOUS TIBET + + + +PART II. THE LAND OF DEMONS + + +XVII. MYSTERIOUS MONGOLIA + +XVIII. THE MYSTERIOUS LAMA AVENGER + +XIX. WILD CHAHARS + +XX. THE DEMON OF JAGISSTAI + +XXI. THE NEST OF DEATH + +XXII. AMONG THE MURDERERS + +XXIII. ON A VOLCANO + +XXIV. A BLOODY CHASTISEMENT + +XXV. HARASSING DAYS + +XXVI. THE BAND OF WHITE HUNGHUTZES + +XXVII. MYSTERY IN A SMALL TEMPLE + +XXVIII. THE BREATH OF DEATH + + + +PART III. THE STRAINING HEART OF ASIA + + +XXIX. ON THE ROAD OF GREAT CONQUERORS + +XXX. ARRESTED! + +XXXI. TRAVELING BY "URGA" + +XXXII. AN OLD FORTUNE TELLER + +XXXIII. "DEATH FROM THE WHITE MAN WILL STAND BEHIND YOU" + +XXXIV. THE HORROR OF WAR! + +XXXV. IN THE CITY OF LIVING GODS, 30,000 BUDDHAS AND 60,000 MONKS + +XXXVI. A SON OF CRUSADERS AND PRIVATEERS + +XXXVII. THE CAMP OF MARTYRS + +XXXVIII. BEFORE THE FACE OF BUDDHA + +XXXIX. "THE MAN WITH A HEAD LIKE A SADDLE" + + + +PART IV. THE LIVING BUDDHA + + +XL. IN THE BLISSFUL GARDEN OF A THOUSAND JOYS + +XLI. THE DUST OF CENTURIES + +XLII. THE BOOKS OF MIRACLES + +XLIII. THE BIRTH OF THE LIVING BUDDHA + +XLIV. A PAGE IN THE HISTORY OF THE PRESENT LIVING BUDDHA + +XLV. THE VISION OF THE LIVING BUDDHA OF MAY 17, 1921 + + + +PART V. MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES--THE KING OF THE WORLD + + +XLVI. THE SUBTERRANEAN KINGDOM + +XLVII. THE KING OF THE WORLD BEFORE THE FACE OF GOD + +XLVIII. REALITY OR RELIGIOUS FANTASY? + +XLIX. THE PROPHECY OF THE KING OF THE WORLD IN 1890 + + +There are times, men and events about which History alone can record the +final judgments; contemporaries and individual observers must only write +what they have seen and heard. The very truth demands it. + +TITUS LIVIUS. + + + + +BEASTS, MEN AND GODS + + + + +Part I + +DRAWING LOTS WITH DEATH + + +CHAPTER I + +INTO THE FORESTS + + +In the beginning of the year 1920 I happened to be living in the +Siberian town of Krasnoyarsk, situated on the shores of the River +Yenisei, that noble stream which is cradled in the sun-bathed mountains +of Mongolia to pour its warming life into the Arctic Ocean and to whose +mouth Nansen has twice come to open the shortest road for commerce from +Europe to the heart of Asia. There in the depths of the still Siberian +winter I was suddenly caught up in the whirling storm of mad revolution +raging all over Russia, sowing in this peaceful and rich land vengeance, +hate, bloodshed and crimes that go unpunished by the law. No one could +tell the hour of his fate. The people lived from day to day and left +their homes not knowing whether they should return to them or whether +they should be dragged from the streets and thrown into the dungeons of +that travesty of courts, the Revolutionary Committee, more terrible +and more bloody than those of the Mediaeval Inquisition. We who were +strangers in this distraught land were not saved from its persecutions +and I personally lived through them. + +One morning, when I had gone out to see a friend, I suddenly received +the news that twenty Red soldiers had surrounded my house to arrest me +and that I must escape. I quickly put on one of my friend's old hunting +suits, took some money and hurried away on foot along the back ways of +the town till I struck the open road, where I engaged a peasant, who in +four hours had driven me twenty miles from the town and set me down +in the midst of a deeply forested region. On the way I bought a rifle, +three hundred cartridges, an ax, a knife, a sheepskin overcoat, tea, +salt, dry bread and a kettle. I penetrated into the heart of the wood to +an abandoned half-burned hut. From this day I became a genuine trapper +but I never dreamed that I should follow this role as long as I did. +The next morning I went hunting and had the good fortune to kill two +heathcock. I found deer tracks in plenty and felt sure that I should not +want for food. However, my sojourn in this place was not for long. Five +days later when I returned from hunting I noticed smoke curling up out +of the chimney of my hut. I stealthily crept along closer to the cabin +and discovered two saddled horses with soldiers' rifles slung to the +saddles. Two disarmed men were not dangerous for me with a weapon, so I +quickly rushed across the open and entered the hut. From the bench +two soldiers started up in fright. They were Bolsheviki. On their big +Astrakhan caps I made out the red stars of Bolshevism and on their +blouses the dirty red bands. We greeted each other and sat down. The +soldiers had already prepared tea and so we drank this ever welcome +hot beverage and chatted, suspiciously eyeing one another the while. +To disarm this suspicion on their part, I told them that I was a hunter +from a distant place and was living there because I found it good +country for sables. They announced to me that they were soldiers of +a detachment sent from a town into the woods to pursue all suspicious +people. + +"Do you understand, 'Comrade,'" said one of them to me, "we are looking +for counter-revolutionists to shoot them?" + +I knew it without his explanations. All my forces were directed to +assuring them by my conduct that I was a simple peasant hunter and that +I had nothing in common with the counter-revolutionists. I was thinking +also all the time of where I should go after the departure of my +unwelcome guests. It grew dark. In the darkness their faces were even +less attractive. They took out bottles of vodka and drank and the +alcohol began to act very noticeably. They talked loudly and constantly +interrupted each other, boasting how many bourgeoisie they had killed +in Krasnoyarsk and how many Cossacks they had slid under the ice in the +river. Afterwards they began to quarrel but soon they were tired and +prepared to sleep. All of a sudden and without any warning the door of +the hut swung wide open and the steam of the heated room rolled out in +a great cloud, out of which seemed to rise like a genie, as the steam +settled, the figure of a tall, gaunt peasant impressively crowned with +the high Astrakhan cap and wrapped in the great sheepskin overcoat that +added to the massiveness of his figure. He stood with his rifle ready +to fire. Under his girdle lay the sharp ax without which the Siberian +peasant cannot exist. Eyes, quick and glimmering like those of a wild +beast, fixed themselves alternately on each of us. In a moment he took +off his cap, made the sign of the cross on his breast and asked of us: +"Who is the master here?" + +I answered him. + +"May I stop the night?" + +"Yes," I replied, "places enough for all. Take a cup of tea. It is still +hot." + +The stranger, running his eyes constantly over all of us and over +everything about the room, began to take off his skin coat after putting +his rifle in the corner. He was dressed in an old leather blouse with +trousers of the same material tucked in high felt boots. His face was +quite young, fine and tinged with something akin to mockery. His white, +sharp teeth glimmered as his eyes penetrated everything they rested +upon. I noticed the locks of grey in his shaggy head. Lines of +bitterness circled his mouth. They showed his life had been very stormy +and full of danger. He took a seat beside his rifle and laid his ax on +the floor below. + +"What? Is it your wife?" asked one of the drunken soldiers, pointing to +the ax. + +The tall peasant looked calmly at him from the quiet eyes under their +heavy brows and as calmly answered: + +"One meets a different folk these days and with an ax it is much safer." + +He began to drink tea very greedily, while his eyes looked at me many +times with sharp inquiry in them and ran often round the whole cabin in +search of the answer to his doubts. Very slowly and with a guarded drawl +he answered all the questions of the soldiers between gulps of the +hot tea, then he turned his glass upside down as evidence of having +finished, placed on the top of it the small lump of sugar left and +remarked to the soldiers: + +"I am going out to look after my horse and will unsaddle your horses for +you also." + +"All right," exclaimed the half-sleeping young soldier, "bring in our +rifles as well." + +The soldiers were lying on the benches and thus left for us only the +floor. The stranger soon came back, brought the rifles and set them in +the dark corner. He dropped the saddle pads on the floor, sat down on +them and began to take off his boots. The soldiers and my guest soon +were snoring but I did not sleep for thinking of what next to do. +Finally as dawn was breaking, I dozed off only to awake in the +broad daylight and find my stranger gone. I went outside the hut and +discovered him saddling a fine bay stallion. + +"Are you going away?" I asked. + +"Yes, but I want to go together with these ---- comrades,'" he +whispered, "and afterwards I shall come back." + +I did not ask him anything further and told him only that I would wait +for him. He took off the bags that had been hanging on his saddle, put +them away out of sight in the burned corner of the cabin, looked over +the stirrups and bridle and, as he finished saddling, smiled and said: + +"I am ready. I'm going to awake my 'comrades.'" Half an hour after the +morning drink of tea, my three guests took their leave. I remained out +of doors and was engaged in splitting wood for my stove. Suddenly, +from a distance, rifle shots rang through the woods, first one, then +a second. Afterwards all was still. From the place near the shots a +frightened covey of blackcock broke and came over me. At the top of a +high pine a jay cried out. I listened for a long time to see if anyone +was approaching my hut but everything was still. + +On the lower Yenisei it grows dark very early. I built a fire in my +stove and began to cook my soup, constantly listening for every noise +that came from beyond the cabin walls. Certainly I understood at all +times very clearly that death was ever beside me and might claim me +by means of either man, beast, cold, accident or disease. I knew that +nobody was near me to assist and that all my help was in the hands of +God, in the power of my hands and feet, in the accuracy of my aim and in +my presence of mind. However, I listened in vain. I did not notice the +return of my stranger. Like yesterday he appeared all at once on the +threshold. Through the steam I made out his laughing eyes and his fine +face. He stepped into the hut and dropped with a good deal of noise +three rifles into the corner. + +"Two horses, two rifles, two saddles, two boxes of dry bread, half a +brick of tea, a small bag of salt, fifty cartridges, two overcoats, two +pairs of boots," laughingly he counted out. "In truth today I had a very +successful hunt." + +In astonishment I looked at him. + +"What are you surprised at?" he laughed. "Komu nujny eti tovarischi? +Who's got any use for these fellows? Let us have tea and go to sleep. +Tomorrow I will guide you to another safer place and then go on." + + +CHAPTER II + +THE SECRET OF MY FELLOW TRAVELER + + +At the dawn of day we started forth, leaving my first place of refuge. +Into the bags we packed our personal estate and fastened them on one of +the saddles. + +"We must go four or five hundred versts," very calmly announced my +fellow traveler, who called himself "Ivan," a name that meant nothing to +my mind or heart in this land where every second man bore the same. + +"We shall travel then for a very long time," I remarked regretfully. + +"Not more than one week, perhaps even less," he answered. + +That night we spent in the woods under the wide spreading branches of +the fir trees. It was my first night in the forest under the open sky. +How many like this I was destined to spend in the year and a half of my +wanderings! During the day there was very sharp cold. Under the hoofs of +the horses the frozen snow crunched and the balls that formed and broke +from their hoofs rolled away over the crust with a sound like crackling +glass. The heathcock flew from the trees very idly, hares loped slowly +down the beds of summer streams. At night the wind began to sigh and +whistle as it bent the tops of the trees over our heads; while below it +was still and calm. We stopped in a deep ravine bordered by heavy trees, +where we found fallen firs, cut them into logs for the fire and, after +having boiled our tea, dined. + +Ivan dragged in two tree trunks, squared them on one side with his ax, +laid one on the other with the squared faces together and then drove in +a big wedge at the butt ends which separated them three or four inches. +Then we placed live coals in this opening and watched the fire run +rapidly the whole length of the squared faces vis-a-vis. + +"Now there will be a fire in the morning," he announced. "This is the +'naida' of the gold prospectors. We prospectors wandering in the woods +summer and winter always sleep beside this 'naida.' Fine! You shall see +for yourself," he continued. + +He cut fir branches and made a sloping roof out of them, resting it on +two uprights toward the naida. Above our roof of boughs and our naida +spread the branches of protecting fir. More branches were brought and +spread on the snow under the roof, on these were placed the saddle +cloths and together they made a seat for Ivan to rest on and to take off +his outer garments down to his blouse. Soon I noticed his forehead was +wet with perspiration and that he was wiping it and his neck on his +sleeves. + +"Now it is good and warm!" he exclaimed. + +In a short time I was also forced to take off my overcoat and soon lay +down to sleep without any covering at all, while through the branches +of the fir trees and our roof glimmered the cold bright stars and +just beyond the naida raged a stinging cold, from which we were cosily +defended. After this night I was no longer frightened by the cold. +Frozen during the days on horseback, I was thoroughly warmed through +by the genial naida at night and rested from my heavy overcoat, sitting +only in my blouse under the roofs of pine and fir and sipping the ever +welcome tea. + +During our daily treks Ivan related to me the stories of his wanderings +through the mountains and woods of Transbaikalia in the search for gold. +These stories were very lively, full of attractive adventure, danger and +struggle. Ivan was a type of these prospectors who have discovered in +Russia, and perhaps in other countries, the richest gold mines, while +they themselves remain beggars. He evaded telling me why he left +Transbaikalia to come to the Yenisei. I understood from his manner that +he wished to keep his own counsel and so did not press him. However, the +blanket of secrecy covering this part of his mysterious life was one day +quite fortuitously lifted a bit. We were already at the objective point +of our trip. The whole day we had traveled with difficulty through a +thick growth of willow, approaching the shore of the big right branch of +the Yenisei, the Mana. Everywhere we saw runways packed hard by the feet +of the hares living in this bush. These small white denizens of the wood +ran to and fro in front of us. Another time we saw the red tail of a fox +hiding behind a rock, watching us and the unsuspecting hares at the same +time. + +Ivan had been silent for a long while. Then he spoke up and told me that +not far from there was a small branch of the Mana, at the mouth of which +was a hut. + +"What do you say? Shall we push on there or spend the night by the +naida?" + +I suggested going to the hut, because I wanted to wash and because it +would be agreeable to spend the night under a genuine roof again. Ivan +knitted his brows but acceded. + +It was growing dark when we approached a hut surrounded by the dense +wood and wild raspberry bushes. It contained one small room with two +microscopic windows and a gigantic Russian stove. Against the building +were the remains of a shed and a cellar. We fired the stove and prepared +our modest dinner. Ivan drank from the bottle inherited from the +soldiers and in a short time was very eloquent, with brilliant eyes and +with hands that coursed frequently and rapidly through his long locks. +He began relating to me the story of one of his adventures, but suddenly +stopped and, with fear in his eyes, squinted into a dark corner. + +"Is it a rat?" he asked. + +"I did not see anything," I replied. + +He again became silent and reflected with knitted brow. Often we were +silent through long hours and consequently I was not astonished. Ivan +leaned over near to me and began to whisper. + +"I want to tell you an old story. I had a friend in Transbaikalia. He +was a banished convict. His name was Gavronsky. Through many woods +and over many mountains we traveled in search of gold and we had an +agreement to divide all we got into even shares. But Gavronsky suddenly +went out to the 'Taiga' on the Yenisei and disappeared. After five years +we heard that he had found a very rich gold mine and had become a rich +man; then later that he and his wife with him had been murdered. . . ." +Ivan was still for a moment and then continued: + +"This is their old hut. Here he lived with his wife and somewhere on +this river he took out his gold. But he told nobody where. All the +peasants around here know that he had a lot of money in the bank +and that he had been selling gold to the Government. Here they were +murdered." + +Ivan stepped to the stove, took out a flaming stick and, bending over, +lighted a spot on the floor. + +"Do you see these spots on the floor and on the wall? It is their +blood, the blood of Gavronsky. They died but they did not disclose the +whereabouts of the gold. It was taken out of a deep hole which they had +drifted into the bank of the river and was hidden in the cellar under +the shed. But Gavronsky gave nothing away. . . . AND LORD HOW I TORTURED +THEM! I burned them with fire; I bent back their fingers; I gouged out +their eyes; but Gavronsky died in silence." + +He thought for a moment, then quickly said to me: + +"I have heard all this from the peasants." He threw the log into the +stove and flopped down on the bench. "It's time to sleep," he snapped +out, and was still. + +I listened for a long time to his breathing and his whispering to +himself, as he turned from one side to the other and smoked his pipe. + +In the morning we left this scene of so much suffering and crime and on +the seventh day of our journey we came to the dense cedar wood growing +on the foothills of a long chain of mountains. + +"From here," Ivan explained to me, "it is eighty versts to the next +peasant settlement. The people come to these woods to gather cedar nuts +but only in the autumn. Before then you will not meet anyone. Also you +will find many birds and beasts and a plentiful supply of nuts, so that +it will be possible for you to live here. Do you see this river? When +you want to find the peasants, follow along this stream and it will +guide you to them." + +Ivan helped me build my mud hut. But it was not the genuine mud hut. It +was one formed by the tearing out of the roots of a great cedar, that +had probably fallen in some wild storm, which made for me the deep hole +as the room for my house and flanked this on one side with a wall of +mud held fast among the upturned roots. Overhanging ones formed also +the framework into which we interlaced the poles and branches to make +a roof, finished off with stones for stability and snow for warmth. +The front of the hut was ever open but was constantly protected by the +guardian naida. In that snow-covered den I spent two months like summer +without seeing any other human being and without touch with the outer +world where such important events were transpiring. In that grave under +the roots of the fallen tree I lived before the face of nature with my +trials and my anxiety about my family as my constant companions, and in +the hard struggle for my life. Ivan went off the second day, leaving for +me a bag of dry bread and a little sugar. I never saw him again. + + +CHAPTER III + +THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE + + +Then I was alone. Around me only the wood of eternally green cedars +covered with snow, the bare bushes, the frozen river and, as far as I +could see out through the branches and the trunks of the trees, only +the great ocean of cedars and snow. Siberian taiga! How long shall I be +forced to live here? Will the Bolsheviki find me here or not? Will my +friends know where I am? What is happening to my family? These questions +were constantly as burning fires in my brain. Soon I understood why Ivan +guided me so long. We passed many secluded places on the journey, far +away from all people, where Ivan could have safely left me but he always +said that he would take me to a place where it would be easier to live. +And it was so. The charm of my lone refuge was in the cedar wood and +in the mountains covered with these forests which stretched to every +horizon. The cedar is a splendid, powerful tree with wide-spreading +branches, an eternally green tent, attracting to its shelter every +living being. Among the cedars was always effervescent life. There the +squirrels were continually kicking up a row, jumping from tree to tree; +the nut-jobbers cried shrilly; a flock of bullfinches with carmine +breasts swept through the trees like a flame; or a small army of +goldfinches broke in and filled the amphitheatre of trees with their +whistling; a hare scooted from one tree trunk to another and behind him +stole up the hardly visible shadow of a white ermine, crawling on the +snow, and I watched for a long time the black spot which I knew to be +the tip of his tail; carefully treading the hard crusted snow approached +a noble deer; at last there visited me from the top of the mountain the +king of the Siberian forest, the brown bear. All this distracted me +and carried away the black thoughts from my brain, encouraging me to +persevere. It was good for me also, though difficult, to climb to the +top of my mountain, which reached up out of the forest and from which I +could look away to the range of red on the horizon. It was the red cliff +on the farther bank of the Yenisei. There lay the country, the towns, +the enemies and the friends; and there was even the point which I +located as the place of my family. It was the reason why Ivan had guided +me here. And as the days in this solitude slipped by I began to miss +sorely this companion who, though the murderer of Gavronsky, had taken +care of me like a father, always saddling my horse for me, cutting the +wood and doing everything to make me comfortable. He had spent many +winters alone with nothing except his thoughts, face to face with +nature--I should say, before the face of God. He had tried the horrors +of solitude and had acquired facility in bearing them. I thought +sometimes, if I had to meet my end in this place, that I would spend my +last strength to drag myself to the top of the mountain to die there, +looking away over the infinite sea of mountains and forest toward the +point where my loved ones were. + +However, the same life gave me much matter for reflection and yet more +occupation for the physical side. It was a continuous struggle for +existence, hard and severe. The hardest work was the preparation of the +big logs for the naida. The fallen trunks of the trees were covered +with snow and frozen to the ground. I was forced to dig them out and +afterwards, with the help of a long stick as a lever, to move them from +their place. For facilitating this work I chose the mountain for my +supplies, where, although difficult to climb, it was easy to roll the +logs down. Soon I made a splendid discovery. I found near my den a great +quantity of larch, this beautiful yet sad forest giant, fallen during +a big storm. The trunks were covered with snow but remained attached to +their stumps, where they had broken off. When I cut into these stumps +with the ax, the head buried itself and could with difficulty be drawn +and, investigating the reason, I found them filled with pitch. Chips of +this wood needed only a spark to set them aflame and ever afterward I +always had a stock of them to light up quickly for warming my hands on +returning from the hunt or for boiling my tea. + +The greater part of my days was occupied with the hunt. I came to +understand that I must distribute my work over every day, for it +distracted me from my sad and depressing thoughts. Generally, after +my morning tea, I went into the forest to seek heathcock or blackcock. +After killing one or two I began to prepare my dinner, which never had +an extensive menu. It was constantly game soup with a handful of dried +bread and afterwards endless cups of tea, this essential beverage of the +woods. Once, during my search for birds, I heard a rustle in the dense +shrubs and, carefully peering about, I discovered the points of a deer's +horns. I crawled along toward the spot but the watchful animal heard my +approach. With a great noise he rushed from the bush and I saw him very +clearly, after he had run about three hundred steps, stop on the slope +of the mountain. It was a splendid animal with dark grey coat, with +almost a black spine and as large as a small cow. I laid my rifle across +a branch and fired. The animal made a great leap, ran several steps and +fell. With all my strength I ran to him but he got up again and half +jumped, half dragged himself up the mountain. The second shot stopped +him. I had won a warm carpet for my den and a large stock of meat. The +horns I fastened up among the branches of my wall, where they made a +fine hat rack. + +I cannot forget one very interesting but wild picture, which was staged +for me several kilometres from my den. There was a small swamp covered +with grass and cranberries scattered through it, where the blackcock +and sand partridges usually came to feed on the berries. I approached +noiselessly behind the bushes and saw a whole flock of blackcock +scratching in the snow and picking out the berries. While I was +surveying this scene, suddenly one of the blackcock jumped up and the +rest of the frightened flock immediately flew away. To my astonishment +the first bird began going straight up in a spiral flight and afterwards +dropped directly down dead. When I approached there sprang from the +body of the slain cock a rapacious ermine that hid under the trunk of a +fallen tree. The bird's neck was badly torn. I then understood that the +ermine had charged the cock, fastened itself on his neck and had been +carried by the bird into the air, as he sucked the blood from its +throat, and had been the cause of the heavy fall back to the earth. +Thanks to his aeronautic ability I saved one cartridge. + +So I lived fighting for the morrow and more and more poisoned by hard +and bitter thoughts. The days and weeks passed and soon I felt the +breath of warmer winds. On the open places the snow began to thaw. In +spots the little rivulets of water appeared. Another day I saw a fly +or a spider awakened after the hard winter. The spring was coming. I +realized that in spring it was impossible to go out from the forest. +Every river overflowed its banks; the swamps became impassable; all the +runways of the animals turned into beds for streams of running water. +I understood that until summer I was condemned to a continuation of my +solitude. Spring very quickly came into her rights and soon my mountain +was free from snow and was covered only with stones, the trunks of birch +and aspen trees and the high cones of ant hills; the river in places +broke its covering of ice and was coursing full with foam and bubbles. + + +CHAPTER IV + +A FISHERMAN + + +One day during the hunt, I approached the bank of the river and noticed +many very large fish with red backs, as though filled with blood. They +were swimming on the surface enjoying the rays of the sun. When the +river was entirely free from ice, these fish appeared in enormous +quantities. Soon I realized that they were working up-stream for the +spawning season in the smaller rivers. I thought to use a plundering +method of catching, forbidden by the law of all countries; but all the +lawyers and legislators should be lenient to one who lives in a den +under the roots of a fallen tree and dares to break their rational laws. + +Gathering many thin birch and aspen trees I built in the bed of the +stream a weir which the fish could not pass and soon I found them +trying to jump over it. Near the bank I left a hole in my barrier about +eighteen inches below the surface and fastened on the up-stream side a +high basket plaited from soft willow twigs, into which the fish came as +they passed the hole. Then I stood cruelly by and hit them on the head +with a strong stick. All my catch were over thirty pounds, some more +than eighty. This variety of fish is called the taimen, is of the trout +family and is the best in the Yenisei. + +After two weeks the fish had passed and my basket gave me no more +treasure, so I began anew the hunt. + + +CHAPTER V + +A DANGEROUS NEIGHBOR + + +The hunt became more and more profitable and enjoyable, as spring +animated everything. In the morning at the break of day the forest was +full of voices, strange and undiscernible to the inhabitant of the town. +There the heathcock clucked and sang his song of love, as he sat on the +top branches of the cedar and admired the grey hen scratching in the +fallen leaves below. It was very easy to approach this full-feathered +Caruso and with a shot to bring him down from his more poetic to his +more utilitarian duties. His going out was an euthanasia, for he was in +love and heard nothing. Out in the clearing the blackcocks with their +wide-spread spotted tails were fighting, while the hens strutting +near, craning and chattering, probably some gossip about their fighting +swains, watched and were delighted with them. From the distance flowed +in a stern and deep roar, yet full of tenderness and love, the mating +call of the deer; while from the crags above came down the short and +broken voice of the mountain buck. Among the bushes frolicked the hares +and often near them a red fox lay flattened to the ground watching his +chance. I never heard any wolves and they are usually not found in the +Siberian regions covered with mountains and forest. + +But there was another beast, who was my neighbor, and one of us had +to go away. One day, coming back from the hunt with a big heathcock, I +suddenly noticed among the trees a black, moving mass. I stopped and, +looking very attentively, saw a bear, digging away at an ant-hill. +Smelling me, he snorted violently, and very quickly shuffled away, +astonishing me with the speed of his clumsy gait. The following morning, +while still lying under my overcoat, I was attracted by a noise behind +my den. I peered out very carefully and discovered the bear. He stood on +his hind legs and was noisily sniffing, investigating the question as +to what living creature had adopted the custom of the bears of housing +during the winter under the trunks of fallen trees. I shouted and struck +my kettle with the ax. My early visitor made off with all his energy; +but his visit did not please me. It was very early in the spring that +this occurred and the bear should not yet have left his hibernating +place. He was the so-called "ant-eater," an abnormal type of bear +lacking in all the etiquette of the first families of the bear clan. + +I knew that the "ant-eaters" were very irritable and audacious and +quickly I prepared myself for both the defence and the charge. My +preparations were short. I rubbed off the ends of five of my cartridges, +thus making dum-dums out of them, a sufficiently intelligible argument +for so unwelcome a guest. Putting on my coat I went to the place where +I had first met the bear and where there were many ant-hills. I made +a detour of the whole mountain, looked in all the ravines but nowhere +found my caller. Disappointed and tired, I was approaching my shelter +quite off my guard when I suddenly discovered the king of the forest +himself just coming out of my lowly dwelling and sniffing all around the +entrance to it. I shot. The bullet pierced his side. He roared with pain +and anger and stood up on his hind legs. As the second bullet broke +one of these, he squatted down but immediately, dragging the leg and +endeavoring to stand upright, moved to attack me. Only the third bullet +in his breast stopped him. He weighed about two hundred to two hundred +fifty pounds, as near as I could guess, and was very tasty. He appeared +at his best in cutlets but only a little less wonderful in the Hamburg +steaks which I rolled and roasted on hot stones, watching them swell out +into great balls that were as light as the finest souffle omelettes we +used to have at the "Medved" in Petrograd. On this welcome addition to +my larder I lived from then until the ground dried out and the stream +ran down enough so that I could travel down along the river to the +country whither Ivan had directed me. + +Ever traveling with the greatest precautions I made the journey down +along the river on foot, carrying from my winter quarters all my +household furniture and goods, wrapped up in the deerskin bag which I +formed by tying the legs together in an awkward knot; and thus laden +fording the small streams and wading through the swamps that lay across +my path. After fifty odd miles of this I came to the country called +Sifkova, where I found the cabin of a peasant named Tropoff, located +closest to the forest that came to be my natural environment. With him I +lived for a time. + +* * * * * + +Now in these unimaginable surroundings of safety and peace, summing up +the total of my experience in the Siberian taiga, I make the following +deductions. In every healthy spiritual individual of our times, +occasions of necessity resurrect the traits of primitive man, hunter and +warrior, and help him in the struggle with nature. It is the prerogative +of the man with the trained mind and spirit over the untrained, who does +not possess sufficient science and will power to carry him through. But +the price that the cultured man must pay is that for him there exists +nothing more awful than absolute solitude and the knowledge of complete +isolation from human society and the life of moral and aesthetic +culture. One step, one moment of weakness and dark madness will seize +a man and carry him to inevitable destruction. I spent awful days of +struggle with the cold and hunger but I passed more terrible days in +the struggle of the will to kill weakening destructive thoughts. The +memories of these days freeze my heart and mind and even now, as I +revive them so clearly by writing of my experiences, they throw me +back into a state of fear and apprehension. Moreover, I am compelled +to observe that the people in highly civilized states give too little +regard to the training that is useful to man in primitive conditions, in +conditions incident to the struggle against nature for existence. It is +the single normal way to develop a new generation of strong, healthy, +iron men, with at the same time sensitive souls. + +Nature destroys the weak but helps the strong, awakening in the soul +emotions which remain dormant under the urban conditions of modern life. + + +CHAPTER VI + +A RIVER IN TRAVAIL + + +My presence in the Sifkova country was not for long but I used it in +full measure. First, I sent a man in whom I had confidence and whom I +considered trustworthy to my friends in the town that I had left and +received from them linen, boots, money and a small case of first aid +materials and essential medicines, and, what was most important, a +passport in another name, since I was dead for the Bolsheviki. Secondly, +in these more or less favorable conditions I reflected upon the plan for +my future actions. Soon in Sifkova the people heard that the Bolshevik +commissar would come for the requisition of cattle for the Red Army. It +was dangerous to remain longer. I waited only until the Yenisei should +lose its massive lock of ice, which kept it sealed long after the small +rivulets had opened and the trees had taken on their spring foliage. +For one thousand roubles I engaged a fisherman who agreed to take me +fifty-five miles up the river to an abandoned gold mine as soon as the +river, which had then only opened in places, should be entirely clear +of ice. At last one morning I heard a deafening roar like a tremendous +cannonade and ran out to find the river had lifted its great bulk of ice +and then given way to break it up. I rushed on down to the bank, where I +witnessed an awe-inspiring but magnificent scene. The river had brought +down the great volume of ice that had been dislodged in the south and +was carrying it northward under the thick layer which still covered +parts of the stream until finally its weight had broken the winter dam +to the north and released the whole grand mass in one last rush for the +Arctic. The Yenisei, "Father Yenisei," "Hero Yenisei," is one of the +longest rivers in Asia, deep and magnificent, especially through the +middle range of its course, where it is flanked and held in canyon-like +by great towering ranges. The huge stream had brought down whole miles +of ice fields, breaking them up on the rapids and on isolated rocks, +twisting them with angry swirls, throwing up sections of the black +winter roads, carrying down the tepees built for the use of passing +caravans which in the Winter always go from Minnusinsk to Krasnoyarsk on +the frozen river. From time to time the stream stopped in its flow, the +roar began and the great fields of ice were squeezed and piled upward, +sometimes as high as thirty feet, damming up the water behind, so that +it rapidly rose and ran out over the low places, casting on the shore +great masses of ice. Then the power of the reinforced waters conquered +the towering dam of ice and carried it downward with a sound like +breaking glass. At the bends in the river and round the great rocks +developed terrifying chaos. Huge blocks of ice jammed and jostled until +some were thrown clear into the air, crashing against others already +there, or were hurled against the curving cliffs and banks, tearing +out boulders, earth and trees high up the sides. All along the low +embankments this giant of nature flung upward with a suddenness that +leaves man but a pigmy in force a great wall of ice fifteen to twenty +feet high, which the peasants call "Zaberega" and through which they +cannot get to the river without cutting out a road. One incredible feat +I saw the giant perform, when a block many feet thick and many yards +square was hurled through the air and dropped to crush saplings and +little trees more than a half hundred feet from the bank. + +Watching this glorious withdrawal of the ice, I was filled with terror +and revolt at seeing the awful spoils which the Yenisei bore away +in this annual retreat. These were the bodies of the executed +counter-revolutionaries--officers, soldiers and Cossacks of the former +army of the Superior Governor of all anti-Bolshevik Russia, Admiral +Kolchak. They were the results of the bloody work of the "Cheka" at +Minnusinsk. Hundreds of these bodies with heads and hands cut off, with +mutilated faces and bodies half burned, with broken skulls, floated and +mingled with the blocks of ice, looking for their graves; or, turning +in the furious whirlpools among the jagged blocks, they were ground and +torn to pieces into shapeless masses, which the river, nauseated with +its task, vomited out upon the islands and projecting sand bars. I +passed the whole length of the middle Yenisei and constantly came across +these putrifying and terrifying reminders of the work of the Bolsheviki. +In one place at a turn of the river I saw a great heap of horses, which +had been cast up by the ice and current, in number not less than three +hundred. A verst below there I was sickened beyond endurance by the +discovery of a grove of willows along the bank which had raked from the +polluted stream and held in their finger-like drooping branches human +bodies in all shapes and attitudes with a semblance of naturalness +which made an everlasting picture on my distraught mind. Of this pitiful +gruesome company I counted seventy. + +At last the mountain of ice passed by, followed by the muddy freshets +that carried down the trunks of fallen trees, logs and bodies, bodies, +bodies. The fisherman and his son put me and my luggage into their +dugout made from an aspen tree and poled upstream along the bank. +Poling in a swift current is very hard work. At the sharp curves we were +compelled to row, struggling against the force of the stream and even in +places hugging the cliffs and making headway only by clutching the rocks +with our hands and dragging along slowly. Sometimes it took us a long +while to do five or six metres through these rapid holes. In two days we +reached the goal of our journey. I spent several days in this gold mine, +where the watchman and his family were living. As they were short of +food, they had nothing to spare for me and consequently my rifle again +served to nourish me, as well as contributing something to my hosts. +One day there appeared here a trained agriculturalist. I did not hide +because during my winter in the woods I had raised a heavy beard, so +that probably my own mother could not have recognized me. However, our +guest was very shrewd and at once deciphered me. I did not fear him +because I saw that he was not a Bolshevik and later had confirmation of +this. We found common acquaintances and a common viewpoint on current +events. He lived close to the gold mine in a small village where he +superintended public works. We determined to escape together from +Russia. For a long time I had puzzled over this matter and now my plan +was ready. Knowing the position in Siberia and its geography, I decided +that the best way to safety was through Urianhai, the northern part of +Mongolia on the head waters of the Yenisei, then through Mongolia and +out to the Far East and the Pacific. Before the overthrow of the Kolchak +Government I had received a commission to investigate Urianhai and +Western Mongolia and then, with great accuracy, I studied all the +maps and literature I could get on this question. To accomplish this +audacious plan I had the great incentive of my own safety. + + +CHAPTER VII + +THROUGH SOVIET SIBERIA + + +After several days we started through the forest on the left bank of the +Yenisei toward the south, avoiding the villages as much as possible in +fear of leaving some trail by which we might be followed. Whenever we +did have to go into them, we had a good reception at the hands of the +peasants, who did not penetrate our disguise; and we saw that they hated +the Bolsheviki, who had destroyed many of their villages. In one place +we were told that a detachment of Red troops had been sent out from +Minnusinsk to chase the Whites. We were forced to work far back from +the shore of the Yenisei and to hide in the woods and mountains. Here we +remained nearly a fortnight, because all this time the Red soldiers were +traversing the country and capturing in the woods half-dressed unarmed +officers who were in hiding from the atrocious vengeance of the +Bolsheviki. Afterwards by accident we passed a meadow where we found the +bodies of twenty-eight officers hung to the trees, with their faces and +bodies mutilated. There we determined never to allow ourselves to come +alive into the hands of the Boisheviki. To prevent this we had our +weapons and a supply of cyanide of potassium. + +Passing across one branch of the Yenisei, once we saw a narrow, miry +pass, the entrance to which was strewn with the bodies of men and +horses. A little farther along we found a broken sleigh with rifled +boxes and papers scattered about. Near them were also torn garments and +bodies. Who were these pitiful ones? What tragedy was staged in this +wild wood? We tried to guess this enigma and we began to investigate the +documents and papers. These were official papers addressed to the Staff +of General Pepelaieff. Probably one part of the Staff during the retreat +of Kolchak's army went through this wood, striving to hide from the +enemy approaching from all sides; but here they were caught by the Reds +and killed. Not far from here we found the body of a poor unfortunate +woman, whose condition proved clearly what had happened before relief +came through the beneficent bullet. The body lay beside a shelter of +branches, strewn with bottles and conserve tins, telling the tale of the +bantering feast that had preceded the destruction of this life. + +The further we went to the south, the more pronouncedly hospitable the +people became toward us and the more hostile to the Bolsheviki. At last +we emerged from the forests and entered the spacious vastness of the +Minnusinsk steppes, crossed by the high red mountain range called +the "Kizill-Kaiya" and dotted here and there with salt lakes. It is a +country of tombs, thousands of large and small dolmens, the tombs of the +earliest proprietors of this land: pyramids of stone ten metres high, +the marks set by Jenghiz Khan along his road of conquest and afterwards +by the cripple Tamerlane-Temur. Thousands of these dolmens and stone +pyramids stretch in endless rows to the north. In these plains the +Tartars now live. They were robbed by the Bolsheviki and therefore hated +them ardently. We openly told them that we were escaping. They gave us +food for nothing and supplied us with guides, telling us with whom we +might stop and where to hide in case of danger. + +After several days we looked down from the high bank of the Yenisei upon +the first steamer, the "Oriol," from Krasnoyarsk to Minnusinsk, laden +with Red soldiers. Soon we came to the mouth of the river Tuba, which +we were to follow straight east to the Sayan mountains, where Urianhai +begins. We thought the stage along the Tuba and its branch, the Amyl, +the most dangerous part of our course, because the valleys of these two +rivers had a dense population which had contributed large numbers +of soldiers to the celebrated Communist Partisans, Schetinkin and +Krafcheno. + +A Tartar ferried us and our horses over to the right bank of the Yenisei +and afterwards sent us some Cossacks at daybreak who guided us to the +mouth of the Tuba, where we spent the whole day in rest, gratifying +ourselves with a feast of wild black currants and cherries. + + +CHAPTER VIII + +THREE DAYS ON THE EDGE OF A PRECIPICE + + +Armed with our false passports, we moved along up the valley of the +Tuba. Every ten or fifteen versts we came across large villages of from +one to six hundred houses, where all administration was in the hands of +Soviets and where spies scrutinized all passers-by. We could not avoid +these villages for two reasons. First, our attempts to avoid them +when we were constantly meeting the peasants in the country would have +aroused suspicion and would have caused any Soviet to arrest us and +send us to the "Cheka" in Minnusinsk, where we should have sung our +last song. Secondly, in his documents my fellow traveler was granted +permission to use the government post relays for forwarding him on his +journey. Therefore, we were forced to visit the village Soviets and +change our horses. Our own mounts we had given to the Tartar and Cossack +who helped us at the mouth of the Tuba, and the Cossack brought us in +his wagon to the first village, where we received the post horses. All +except a small minority of the peasants were against the Bolsheviki and +voluntarily assisted us. I paid them for their help by treating their +sick and my fellow traveler gave them practical advice in the management +of their agriculture. Those who helped us chiefly were the old +dissenters and the Cossacks. + +Sometimes we came across villages entirely Communistic but very soon we +learned to distinguish them. When we entered a village with our horse +bells tinkling and found the peasants who happened to be sitting in +front of their houses ready to get up with a frown and a grumble that +here were more new devils coming, we knew that this was a village +opposed to the Communists and that here we could stop in safety. But, +if the peasants approached and greeted us with pleasure, calling us +"Comrades," we knew at once that we were among the enemy and took great +precautions. Such villages were inhabited by people who were not the +Siberian liberty-loving peasants but by emigrants from the Ukraine, +idle and drunk, living in poor dirty huts, though their village +were surrounded with the black and fertile soil of the steppes. Very +dangerous and pleasant moments we spent in the large village of Karatuz. +It is rather a town. In the year 1912 two colleges were opened here and +the population reached 15,000 people. It is the capital of the South +Yenisei Cossacks. But by now it is very difficult to recognize this +town. The peasant emigrants and Red army murdered all the Cossack +population and destroyed and burned most of the houses; and it is at +present the center of Bolshevism and Communism in the eastern part of +the Minnusinsk district. In the building of the Soviet, where we came to +exchange our horses, there was being held a meeting of the "Cheka." We +were immediately surrounded and questioned about our documents. We were +not any too calm about the impression which might be made by our papers +and attempted to avoid this examination. My fellow traveler afterwards +often said to me: + +"It is great good fortune that among the Bolsheviki the good-for-nothing +shoemaker of yesterday is the Governor of today and scientists sweep +the streets or clean the stables of the Red cavalry. I can talk with +the Bolsheviki because they do not know the difference between +'disinfection' and 'diphtheria,' 'anthracite' and 'appendicitis' and can +talk them round in all things, even up to persuading them not to put a +bullet into me." + +And so we talked the members of the "Cheka" round to everything that we +wanted. We presented to them a bright scheme for the future development +of their district, when we would build the roads and bridges which would +allow them to export the wood from Urianhai, iron and gold from the +Sayan Mountains, cattle and furs from Mongolia. What a triumph of +creative work for the Soviet Government! Our ode occupied about an +hour and afterwards the members of the "Cheka," forgetting about our +documents, personally changed our horses, placed our luggage on the +wagon and wished us success. It was the last ordeal within the borders +of Russia. + +When we had crossed the valley of the river Amyl, Happiness smiled on +us. Near the ferry we met a member of the militia from Karatuz. He had +on his wagon several rifles and automatic pistols, mostly Mausers, +for outfitting an expedition through Urianhai in quest of some Cossack +officers who had been greatly troubling the Bolsheviki. We stood upon +our guard. We could very easily have met this expedition and we were +not quite assured that the soldiers would be so appreciative of our +high-sounding phrases as were the members of the "Cheka." Carefully +questioning the militiaman, we ferreted out the route their expedition +was to take. In the next village we stayed in the same house with him. I +had to open my luggage and suddenly I noticed his admiring glance fixed +upon my bag. + +"What pleases you so much?" I asked. + +He whispered: "Trousers . . . Trousers." + +I had received from my townsmen quite new trousers of black thick +cloth for riding. Those trousers attracted the rapt attention of the +militiaman. + +"If you have no other trousers. . . ." I remarked, reflecting upon my +plan of attack against my new friend. + +"No," he explained with sadness, "the Soviet does not furnish trousers. +They tell me they also go without trousers. And my trousers are +absolutely worn out. Look at them." + +With these words he threw back the corner of his overcoat and I was +astonished how he could keep himself inside these trousers, for they +had such large holes that they were more of a net than trousers, a net +through which a small shark could have slipped. + +"Sell me," he whispered, with a question in his voice. + +"I cannot, for I need them myself," I answered decisively. + +He reflected for a few minutes and afterward, approaching me, said: "Let +us go out doors and talk. Here it is inconvenient." + +We went outside. "Now, what about it?" he began. "You are going into +Urianhai. There the Soviet bank-notes have no value and you will not +be able to buy anything, where there are plenty of sables, fox-skins, +ermine and gold dust to be purchased, which they very willingly exchange +for rifles and cartridges. You have each of you a rifle and I will +give you one more rifle with a hundred cartridges if you give me the +trousers." + +"We do not need weapons. We are protected by our documents," I answered, +as though I did not understand. + +"But no," he interrupted, "you can change that rifle there into furs and +gold. I shall give you that rifle outright." + +"Ah, that's it, is it? But it's very little for those trousers. Nowhere +in Russia can you now find trousers. All Russia goes without trousers +and for your rifle I should receive a sable and what use to me is one +skin?" + +Word by word I attained to my desire. The militia-man got my trousers +and I received a rifle with one hundred cartridges and two automatic +pistols with forty cartridges each. We were armed now so that we could +defend ourselves. Moreover, I persuaded the happy possessor of my +trousers to give us a permit to carry the weapons. Then the law and +force were both on our side. + +In a distant village we bought three horses, two for riding and one for +packing, engaged a guide, purchased dried bread, meat, salt and butter +and, after resting twenty-four hours, began our trip up the Amyl toward +the Sayan Mountains on the border of Urianhai. There we hoped not to +meet Bolsheviki, either sly or silly. In three days from the mouth of +the Tuba we passed the last Russian village near the Mongolian-Urianhai +border, three days of constant contact with a lawless population, of +continuous danger and of the ever present possibility of fortuitous +death. Only iron will power, presence of mind and dogged tenacity +brought us through all the dangers and saved us from rolling back down +our precipice of adventure, at whose foot lay so many others who +had failed to make this same climb to freedom which we had just +accomplished. Perhaps they lacked the persistence or the presence of +mind, perhaps they had not the poetic ability to sing odes about "roads, +bridges and gold mines" or perhaps they simply had no spare trousers. + + +CHAPTER IX + +TO THE SAYANS AND SAFETY + + +Dense virgin wood surrounded us. In the high, already yellow grass the +trail wound hardly noticeable in among bushes and trees just beginning +to drop their many colored leaves. It is the old, already forgotten Amyl +pass road. Twenty-five years ago it carried the provisions, machinery +and workers for the numerous, now abandoned, gold mines of the +Amyl valley. The road now wound along the wide and rapid Amyl, then +penetrated into the deep forest, guiding us round the swampy ground +filled with those dangerous Siberian quagmires, through the dense +bushes, across mountains and wide meadows. Our guide probably did not +surmise our real intention and sometimes, apprehensively looking down at +the ground, would say: + +"Three riders on horses with shoes on have passed here. Perhaps they +were soldiers." + +His anxiety was terminated when he discovered that the tracks led off to +one side and then returned to the trail. + +"They did not proceed farther," he remarked, slyly smiling. + +"That's too bad," we answered. "It would have been more lively to travel +in company." + +But the peasant only stroked his beard and laughed. Evidently he was not +taken in by our statement. + +We passed on the way a gold mine that had been formerly planned and +equipped on splendid lines but was now abandoned and the buildings all +destroyed. The Bolsheviki had taken away the machinery, supplies and +also some parts of the buildings. Nearby stood a dark and gloomy church +with windows broken, the crucifix torn off and the tower burned, a +pitifully typical emblem of the Russia of today. The starving family of +the watchman lived at the mine in continuing danger and privation. They +told us that in this forest region were wandering about a band of Reds +who were robbing anything that remained on the property of the gold +mine, were working the pay dirt in the richest part of the mine and, +with a little gold washed, were going to drink and gamble it away in +some distant villages where the peasants were making the forbidden vodka +out of berries and potatoes and selling it for its weight in gold. A +meeting with this band meant death. After three days we crossed the +northern ridge of the Sayan chain, passed the border river Algiak and, +after this day, were abroad in the territory of Urianhai. + +This wonderful land, rich in most diverse forms of natural wealth, is +inhabited by a branch of the Mongols, which is now only sixty thousand +and which is gradually dying off, speaking a language quite different +from any of the other dialects of this folk and holding as their life +ideal the tenet of "Eternal Peace." Urianhai long ago became the scene +of administrative attempts by Russians, Mongols and Chinese, all of whom +claimed sovereignty over the region whose unfortunate inhabitants, the +Soyots, had to pay tribute to all three of these overlords. It was due +to this that the land was not an entirely safe refuge for us. We had +heard already from our militiaman about the expedition preparing to go +into Urianhai and from the peasants we learned that the villages along +the Little Yenisei and farther south had formed Red detachments, who +were robbing and killing everyone who fell into their hands. Recently +they had killed sixty-two officers attempting to pass Urianhai into +Mongolia; robbed and killed a caravan of Chinese merchants; and killed +some German war prisoners who escaped from the Soviet paradise. On the +fourth day we reached a swampy valley where, among open forests, stood a +single Russian house. Here we took leave of our guide, who hastened away +to get back before the snows should block his road over the Sayans. The +master of the establishment agreed to guide us to the Seybi River for +ten thousand roubles in Soviet notes. Our horses were tired and we were +forced to give them a rest, so we decided to spend twenty-four hours +here. + +We were drinking tea when the daughter of our host cried: + +"The Soyots are coming!" Into the room with their rifles and pointed +hats came suddenly four of them. + +"Mende," they grunted to us and then, without ceremony, began examining +us critically. Not a button or a seam in our entire outfit escaped their +penetrating gaze. Afterwards one of them, who appeared to be the local +"Merin" or governor, began to investigate our political views. Listening +to our criticisms of the Bolsheviki, he was evidently pleased and began +talking freely. + +"You are good people. You do not like Bolsheviki. We will help you." + +I thanked him and presented him with the thick silk cord which I was +wearing as a girdle. Before night they left us saying that they would +return in the morning. It grew dark. We went to the meadow to look after +our exhausted horses grazing there and came back to the house. We were +gaily chatting with the hospitable host when suddenly we heard horses' +hoofs in the court and raucous voices, followed by the immediate entry +of five Red soldiers armed with rifles and swords. Something unpleasant +and cold rolled up into my throat and my heart hammered. We knew the +Reds as our enemies. These men had the red stars on their Astrakhan caps +and red triangles on their sleeves. They were members of the detachment +that was out to look for Cossack officers. Scowling at us they took +off their overcoats and sat down. We first opened the conversation, +explaining the purpose of our journey in exploring for bridges, roads +and gold mines. From them we then learned that their commander would +arrive in a little while with seven more men and that they would take +our host at once as a guide to the Seybi River, where they thought the +Cossack officers must be hidden. Immediately I remarked that our affairs +were moving fortunately and that we must travel along together. One of +the soldiers replied that that would depend upon the "Comrade-officer." + +During our conversation the Soyot Governor entered. Very attentively he +studied again the new arrivals and then asked: "Why did you take from +the Soyots the good horses and leave bad ones?" + +The soldiers laughed at him. + +"Remember that you are in a foreign country!" answered the Soyot, with a +threat in his voice. + +"God and the Devil!" cried one of the soldiers. + +But the Soyot very calmly took a seat at the table and accepted the cup +of tea the hostess was preparing for him. The conversation ceased. The +Soyot finished the tea, smoked his long pipe and, standing up, said: + +"If tomorrow morning the horses are not back at the owner's, we shall +come and take them." And with these words he turned and went out. + +I noticed an expression of apprehension on the faces of the soldiers. +Shortly one was sent out as a messenger while the others sat silent with +bowed heads. Late in the night the officer arrived with his other seven +men. As he received the report about the Soyot, he knitted his brows and +said: + +"It's a bad mess. We must travel through the swamp where a Soyot will be +behind every mound watching us." + +He seemed really very anxious and his trouble fortunately prevented him +from paying much attention to us. I began to calm him and promised on +the morrow to arrange this matter with the Soyots. The officer was a +coarse brute and a silly man, desiring strongly to be promoted for the +capture of the Cossack officers, and feared that the Soyot could prevent +him from reaching the Seybi. + +At daybreak we started together with the Red detachment. When we had +made about fifteen kilometers, we discovered behind the bushes two +riders. They were Soyots. On their backs were their flint rifles. + +"Wait for me!" I said to the officer. "I shall go for a parley with +them." + +I went forward with all the speed of my horse. One of the horsemen was +the Soyot Governor, who said to me: + +"Remain behind the detachment and help us." + +"All right," I answered, "but let us talk a little, in order that they +may think we are parleying." + +After a moment I shook the hand of the Soyot and returned to the +soldiers. + +"All right," I exclaimed, "we can continue our journey. No hindrance +will come from the Soyots." + +We moved forward and, when we were crossing a large meadow, we espied at +a long distance two Soyots riding at full gallop right up the side of a +mountain. Step by step I accomplished the necessary manoeuvre to bring +me and my fellow traveler somewhat behind the detachment. Behind +our backs remained only one soldier, very brutish in appearance and +apparently very hostile to us. I had time to whisper to my companion +only one word: "Mauser," and saw that he very carefully unbuttoned the +saddle bag and drew out a little the handle of his pistol. + +Soon I understood why these soldiers, excellent woodsmen as they were, +would not attempt to go to the Seybi without a guide. All the country +between the Algiak and the Seybi is formed by high and narrow mountain +ridges separated by deep swampy valleys. It is a cursed and dangerous +place. At first our horses mired to the knees, lunging about and +catching their feet in the roots of bushes in the quagmires, then +falling and pinning us under their sides, breaking parts of their +saddles and bridles. Then we would go in up to the riders' knees. My +horse went down once with his whole breast and head under the red fluid +mud and we just saved it and no more. Afterwards the officer's horse +fell with him so that he bruised his head on a stone. My companion +injured one knee against a tree. Some of the men also fell and were +injured. The horses breathed heavily. Somewhere dimly and gloomily +a crow cawed. Later the road became worse still. The trail followed +through the same miry swamp but everywhere the road was blocked with +fallen tree trunks. The horses, jumping over the trunks, would land in +an unexpectedly deep hole and flounder. We and all the soldiers were +covered with blood and mud and were in great fear of exhausting our +mounts. For a long distance we had to get down and lead them. At last we +entered a broad meadow covered with bushes and bordered with rocks. Not +only horses but riders also began to sink to their middle in a quagmire +with apparently no bottom. The whole surface of the meadow was but a +thin layer of turf, covering a lake with black putrefying water. When +we finally learned to open our column and proceed at big intervals, we +found we could keep on this surface that undulated like rubber ice and +swayed the bushes up and down. In places the earth buckled up and broke. + +Suddenly, three shots sounded. They were hardly more than the report of +a Flobert rifle; but they were genuine shots, because the officer and +two soldiers fell to the ground. The other soldiers grabbed their rifles +and, with fear, looked about for the enemy. Four more were soon unseated +and suddenly I noticed our rearguard brute raise his rifle and aim +right at me. However, my Mauser outstrode his rifle and I was allowed to +continue my story. + +"Begin!" I cried to my friend and we took part in the shooting. Soon the +meadow began to swarm with Soyots, stripping the fallen, dividing the +spoils and recapturing their horses. In some forms of warfare it is +never safe to leave any of the enemy to renew hostilities later with +overwhelming forces. + +After an hour of very difficult road we began to ascend the mountain and +soon arrived on a high plateau covered with trees. + +"After all, Soyots are not a too peaceful people," I remarked, +approaching the Governor. + +He looked at me very sharply and replied: + +"It was not Soyots who did the killing." + +He was right. It was the Abakan Tartars in Soyot clothes who killed the +Bolsheviki. These Tartars were running their herds of cattle and horses +down out of Russia through Urianhai to Mongolia. They had as their +guide and negotiator a Kalmuck Lamaite. The following morning we were +approaching a small settlement of Russian colonists and noticed some +horsemen looking out from the woods. One of our young and brave Tartars +galloped off at full speed toward these men in the wood but soon wheeled +and returned with a reassuring smile. + +"All right," he exclaimed, laughing, "keep right on." + +We continued our travel on a good broad road along a high wooden fence +surrounding a meadow filled with a fine herd of wapiti or izubr, which +the Russian colonists breed for the horns that are so valuable in the +velvet for sale to Tibetan and Chinese medicine dealers. These horns, +when boiled and dried, are called panti and are sold to the Chinese at +very high prices. + +We were received with great fear by the settlers. + +"Thank God!" exclaimed the hostess, "we thought . . ." and she broke off, +looking at her husband. + + +CHAPTER X + +THE BATTLE ON THE SEYBI + + +Constant dangers develop one's watchfulness and keenness of perception. +We did not take off our clothes nor unsaddle our horses, tired as +we were. I put my Mauser inside my coat and began to look about and +scrutinize the people. The first thing I discovered was the butt end of +a rifle under the pile of pillows always found on the peasants' large +beds. Later I noticed the employees of our host constantly coming into +the room for orders from him. They did not look like simple peasants, +although they had long beards and were dressed very dirtily. They +examined me with very attentive eyes and did not leave me and my friend +alone with the host. We could not, however, make out anything. But then +the Soyot Governor came in and, noticing our strained relations, began +explaining in the Soyot language to the host all about us. + +"I beg your pardon," the colonist said, "but you know yourself that now +for one honest man we have ten thousand murderers and robbers." + +With this we began chatting more freely. It appeared that our host knew +that a band of Bolsheviki would attack him in the search for the band of +Cossack officers who were living in his house on and off. He had heard +also about the "total loss" of one detachment. However, it did not +entirely calm the old man to have our news, for he had heard of the +large detachment of Reds that was coming from the border of the Usinsky +District in pursuit of the Tartars who were escaping with their cattle +south to Mongolia. + +"From one minute to another we are awaiting them with fear," said +our host to me. "My Soyot has come in and announced that the Reds are +already crossing the Seybi and the Tartars are prepared for the fight." + +We immediately went out to look over our saddles and packs and then took +the horses and hid them in the bushes not far off. We made ready our +rifles and pistols and took posts in the enclosure to wait for our +common enemy. An hour of trying impatience passed, when one of the +workmen came running in from the wood and whispered: + +"They are crossing our swamp. . . . The fight is on." + +In fact, like an answer to his words, came through the woods the sound +of a single rifle-shot, followed closely by the increasing rat-tat-tat +of the mingled guns. Nearer to the house the sounds gradually came. Soon +we heard the beating of the horses' hoofs and the brutish cries of the +soldiers. In a moment three of them burst into the house, from off +the road where they were being raked now by the Tartars from both +directions, cursing violently. One of them shot at our host. He stumbled +along and fell on his knee, as his hand reached out toward the rifle +under his pillows. + +"Who are YOU?" brutally blurted out one of the soldiers, turning to us +and raising his rifle. We answered with Mausers and successfully, for +only one soldier in the rear by the door escaped, and that merely to +fall into the hands of a workman in the courtyard who strangled him. +The fight had begun. The soldiers called on their comrades for help. +The Reds were strung along in the ditch at the side of the road, three +hundred paces from the house, returning the fire of the surrounding +Tartars. Several soldiers ran to the house to help their comrades but +this time we heard the regular volley of the workmen of our host. They +fired as though in a manoeuvre calmly and accurately. Five Red soldiers +lay on the road, while the rest now kept to their ditch. Before long we +discovered that they began crouching and crawling out toward the end of +the ditch nearest the wood where they had left their horses. The sounds +of shots became more and more distant and soon we saw fifty or sixty +Tartars pursuing the Reds across the meadow. + +Two days we rested here on the Seybi. The workmen of our host, eight in +number, turned out to be officers hiding from the Bolsheviks. They asked +permission to go on with us, to which we agreed. + +When my friend and I continued our trip we had a guard of eight armed +officers and three horses with packs. We crossed a beautiful valley +between the Rivers Seybi and Ut. Everywhere we saw splendid grazing +lands with numerous herds upon them, but in two or three houses along +the road we did not find anyone living. All had hidden away in fear +after hearing the sounds of the fight with the Reds. The following day +we went up over the high chain of mountains called Daban and, traversing +a great area of burned timber where our trail lay among the fallen +trees, we began to descend into a valley hidden from us by the +intervening foothills. There behind these hills flowed the Little +Yenisei, the last large river before reaching Mongolia proper. About ten +kilometers from the river we spied a column of smoke rising up out of +the wood. Two of the officers slipped away to make an investigation. +For a long time they did not return and we, fearful lest something had +happened, moved off carefully in the direction of the smoke, all ready +for a fight if necessary. We finally came near enough to hear the voices +of many people and among them the loud laugh of one of our scouts. +In the middle of a meadow we made out a large tent with two tepees of +branches and around these a crowd of fifty or sixty men. When we broke +out of the forest all of them rushed forward with a joyful welcome +for us. It appeared that it was a large camp of Russian officers and +soldiers who, after their escape from Siberia, had lived in the houses +of the Russian colonists and rich peasants in Urianhai. + +"What are you doing here?" we asked with surprise. + +"Oh, ho, you know nothing at all about what has been going on?" replied +a fairly old man who called himself Colonel Ostrovsky. "In Urianhai an +order has been issued from the Military Commissioner to mobilize all +men over twenty-eight years of age and everywhere toward the town of +Belotzarsk are moving detachments of these Partisans. They are robbing +the colonists and peasants and killing everyone that falls into their +hands. We are hiding here from them." + +The whole camp counted only sixteen rifles and three bombs, belonging +to a Tartar who was traveling with his Kalmuck guide to his herds in +Western Mongolia. We explained the aim of our journey and our intention +to pass through Mongolia to the nearest port on the Pacific. +The officers asked me to bring them out with us. I agreed. Our +reconnaissance proved to us that there were no Partisans near the house +of the peasant who was to ferry us over the Little Yenisei. We moved off +at once in order to pass as quickly as possible this dangerous zone of +the Yenisei and to sink ourselves into the forest beyond. It snowed but +immediately thawed. Before evening a cold north wind sprang up, bringing +with it a small blizzard. Late in the night our party reached the river. +Our colonist welcomed us and offered at once to ferry us over and swim +the horses, although there was ice still floating which had come down +from the head-waters of the stream. During this conversation there was +present one of the peasant's workmen, red-haired and squint-eyed. He +kept moving around all the time and suddenly disappeared. Our host +noticed it and, with fear in his voice, said: + +"He has run to the village and will guide the Partisans here. We must +cross immediately." + +Then began the most terrible night of my whole journey. We proposed +to the colonist that he take only our food and ammunition in the boat, +while we would swim our horses across, in order to save the time of +the many trips. The width of the Yenisei in this place is about three +hundred metres. The stream is very rapid and the shore breaks away +abruptly to the full depth of the stream. The night was absolutely dark +with not a star in the sky. The wind in whistling swirls drove the snow +and sleet sharply against our faces. Before us flowed the stream of +black, rapid water, carrying down thin, jagged blocks of ice, twisting +and grinding in the whirls and eddies. For a long time my horse refused +to take the plunge down the steep bank, snorted and braced himself. With +all my strength I lashed him with my whip across his neck until, with a +pitiful groan, he threw himself into the cold stream. We both went all +the way under and I hardly kept my seat in the saddle. Soon I was some +metres from the shore with my horse stretching his head and neck far +forward in his efforts and snorting and blowing incessantly. I felt the +every motion of his feet churning the water and the quivering of his +whole body under me in this trial. At last we reached the middle of the +river, where the current became exceedingly rapid and began to carry us +down with it. Out of the ominous darkness I heard the shoutings of my +companions and the dull cries of fear and suffering from the horses. I +was chest deep in the icy water. Sometimes the floating blocks struck +me; sometimes the waves broke up over my head and face. I had no time to +look about or to feel the cold. The animal wish to live took possession +of me; I became filled with the thought that, if my horse's strength +failed in his struggle with the stream, I must perish. All my attention +was turned to his efforts and to his quivering fear. Suddenly he groaned +loudly and I noticed he was sinking. The water evidently was over his +nostrils, because the intervals of his frightened snorts through the +nostrils became longer. A big block of ice struck his head and turned +him so that he was swimming right downstream. With difficulty I reined +him around toward the shore but felt now that his force was gone. His +head several times disappeared under the swirling surface. I had no +choice. I slipped from the saddle and, holding this by my left hand, +swam with my right beside my mount, encouraging him with my shouts. For +a time he floated with lips apart and his teeth set firm. In his widely +opened eyes was indescribable fear. As soon as I was out of the saddle, +he had at once risen in the water and swam more calmly and rapidly. +At last under the hoofs of my exhausted animal I heard the stones. +One after another my companions came up on the shore. The well-trained +horses had brought all their burdens over. Much farther down our +colonist landed with the supplies. Without a moment's loss we packed +our things on the horses and continued our journey. The wind was growing +stronger and colder. At the dawn of day the cold was intense. Our soaked +clothes froze and became hard as leather; our teeth chattered; and in +our eyes showed the red fires of fever: but we traveled on to put as +much space as we could between ourselves and the Partisans. Passing +about fifteen kilometres through the forest we emerged into an open +valley, from which we could see the opposite bank of the Yenisei. It was +about eight o'clock. Along the road on the other shore wound the black +serpent-like line of riders and wagons which we made out to be a column +of Red soldiers with their transport. We dismounted and hid in the +bushes in order to avoid attracting their attention. + +All the day with the thermometer at zero and below we continued our +journey, only at night reaching the mountains covered with larch +forests, where we made big fires, dried our clothes and warmed ourselves +thoroughly. The hungry horses did not leave the fires but stood right +behind us with drooped heads and slept. Very early in the morning +several Soyots came to our camp. + +"Ulan? (Red?)" asked one of them. + +"No! No!" exclaimed all our company. + +"Tzagan? (White?)" followed the new question. + +"Yes, yes," said the Tartar, "all are Whites." + +"Mende! Mende!" they grunted and, after starting their cups of tea, +began to relate very interesting and important news. It appeared that +the Red Partisans, moving from the mountains Tannu Ola, occupied with +their outposts all the border of Mongolia to stop and seize the peasants +and Soyots driving out their cattle. To pass the Tannu Ola now would be +impossible. I saw only one way--to turn sharp to the southeast, pass +the swampy valley of the Buret Hei and reach the south shore of Lake +Kosogol, which is already in the territory of Mongolia proper. It was +very unpleasant news. To the first Mongol post in Samgaltai was not more +than sixty miles from our camp, while to Kosogol by the shortest line +not less than two hundred seventy-five. The horses my friend and I were +riding, after having traveled more than six hundred miles over hard +roads and without proper food or rest, could scarcely make such an +additional distance. But, reflecting upon the situation and studying my +new fellow travelers, I determined not to attempt to pass the Tannu Ola. +They were nervous, morally weary men, badly dressed and armed and most +of them were without weapons. I knew that during a fight there is no +danger so great as that of disarmed men. They are easily caught +by panic, lose their heads and infect all the others. Therefore, I +consulted with my friends and decided to go to Kosogol. Our company +agreed to follow us. After luncheon, consisting of soup with big +lumps of meat, dry bread and tea, we moved out. About two o'clock the +mountains began to rise up before us. They were the northeast outspurs +of the Tannu Ola, behind which lay the Valley of Buret Hei. + + +CHAPTER XI + +THE BARRIER OF RED PARTISANS + + +In a valley between two sharp ridges we discovered a herd of yaks and +cattle being rapidly driven off to the north by ten mounted Soyots. +Approaching us warily they finally revealed that Noyon (Prince) of Todji +had ordered them to drive the herds along the Buret Hei into Mongolia, +apprehending the pillaging of the Red Partisans. They proceeded but +were informed by some Soyot hunters that this part of the Tannu Ola was +occupied by the Partisans from the village of Vladimirovka. Consequently +they were forced to return. We inquired from them the whereabouts of +these outposts and how many Partisans were holding the mountain pass +over into Mongolia. We sent out the Tartar and the Kalmuck for a +reconnaissance while all of us prepared for the further advance by +wrapping the feet of our horses in our shirts and by muzzling their +noses with straps and bits of rope so that they could not neigh. It +was dark when our investigators returned and reported to us that about +thirty Partisans had a camp some ten kilometers from us, occupying the +yurtas of the Soyots. At the pass were two outposts, one of two soldiers +and the other of three. From the outposts to the camp was a little over +a mile. Our trail lay between the two outposts. From the top of the +mountain one could plainly see the two posts and could shoot them all. +When we had come near to the top of this mountain, I left our party and, +taking with me my friend, the Tartar, the Kalmuck and two of the young +officers, advanced. From the mountain I saw about five hundred yards +ahead two fires. At each of the fires sat a soldier with his rifle and +the others slept. I did not want to fight with the Partisans but we +had to do away with these outposts and that without firing or we never +should get through the pass. I did not believe the Partisans could +afterwards track us because the whole trail was thickly marked with the +spoors of horses and cattle. + +"I shall take for my share these two," whispered my friend, pointing to +the left outpost. + +The rest of us were to take care of the second post. I crept along +through the bushes behind my friend in order to help him in case of +need; but I am bound to admit that I was not at all worried about him. +He was about seven feet tall and so strong that, when a horse used to +refuse sometimes to take the bit, he would wrap his arm around its neck, +kick its forefeet out from under it and throw it so that he could easily +bridle it on the ground. When only a hundred paces remained, I stood +behind the bushes and watched. I could see very distinctly the fire and +the dozing sentinel. He sat with his rifle on his knees. His companion, +asleep beside him, did not move. Their white felt boots were plainly +visible to me. For a long time I did not remark my friend. At the fire +all was quiet. Suddenly from the other outpost floated over a few dim +shouts and all was still. Our sentinel slowly raised his head. But just +at this moment the huge body of my friend rose up and blanketed the fire +from me and in a twinkling the feet of the sentinel flashed through the +air, as my companion had seized him by the throat and swung him +clear into the bushes, where both figures disappeared. In a second he +re-appeared, flourished the rifle of the Partisan over his head and I +heard the dull blow which was followed by an absolute calm. He came back +toward me and, confusedly smiling, said: + +"It is done. God and the Devil! When I was a boy, my mother wanted to +make a priest out of me. When I grew up, I became a trained agronome in +order . . . to strangle the people and smash their skulls. Revolution is +a very stupid thing!" + +And with anger and disgust he spit and began to smoke his pipe. + +At the other outpost also all was finished. During this night we reached +the top of the Tannu Ola and descended again into a valley covered +with dense bushes and twined with a whole network of small rivers and +streams. It was the headwaters of the Buret Hei. About one o'clock we +stopped and began to feed our horses, as the grass just there was +very good. Here we thought ourselves in safety. We saw many calming +indications. On the mountains were seen the grazing herds of reindeers +and yaks and approaching Soyots confirmed our supposition. Here behind +the Tannu Ola the Soyots had not seen the Red soldiers. We presented to +these Soyots a brick of tea and saw them depart happy and sure that we +were "Tzagan," a "good people." + +While our horses rested and grazed on the well-preserved grass, we sat +by the fire and deliberated upon our further progress. There developed +a sharp controversy between two sections of our company, one led by a +Colonel who with four officers were so impressed by the absence of Reds +south of the Tannu Ola that they determined to work westward to Kobdo +and then on to the camp on the Emil River where the Chinese authorities +had interned six thousand of the forces of General Bakitch, which had +come over into Mongolian territory. My friend and I with sixteen of the +officers chose to carry through our old plan to strike for the shores +of Lake Kosogol and thence out to the Far East. As neither side could +persuade the other to abandon its ideas, our company was divided and the +next day at noon we took leave of one another. It turned out that our +own wing of eighteen had many fights and difficulties on the way, which +cost us the lives of six of our comrades, but that the remainder of us +came through to the goal of our journey so closely knit by the ties of +devotion which fighting and struggling for our very lives entailed +that we have ever preserved for one another the warmest feelings of +friendship. The other group under Colonel Jukoff perished. He met a big +detachment of Red cavalry and was defeated by them in two fights. Only +two officers escaped. They related to me this sad news and the details +of the fights when we met four months later in Urga. + +Our band of eighteen riders with five packhorses moved up the valley +of the Buret Hei. We floundered in the swamps, passed innumerable miry +streams, were frozen by the cold winds and were soaked through by the +snow and sleet; but we persisted indefatigably toward the south end of +Kosogol. As a guide our Tartar led us confidently over these trails well +marked by the feet of many cattle being run out of Urianhai to Mongolia. + + +CHAPTER XII + +IN THE COUNTRY OF ETERNAL PEACE + + +The inhabitants of Urianhai, the Soyots, are proud of being the genuine +Buddhists and of retaining the pure doctrine of holy Rama and the deep +wisdom of Sakkia-Mouni. They are the eternal enemies of war and of the +shedding of blood. Away back in the thirteenth century they preferred to +move out from their native land and take refuge in the north rather than +fight or become a part of the empire of the bloody conqueror Jenghiz +Khan, who wanted to add to his forces these wonderful horsemen and +skilled archers. Three times in their history they have thus trekked +northward to avoid struggle and now no one can say that on the hands +of the Soyots there has ever been seen human blood. With their love of +peace they struggled against the evils of war. Even the severe Chinese +administrators could not apply here in this country of peace the +full measure of their implacable laws. In the same manner the Soyots +conducted themselves when the Russian people, mad with blood and crime, +brought this infection into their land. They avoided persistently +meetings and encounters with the Red troops and Partisans, trekking off +with their families and cattle southward into the distant principalities +of Kemchik and Soldjak. The eastern branch of this stream of emigration +passed through the valley of the Buret Hei, where we constantly +outstrode groups of them with their cattle and herds. + +We traveled quickly along the winding trail of the Buret Hei and in +two days began to make the elevations of the mountain pass between the +valleys of the Buret Hei and Kharga. The trail was not only very +steep but was also littered with fallen larch trees and frequently +intercepted, incredible as it may seem, with swampy places where the +horses mired badly. Then again we picked our dangerous road over cobbles +and small stones that rolled away under our horses' feet and bumped off +over the precipice nearby. Our horses fatigued easily in passing this +moraine that had been strewn by ancient glaciers along the mountain +sides. Sometimes the trail led right along the edge of the precipices +where the horses started great slides of stones and sand. I remember +one whole mountain covered with these moving sands. We had to leave our +saddles and, taking the bridles in our hands, to trot for a mile or more +over these sliding beds, sometimes sinking in up to our knees and +going down the mountain side with them toward the precipices below. One +imprudent move at times would have sent us over the brink. This destiny +met one of our horses. Belly down in the moving trap, he could not work +free to change his direction and so slipped on down with a mass of it +until he rolled over the precipice and was lost to us forever. We heard +only the crackling of breaking trees along his road to death. Then with +great difficulty we worked down to salvage the saddle and bags. Further +along we had to abandon one of our pack horses which had come all the +way from the northern border of Urianhai with us. We first unburdened +it but this did not help; no more did our shouting and threats. He only +stood with his head down and looked so exhausted that we realized he +had reached the further bourne of his land of toil. Some Soyots with us +examined him, felt of his muscles on the fore and hind legs, took his +head in their hands and moved it from side to side, examined his head +carefully after that and then said: + +"That horse will not go further. His brain is dried out." So we had to +leave him. + +That evening we came to a beautiful change in scene when we topped a +rise and found ourselves on a broad plateau covered with larch. On it we +discovered the yurtas of some Soyot hunters, covered with bark instead +of the usual felt. Out of these ten men with rifles rushed toward us as +we approached. They informed us that the Prince of Soldjak did not +allow anyone to pass this way, as he feared the coming of murderers and +robbers into his dominions. + +"Go back to the place from which you came," they advised us with fear in +their eyes. + +I did not answer but I stopped the beginnings of a quarrel between an +old Soyot and one of my officers. I pointed to the small stream in the +valley ahead of us and asked him its name. + +"Oyna," replied the Soyot. "It is the border of the principality and the +passage of it is forbidden." + +"All right," I said, "but you will allow us to warm and rest ourselves a +little." + +"Yes, yes!" exclaimed the hospitable Soyots, and led us into their +tepees. + +On our way there I took the opportunity to hand to the old Soyot a +cigarette and to another a box of matches. We were all walking along +together save one Soyot who limped slowly in the rear and was holding +his hand up over his nose. + +"Is he ill?" I asked. + +"Yes," sadly answered the old Soyot. "That is my son. He has been losing +blood from the nose for two days and is now quite weak." + +I stopped and called the young man to me. + +"Unbutton your outer coat," I ordered, "bare your neck and chest and +turn your face up as far as you can." I pressed the jugular vein on both +sides of his head for some minutes and said to him: + +"The blood will not flow from your nose any more. Go into your tepee and +lie down for some time." + +The "mysterious" action of my fingers created on the Soyots a strong +impression. The old Soyot with fear and reverence whispered: + +"Ta Lama, Ta Lama! (Great Doctor)." + +In the yurta we were given tea while the old Soyot sat thinking deeply +about something. Afterwards he took counsel with his companions and +finally announced: + +"The wife of our Prince is sick in her eyes and I think the Prince will +be very glad if I lead the 'Ta Lama' to him. He will not punish me, +for he ordered that no 'bad people' should be allowed to pass; but that +should not stop the 'good people' from coming to us. + +"Do as you think best," I replied rather indifferently. "As a matter of +fact, I know how to treat eye diseases but I would go back if you say +so." + +"No, no!" the old man exclaimed with fear. "I shall guide you myself." + +Sitting by the fire, he lighted his pipe with a flint, wiped +the mouthpiece on his sleeve and offered it to me in true native +hospitality. I was "comme il faut" and smoked. Afterwards he offered his +pipe to each one of our company and received from each a cigarette, a +little tobacco or some matches. It was the seal on our friendship. Soon +in our yurta many persons piled up around us, men, women, children and +dogs. It was impossible to move. From among them emerged a Lama with +shaved face and close cropped hair, dressed in the flowing red garment +of his caste. His clothes and his expression were very different from +the common mass of dirty Soyots with their queues and felt caps finished +off with squirrel tails on the top. The Lama was very kindly disposed +towards us but looked ever greedily at our gold rings and watches. I +decided to exploit this avidity of the Servant of Buddha. Supplying +him with tea and dried bread, I made known to him that I was in need of +horses. + +"I have a horse. Will you buy it from me?" he asked. "But I do not +accept Russian bank notes. Let us exchange something." + +For a long time I bargained with him and at last for my gold wedding +ring, a raincoat and a leather saddle bag I received a fine Soyot +horse--to replace one of the pack animals we had lost--and a young goat. +We spent the night here and were feasted with fat mutton. In the morning +we moved off under the guidance of the old Soyot along the trail that +followed the valley of the Oyna, free from both mountains and swamps. +But we knew that the mounts of my friend and myself, together with three +others, were too worn down to make Kosogol and determined to try to buy +others in Soldjak. Soon we began to meet little groups of Soyot yurtas +with their cattle and horses round about. Finally we approached the +shifting capital of the Prince. Our guide rode on ahead for the parley +with him after assuring us that the Prince would be glad to welcome the +Ta Lama, though at the time I remarked great anxiety and fear in his +features as he spoke. Before long we emerged on to a large plain well +covered with small bushes. Down by the shore of the river we made out +big yurtas with yellow and blue flags floating over them and easily +guessed that this was the seat of government. Soon our guide returned +to us. His face was wreathed with smiles. He flourished his hands and +cried: + +"Noyon (the Prince) asks you to come! He is very glad!" + +From a warrior I was forced to change myself into a diplomat. As we +approached the yurta of the Prince, we were met by two officials, +wearing the peaked Mongol caps with peacock feathers rampants behind. +With low obeisances they begged the foreign "Noyon" to enter the yurta. +My friend the Tartar and I entered. In the rich yurta draped with +expensive silk we discovered a feeble, wizen-faced little old man with +shaven face and cropped hair, wearing also a high pointed beaver cap +with red silk apex topped off with a dark red button with the long +peacock feathers streaming out behind. On his nose were big Chinese +spectacles. He was sitting on a low divan, nervously clicking the beads +of his rosary. This was Ta Lama, Prince of Soldjak and High Priest of +the Buddhist Temple. He welcomed us very cordially and invited us to +sit down before the fire burning in the copper brazier. His surprisingly +beautiful Princess served us with tea and Chinese confections and +cakes. We smoked our pipes, though the Prince as a Lama did not indulge, +fulfilling, however, his duty as a host by raising to his lips the pipes +we offered him and handing us in return the green nephrite bottle of +snuff. Thus with the etiquette accomplished we awaited the words of the +Prince. He inquired whether our travels had been felicitous and what +were our further plans. I talked with him quite frankly and requested +his hospitality for the rest of our company and for the horses. He +agreed immediately and ordered four yurtas set up for us. + +"I hear that the foreign Noyon," the Prince said, "is a good doctor." + +"Yes, I know some diseases and have with me some medicines," I answered, +"but I am not a doctor. I am a scientist in other branches." + +But the Prince did not understand this. In his simple directness a man +who knows how to treat disease is a doctor. + +"My wife has had constant trouble for two months with her eyes," he +announced. "Help her." + +I asked the Princess to show me her eyes and I found the typical +conjunctivitis from the continual smoke of the yurta and the general +uncleanliness. The Tartar brought me my medicine case. I washed her eyes +with boric acid and dropped a little cocaine and a feeble solution of +sulphurate of zinc into them. + +"I beg you to cure me," pleaded the Princess. "Do not go away until +you have cured me. We shall give you sheep, milk and flour for all +your company. I weep now very often because I had very nice eyes and my +husband used to tell me they shone like the stars and now they are red. +I cannot bear it, I cannot!" + +She very capriciously stamped her foot and, coquettishly smiling at me, +asked: + +"Do you want to cure me? Yes?" + +The character and manners of lovely woman are the same everywhere: on +bright Broadway, along the stately Thames, on the vivacious boulevards +of gay Paris and in the silk-draped yurta of the Soyot Princess behind +the larch covered Tannu Ola. + +"I shall certainly try," assuringly answered the new oculist. + +We spent here ten days, surrounded by the kindness and friendship of the +whole family of the Prince. The eyes of the Princess, which eight years +ago had seduced the already old Prince Lama, were now recovered. She was +beside herself with joy and seldom left her looking-glass. + +The Prince gave me five fairly good horses, ten sheep and a bag of +flour, which was immediately transformed into dry bread. My friend +presented him with a Romanoff five-hundred-rouble note with a picture +of Peter the Great upon it, while I gave to him a small nugget of gold +which I had picked up in the bed of a stream. The Prince ordered one of +the Soyots to guide us to the Kosogol. The whole family of the Prince +conducted us to the monastery ten kilometres from the "capital." We did +not visit the monastery but we stopped at the "Dugun," a Chinese trading +establishment. The Chinese merchants looked at us in a very hostile +manner though they simultaneously offered us all sorts of goods, +thinking especially to catch us with their round bottles (lanhon) of +maygolo or sweet brandy made from aniseed. As we had neither lump silver +nor Chinese dollars, we could only look with longing at these attractive +bottles, till the Prince came to the rescue and ordered the Chinese to +put five of them in our saddle bags. + + +CHAPTER XIII + +MYSTERIES, MIRACLES AND A NEW FIGHT + + +In the evening of the same day we arrived at the Sacred Lake of Teri +Noor, a sheet of water eight kilometres across, muddy and yellow, with +low unattractive shores studded with large holes. In the middle of the +lake lay what was left of a disappearing island. On this were a few +trees and some old ruins. Our guide explained to us that two centuries +ago the lake did not exist and that a very strong Chinese fortress +stood here on the plain. A Chinese chief in command of the fortress gave +offence to an old Lama who cursed the place and prophesied that it would +all be destroyed. The very next day the water began rushing up from the +ground, destroyed the fortress and engulfed all the Chinese soldiers. +Even to this day when storms rage over the lake the waters cast up on +the shores the bones of men and horses who perished in it. This Teri +Noor increases its size every year, approaching nearer and nearer to the +mountains. Skirting the eastern shore of the lake, we began to climb a +snow-capped ridge. The road was easy at first but the guide warned us +that the most difficult bit was there ahead. We reached this point two +days later and found there a steep mountain side thickly set with forest +and covered with snow. Beyond it lay the lines of eternal snow--ridges +studded with dark rocks set in great banks of the white mantle that +gleamed bright under the clear sunshine. These were the eastern and +highest branches of the Tannu Ola system. We spent the night beneath +this wood and began the passage of it in the morning. At noon the guide +began leading us by zigzags in and out but everywhere our trail was +blocked by deep ravines, great jams of fallen trees and walls of rock +caught in their mad tobogganings from the mountain top. We struggled for +several hours, wore out our horses and, all of a sudden, turned up at +the place where we had made our last halt. It was very evident our Soyot +had lost his way; and on his face I noticed marked fear. + +"The old devils of the cursed forest will not allow us to pass," he +whispered with trembling lips. "It is a very ominous sign. We must +return to Kharga to the Noyon." + +But I threatened him and he took the lead again evidently without hope +or effort to find the way. Fortunately, one of our party, an Urianhai +hunter, noticed the blazes on the trees, the signs of the road which our +guide had lost. Following these, we made our way through the wood, came +into and crossed a belt of burned larch timber and beyond this dipped +again into a small live forest bordering the bottom of the mountains +crowned with the eternal snows. It grew dark so that we had to camp for +the night. The wind rose high and carried in its grasp a great white +sheet of snow that shut us off from the horizon on every side and buried +our camp deep in its folds. Our horses stood round like white ghosts, +refusing to eat or to leave the circle round our fire. The wind combed +their manes and tails. Through the niches in the mountains it roared and +whistled. From somewhere in the distance came the low rumble of a pack +of wolves, punctuated at intervals by the sharp individual barking that +a favorable gust of wind threw up into high staccato. + +As we lay by the fire, the Soyot came over to me and said: "Noyon, come +with me to the obo. I want to show you something." + +We went there and began to ascend the mountain. At the bottom of a very +steep slope was laid up a large pile of stones and tree trunks, making +a cone of some three metres in height. These obo are the Lamaite sacred +signs set up at dangerous places, the altars to the bad demons, rulers +of these places. Passing Soyots and Mongols pay tribute to the spirits +by hanging on the branches of the trees in the obo hatyk, long streamers +of blue silk, shreds torn from the lining of their coats or simply tufts +of hair cut from their horses' manes; or by placing on the stones lumps +of meat or cups of tea and salt. + +"Look at it," said the Soyot. "The hatyks are torn off. The demons are +angry, they will not allow us to pass, Noyon. . . ." + +He caught my hand and with supplicating voice whispered: "Let us go +back, Noyon; let us! The demons do not wish us to pass their mountains. +For twenty years no one has dared to pass these mountains and all bold +men who have tried have perished here. The demons fell upon them with +snowstorm and cold. Look! It is beginning already. . . . Go back to our +Noyon, wait for the warmer days and then. . . ." + +I did not listen further to the Soyot but turned back to the fire, which +I could hardly see through the blinding snow. Fearing our guide might +run away, I ordered a sentry to be stationed for the night to watch him. +Later in the night I was awakened by the sentry, who said to me: "Maybe +I am mistaken, but I think I heard a rifle." + +What could I say to it? Maybe some stragglers like ourselves were giving +a sign of their whereabouts to their lost companions, or perhaps the +sentry had mistaken for a rifle shot the sound of some falling rock +or frozen ice and snow. Soon I fell asleep again and suddenly saw in a +dream a very clear vision. Out on the plain, blanketed deep with snow, +was moving a line of riders. They were our pack horses, our Kalmuck and +the funny pied horse with the Roman nose. I saw us descending from this +snowy plateau into a fold in the mountains. Here some larch trees +were growing, close to which gurgled a small, open brook. Afterwards I +noticed a fire burning among the trees and then woke up. + +It grew light. I shook up the others and asked them to prepare quickly +so as not to lose time in getting under way. The storm was raging. The +snow blinded us and blotted out all traces of the road. The cold also +became more intense. At last we were in the saddles. The Soyot went +ahead trying to make out the trail. As we worked higher the guide less +seldom lost the way. Frequently we fell into deep holes covered with +snow; we scrambled up over slippery rocks. At last the Soyot swung his +horse round and, coming up to me, announced very positively: "I do not +want to die with you and I will not go further." + +My first motion was the swing of my whip back over my head. I was so +close to the "Promised Land" of Mongolia that this Soyot, standing in +the way of fulfilment of my wishes, seemed to me my worst enemy. But I +lowered my flourishing hand. Into my head flashed a quite wild thought. + +"Listen," I said. "If you move your horses, you will receive a bullet in +the back and you will perish not at the top of the mountain but at the +bottom. And now I will tell you what will happen to us. When we shall +have reached these rocks above, the wind will have ceased and the +snowstorm will have subsided. The sun will shine as we cross the snowy +plain above and afterwards we shall descend into a small valley where +there are larches growing and a stream of open running water. There we +shall light our fires and spend the night." + +The Soyot began to tremble with fright. + +"Noyon has already passed these mountains of Darkhat Ola?" he asked in +amazement. + +"No," I answered, "but last night I had a vision and I know that we +shall fortunately win over this ridge." + +"I will guide you!" exclaimed the Soyot, and, whipping his horse, led +the way up the steep slope to the top of the ridge of eternal snows. + +As we were passing along the narrow edge of a precipice, the Soyot +stopped and attentively examined the trail. + +"Today many shod horses have passed here!" he cried through the roar +of the storm. "Yonder on the snow the lash of a whip has been dragged. +These are not Soyots." + +The solution of this enigma appeared instantly. A volley rang out. One +of my companions cried out, as he caught hold of his right shoulder; one +pack horse fell dead with a bullet behind his ear. We quickly tumbled +out of our saddles, lay down behind the rocks and began to study the +situation. We were separated from a parallel spur of the mountain by a +small valley about one thousand paces across. There we made out about +thirty riders already dismounted and firing at us. I had never allowed +any fighting to be done until the initiative had been taken by the +other side. Our enemy fell upon us unawares and I ordered my company to +answer. + +"Aim at the horses!" cried Colonel Ostrovsky. Then he ordered the Tartar +and Soyot to throw our own animals. We killed six of theirs and probably +wounded others, as they got out of control. Also our rifles took toll +of any bold man who showed his head from behind his rock. We heard the +angry shouting and maledictions of Red soldiers who shot up our position +more and more animatedly. + +Suddenly I saw our Soyot kick up three of the horses and spring into the +saddle of one with the others in leash behind. Behind him sprang up the +Tartar and the Kalmuck. I had already drawn my rifle on the Soyot but, +as soon as I saw the Tartar and Kalmuck on their lovely horses behind +him, I dropped my gun and knew all was well. The Reds let off a volley +at the trio but they made good their escape behind the rocks and +disappeared. The firing continued more and more lively and I did not +know what to do. From our side we shot rarely, saving our cartridges. +Watching carefully the enemy, I noticed two black points on the snow +high above the Reds. They slowly approached our antagonists and finally +were hidden from view behind some sharp hillocks. When they emerged from +these, they were right on the edge of some overhanging rocks at the foot +of which the Reds lay concealed from us. By this time I had no doubt +that these were the heads of two men. Suddenly these men rose up and +I watched them flourish and throw something that was followed by two +deafening roars which re-echoed across the mountain valley. Immediately +a third explosion was followed by wild shouts and disorderly firing +among the Reds. Some of the horses rolled down the slope into the snow +below and the soldiers, chased by our shots, made off as fast as they +could down into the valley out of which we had come. + +Afterward the Tartar told me the Soyot had proposed to guide them around +behind the Reds to fall upon their rear with the bombs. When I had bound +up the wounded shoulder of the officer and we had taken the pack off the +killed animal, we continued our journey. Our position was complicated. +We had no doubt that the Red detachment came up from Mongolia. +Therefore, were there Red troops in Mongolia? What was their strength? +Where might we meet them? Consequently, Mongolia was no more the +Promised Land? Very sad thoughts took possession of us. + +But Nature pleased us. The wind gradually fell. The storm ceased. The +sun more and more frequently broke through the scudding clouds. We were +traveling upon a high, snow-covered plateau, where in one place the wind +blew it clean and in another piled it high with drifts which caught our +horses and held them so that they could hardly extricate themselves at +times. We had to dismount and wade through the white piles up to our +waists and often a man or horse was down and had to be helped to his +feet. At last the descent began and at sunset we stopped in the small +larch grove, spent the night at the fire among the trees and drank the +tea boiled in the water carried from the open mountain brook. In various +places we came across the tracks of our recent antagonists. + +Everything, even Nature herself and the angry demons of Darkhat Ola, had +helped us: but we were not gay, because again before us lay the dread +uncertainty that threatened us with new and possibly destructive +dangers. + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE RIVER OF THE DEVIL + + +Ulan Taiga with Darkhat Ola lay behind us. We went forward very rapidly +because the Mongol plains began here, free from the impediments of +mountains. Everywhere splendid grazing lands stretched away. In places +there were groves of larch. We crossed some very rapid streams but they +were not deep and they had hard beds. After two days of travel over +the Darkhat plain we began meeting Soyots driving their cattle rapidly +toward the northwest into Orgarkha Ola. They communicated to us very +unpleasant news. + +The Bolsheviki from the Irkutsk district had crossed the Mongolian +border, captured the Russian colony at Khathyl on the southern shore +of Lake Kosogol and turned, off south toward Muren Kure, a Russian +settlement beside a big Lamaite monastery sixty miles south of Kosogol. +The Mongols told us there were no Russian troops between Khathyl and +Muren Kure, so we decided to pass between these two points to reach Van +Kure farther to the east. We took leave of our Soyot guide and, after +having sent three scouts in advance, moved forward. From the mountains +around the Kosogol we admired the splendid view of this broad Alpine +lake. It was set like a sapphire in the old gold of the surrounding +hills, chased with lovely bits of rich dark forestry. At night we +approached Khathyl with great precaution and stopped on the shore of the +river that flows from Kosogol, the Yaga or Egingol. We found a Mongol +who agreed to transport us to the other bank of the frozen stream and to +lead us by a safe road between Khathyl and Muren Kure. Everywhere along +the shore of the river were found large obo and small shrines to the +demons of the stream. + +"Why are there so many obo?" we asked the Mongol. + +"It is the River of the Devil, dangerous and crafty," replied the +Mongol. "Two days ago a train of carts went through the ice and three of +them with five soldiers were lost." + +We started to cross. The surface of the river resembled a thick piece +of looking-glass, being clear and without snow. Our horses walked very +carefully but some fell and floundered before they could regain their +feet. We were leading them by the bridle. With bowed heads and trembling +all over they kept their frightened eyes ever on the ice at their feet. +I looked down and understood their fear. Through the cover of one foot +of transparent ice one could clearly see the bottom of the river. Under +the lighting of the moon all the stones, the holes and even some of the +grasses were distinctly visible, even though the depth was ten metres +and more. The Yaga rushed under the ice with a furious speed, swirling +and marking its course with long bands of foam and bubbles. Suddenly I +jumped and stopped as though fastened to the spot. Along the surface of +the river ran the boom of a cannon, followed by a second and a third. + +"Quicker, quicker!" cried our Mongol, waving us forward with his hand. + +Another cannon boom and a crack ran right close to us. The horses +swung back on their haunches in protest, reared and fell, many of them +striking their heads severely on the ice. In a second it opened up two +feet wide, so that I could follow its jagged course along the surface. +Immediately up out of the opening the water spread over the ice with a +rush. + +"Hurry, hurry!" shouted the guide. + +With great difficulty we forced our horses to jump over this cleavage +and to continue on further. They trembled and disobeyed and only the +strong lash forced them to forget this panic of fear and go on. + +When we were safe on the farther bank and well into the woods, our +Mongol guide recounted to us how the river at times opens in this +mysterious way and leaves great areas of clear water. All the men and +animals on the river at such times must perish. The furious current of +cold water will always carry them down under the ice. At other times a +crack has been known to pass right under a horse and, where he fell in +with his front feet in the attempt to get back to the other side, the +crack has closed up and ground his legs or feet right off. + +The valley of Kosogol is the crater of an extinct volcano. Its outlines +may be followed from the high west shore of the lake. However, the +Plutonic force still acts and, asserting the glory of the Devil, forces +the Mongols to build obo and offer sacrifices at his shrines. We spent +all the night and all the next day hurrying away eastward to avoid a +meeting with the Reds and seeking good pasturage for our horses. At +about nine o'clock in the evening a fire shone out of the distance. My +friend and I made toward it with the feeling that it was surely a Mongol +yurta beside which we could camp in safety. We traveled over a mile +before making out distinctly the lines of a group of yurtas. But nobody +came out to meet us and, what astonished us more, we were not surrounded +by the angry black Mongolian dogs with fiery eyes. Still, from the +distance we had seen the fire and so there must be someone there. We +dismounted from our horses and approached on foot. From out of the yurta +rushed two Russian soldiers, one of whom shot at me with his pistol but +missed me and wounded my horse in the back through the saddle. I brought +him to earth with my Mauser and the other was killed by the butt end of +my friend's rifle. We examined the bodies and found in their pockets +the papers of soldiers of the Second Squadron of the Communist Interior +Defence. Here we spent the night. The owners of the yurtas had evidently +run away, for the Red soldiers had collected and packed in sacks the +property of the Mongols. Probably they were just planning to leave, as +they were fully dressed. We acquired two horses, which we found in the +bushes, two rifles and two automatic pistols with cartridges. In the +saddle bags we also found tea, tobacco, matches and cartridges--all of +these valuable supplies to help us keep further hold on our lives. + +Two days later we were approaching the shore of the River Uri when +we met two Russian riders, who were the Cossacks of a certain Ataman +Sutunin, acting against the Bolsheviki in the valley of the River +Selenga. They were riding to carry a message from Sutunin to +Kaigorodoff, chief of the Anti-Bolsheviki in the Altai region. They +informed us that along the whole Russian-Mongolian border the Bolshevik +troops were scattered; also that Communist agitators had penetrated to +Kiakhta, Ulankom and Kobdo and had persuaded the Chinese authorities +to surrender to the Soviet authorities all the refugees from Russia. +We knew that in the neighborhood of Urga and Van Kure engagements were +taking place between the Chinese troops and the detachments of the +Anti-Bolshevik Russian General Baron Ungern Sternberg and Colonel +Kazagrandi, who were fighting for the independence of Outer Mongolia. +Baron Ungern had now been twice defeated, so that the Chinese were +carrying on high-handed in Urga, suspecting all foreigners of having +relations with the Russian General. + +We realized that the whole situation was sharply reversed. The route to +the Pacific was closed. Reflecting very carefully over the problem, +I decided that we had but one possible exit left. We must avoid all +Mongolian cities with Chinese administration, cross Mongolia from north +to south, traverse the desert in the southern part of the Principality +of Jassaktu Khan, enter the Gobi in the western part of Inner Mongolia, +strike as rapidly as possible through sixty miles of Chinese territory +in the Province of Kansu and penetrate into Tibet. Here I hoped to +search out one of the English Consuls and with his help to reach some +English port in India. I understood thoroughly all the difficulties +incident to such an enterprise but I had no other choice. It only +remained to make this last foolish attempt or to perish without doubt +at the hands of the Boisheviki or languish in a Chinese prison. When I +announced my plan to my companions, without in any way hiding from them +all its dangers and quixotism, all of them answered very quickly and +shortly: "Lead us! We will follow." + +One circumstance was distinctly in our favor. We did not fear hunger, +for we had some supplies of tea, tobacco and matches and a surplus of +horses, saddles, rifles, overcoats and boots, which were an excellent +currency for exchange. So then we began to initiate the plan of the new +expedition. We should start to the south, leaving the town of Uliassutai +on our right and taking the direction of Zaganluk, then pass through the +waste lands of the district of Balir of Jassaktu Khan, cross the Naron +Khuhu Gobi and strike for the mountains of Boro. Here we should be able +to take a long rest to recuperate the strength of our horses and of +ourselves. The second section of our journey would be the passage +through the western part of Inner Mongolia, through the Little Gobi, +through the lands of the Torguts, over the Khara Mountains, across +Kansu, where our road must be chosen to the west of the Chinese town of +Suchow. From there we should have to enter the Dominion of Kuku Nor and +then work on southward to the head waters of the Yangtze River. Beyond +this I had but a hazy notion, which however I was able to verify from a +map of Asia in the possession of one of the officers, to the effect that +the mountain chains to the west of the sources of the Yangtze separated +that river system from the basin of the Brahmaputra in Tibet Proper, +where I expected to be able to find English assistance. + + +CHAPTER XV + +THE MARCH OF GHOSTS + + +In no other way can I describe the journey from the River Ero to the +border of Tibet. About eleven hundred miles through the snowy steppes, +over mountains and across deserts we traveled in forty-eight days. +We hid from the people as we journeyed, made short stops in the most +desolate places, fed for whole weeks on nothing but raw, frozen meat in +order to avoid attracting attention by the smoke of fires. Whenever we +needed to purchase a sheep or a steer for our supply department, we sent +out only two unarmed men who represented to the natives that they were +the workmen of some Russian colonists. We even feared to shoot, although +we met a great herd of antelopes numbering as many as five thousand +head. Behind Balir in the lands of the Lama Jassaktu Khan, who had +inherited his throne as a result of the poisoning of his brother at Urga +by order of the Living Buddha, we met wandering Russian Tartars who had +driven their herds all the way from Altai and Abakan. They welcomed us +very cordially, gave us oxen and thirty-six bricks of tea. Also they +saved us from inevitable destruction, for they told us that at this +season it was utterly impossible for horses to make the trip across the +Gobi, where there was no grass at all. We must buy camels by exchanging +for them our horses and some other of our bartering supplies. One of the +Tartars the next day brought to their camp a rich Mongol with whom he +drove the bargain for this trade. He gave us nineteen camels and took +all our horses, one rifle, one pistol and the best Cossack saddle. He +advised us by all means to visit the sacred Monastery of Narabanchi, the +last Lamaite monastery on the road from Mongolia to Tibet. He told us +that the Holy Hutuktu, "the Incarnate Buddha," would be greatly offended +if we did not visit the monastery and his famous "Shrine of Blessings," +where all travelers going to Tibet always offered prayers. Our Kalmuck +Lamaite supported the Mongol in this. I decided to go there with the +Kalmuck. The Tartars gave me some big silk hatyk as presents and loaned +us four splendid horses. Although the monastery was fifty-five miles +distant, by nine o'clock in the evening I entered the yurta of this holy +Hutuktu. + +He was a middle-aged, clean shaven, spare little man, laboring under the +name of Jelyb Djamsrap Hutuktu. He received us very cordially and was +greatly pleased with the presentation of the hatyk and with my +knowledge of the Mongol etiquette in which my Tartar had been long and +persistently instructing me. He listened to me most attentively and gave +valuable advice about the road, presenting me then with a ring which has +since opened for me the doors of all Lamaite monasteries. The name of +this Hutuktu is highly esteemed not only in all Mongolia but in Tibet +and in the Lamaite world of China. We spent the night in his splendid +yurta and on the following morning visited the shrines where they were +conducting very solemn services with the music of gongs, tom-toms and +whistling. The Lamas with their deep voices were intoning the prayers +while the lesser priests answered with their antiphonies. The sacred +phrase: "Om! Mani padme Hung!" was endlessly repeated. + +The Hutuktu wished us success, presented us with a large yellow hatyk +and accompanied us to the monastery gate. When we were in our saddles he +said: + +"Remember that you are always welcome guests here. Life is very +complicated and anything may happen. Perhaps you will be forced in +future to re-visit distant Mongolia and then do not miss Narabanchi +Kure." + +That night we returned to the Tartars and the next day continued our +journey. As I was very tired, the slow, easy motion of the camel was +welcome and restful to me. All the day I dozed off at intervals to +sleep. It turned out to be very disastrous for me; for, when my camel +was going up the steep bank of a river, in one of my naps I fell off +and hit my head on a stone, lost consciousness and woke up to find +my overcoat covered with blood. My friends surrounded me with their +frightened faces. They bandaged my head and we started off again. I only +learned long afterwards from a doctor who examined me that I had cracked +my skull as the price of my siesta. + +We crossed the eastern ranges of the Altai and the Karlik Tag, which are +the most oriental sentinels the great Tian Shan system throws out into +the regions of the Gobi; and then traversed from the north to the south +the entire width of the Khuhu Gobi. Intense cold ruled all this time and +fortunately the frozen sands gave us better speed. Before passing the +Khara range, we exchanged our rocking-chair steeds for horses, a deal in +which the Torguts skinned us badly like the true "old clothes men" they +are. + +Skirting around these mountains we entered Kansu. It was a dangerous +move, for the Chinese were arresting all refugees and I feared for my +Russian fellow-travelers. During the days we hid in the ravines, the +forests and bushes, making forced marches at night. Four days we thus +used in this passage of Kansu. The few Chinese peasants we did encounter +were peaceful appearing and most hospitable. A marked sympathetic +interest surrounded the Kalmuck, who could speak a bit of Chinese, +and my box of medicines. Everywhere we found many ill people, chiefly +afflicted with eye troubles, rheumatism and skin diseases. + +As we were approaching Nan Shan, the northeast branch of the Altyn Tag +(which is in turn the east branch of the Pamir and Karakhorum system), +we overhauled a large caravan of Chinese merchants going to Tibet +and joined them. For three days we were winding through the endless +ravine-like valleys of these mountains and ascending the high passes. +But we noticed that the Chinese knew how to pick the easiest routes +for caravans over all these difficult places. In a state of +semi-consciousness I made this whole journey toward the large group of +swampy lakes, feeding the Koko Nor and a whole network of large rivers. +From fatigue and constant nervous strain, probably helped by the blow +on my head, I began suffering from sharp attacks of chills and fever, +burning up at times and then chattering so with my teeth that I +frightened my horse who several times threw me from the saddle. I raved, +cried out at times and even wept. I called my family and instructed them +how they must come to me. I remember as though through a dream how I was +taken from the horse by my companions, laid on the ground, supplied with +Chinese brandy and, when I recovered a little, how they said to me: + +"The Chinese merchants are heading for the west and we must travel +south." + +"No! To the north," I replied very sharply. + +"But no, to the south," my companions assured me. + +"God and the Devil!" I angrily ejaculated, "we have just swum the Little +Yenisei and Algyak is to the north!" + +"We are in Tibet," remonstrated my companions. "We must reach the +Brahmaputra." + +Brahmaputra. . . . Brahmaputra. . . . This word revolved in my fiery +brain, made a terrible noise and commotion. Suddenly I remembered +everything and opened my eyes. I hardly moved my lips and soon I +again lost consciousness. My companions brought me to the monastery of +Sharkhe, where the Lama doctor quickly brought me round with a solution +of fatil or Chinese ginseng. In discussing our plans he expressed grave +doubt as to whether we would get through Tibet but he did not wish to +explain to me the reason for his doubts. + + +CHAPTER XVI + +IN MYSTERIOUS TIBET + + +A fairly broad road led out from Sharkhe through the mountains and on +the fifth day of our two weeks' march to the south from the monastery +we emerged into the great bowl of the mountains in whose center lay the +large lake of Koko Nor. If Finland deserves the ordinary title of the +"Land of Ten Thousand Lakes," the dominion of Koko Nor may certainly +with justice be called the "Country of a Million Lakes." We skirted +this lake on the west between it and Doulan Kitt, zigzagging between the +numerous swamps, lakes and small rivers, deep and miry. The water was +not here covered with ice and only on the tops of the mountains did we +feel the cold winds sharply. We rarely met the natives of the country +and only with greatest difficulty did our Kalmuck learn the course of +the road from the occasional shepherds we passed. From the eastern shore +of the Lake of Tassoun we worked round to a monastery on the further +side, where we stopped for a short rest. Besides ourselves there was +also another group of guests in the holy place. These were Tibetans. +Their behavior was very impertinent and they refused to speak with us. +They were all armed, chiefly with the Russian military rifles and were +draped with crossed bandoliers of cartridges with two or three pistols +stowed beneath belts with more cartridges sticking out. They examined +us very sharply and we readily realized that they were estimating our +martial strength. After they had left on that same day I ordered our +Kalmuck to inquire from the High Priest of the temple exactly who they +were. For a long time the monk gave evasive answers but when I showed +him the ring of Hutuktu Narabanchi and presented him with a large yellow +hatyk, he became more communicative. + +"Those are bad people," he explained. "Have a care of them." + +However, he was not willing to give their names, explaining his refusal +by citing the Law of Buddhist lands against pronouncing the name of +one's father, teacher or chief. Afterwards I found out that in North +Tibet there exists the same custom as in North China. Here and there +bands of hunghutze wander about. They appear at the headquarters of the +leading trading firms and at the monasteries, claim tribute and after +their collections become the protectors of the district. Probably this +Tibetan monastery had in this band just such protectors. + +When we continued our trip, we frequently noticed single horsemen far +away or on the horizon, apparently studying our movements with care. All +our attempts to approach them and enter into conversation with them were +entirely unsuccessful. On their speedy little horses they disappeared +like shadows. As we reached the steep and difficult Pass on the Hamshan +and were preparing to spend the night there, suddenly far up on a ridge +above us appeared about forty horsemen with entirely white mounts and +without formal introduction or warning spattered us with a hail of +bullets. Two of our officers fell with a cry. One had been instantly +killed while the other lived some few minutes. I did not allow my men +to shoot but instead I raised a white flag and started forward with +the Kalmuck for a parley. At first they fired two shots at us but then +ceased firing and sent down a group of riders from the ridge toward +us. We began the parley. The Tibetans explained that Hamshan is a holy +mountain and that here one must not spend the night, advising us to +proceed farther where we could consider ourselves in safety. They +inquired from us whence we came and whither we were going, stated in +answer to our information about the purpose of our journey that they +knew the Bolsheviki and considered them the liberators of the people of +Asia from the yoke of the white race. I certainly did not want to begin +a political quarrel with them and so turned back to our companions. +Riding down the slope toward our camp, I waited momentarily for a shot +in the back but the Tibetan hunghutze did not shoot. + +We moved forward, leaving among the stones the bodies of two of our +companions as sad tribute to the difficulties and dangers of our +journey. We rode all night, with our exhausted horses constantly +stopping and some lying down under us, but we forced them ever onward. +At last, when the sun was at its zenith, we finally halted. Without +unsaddling our horses, we gave them an opportunity to lie down for a +little rest. Before us lay a broad, swampy plain, where was evidently +the sources of the river Ma-chu. Not far beyond lay the Lake of Aroung +Nor. We made our fire of cattle dung and began boiling water for our +tea. Again without any warning the bullets came raining in from all +sides. Immediately we took cover behind convenient rocks and waited +developments. The firing became faster and closer, the raiders appeared +on the whole circle round us and the bullets came ever in increasing +numbers. We had fallen into a trap and had no hope but to perish. We +realized this clearly. I tried anew to begin the parley; but when I +stood up with my white flag, the answer was only a thicker rain of +bullets and unfortunately one of these, ricocheting off a rock, struck +me in the left leg and lodged there. At the same moment another one of +our company was killed. We had no other choice and were forced to begin +fighting. The struggle continued for about two hours. Besides myself +three others received slight wounds. We resisted as long as we could. +The hunghutze approached and our situation became desperate. + +"There's no choice," said one of my associates, a very expert Colonel. +"We must mount and ride for it . . . anywhere." + +"Anywhere. . . ." It was a terrible word! We consulted for but an +instant. It was apparent that with this band of cut-throats behind us +the farther we went into Tibet, the less chance we had of saving our +lives. + +We decided to return to Mongolia. But how? That we did not know. And +thus we began our retreat. Firing all the time, we trotted our horses +as fast as we could toward the north. One after another three of my +companions fell. There lay my Tartar with a bullet through his neck. +After him two young and fine stalwart officers were carried from their +saddles with cries of death, while their scared horses broke out across +the plain in wild fear, perfect pictures of our distraught selves. This +emboldened the Tibetans, who became more and more audacious. A bullet +struck the buckle on the ankle strap of my right foot and carried it, +with a piece of leather and cloth, into my leg just above the ankle. +My old and much tried friend, the agronome, cried out as he grasped his +shoulder and then I saw him wiping and bandaging as best as he could his +bleeding forehead. A second afterward our Kalmuck was hit twice right +through the palm of the same hand, so that it was entirely shattered. +Just at this moment fifteen of the hunghutze rushed against us in a +charge. + +"Shoot at them with volley fire!" commanded our Colonel. + +Six robber bodies lay on the turf, while two others of the gang were +unhorsed and ran scampering as fast as they could after their retreating +fellows. Several minutes later the fire of our antagonists ceased and +they raised a white flag. Two riders came forward toward us. In the +parley it developed that their chief had been wounded through the chest +and they came to ask us to "render first aid." At once I saw a ray +of hope. I took my box of medicines and my groaning, cursing, wounded +Kalmuck to interpret for me. + +"Give that devil some cyanide of potassium," urged my companions. + +But I devised another scheme. + +We were led to the wounded chief. There he lay on the saddle cloths +among the rocks, represented to us to be a Tibetan but I at once +recognized him from his cast of countenance to be a Sart or Turcoman, +probably from the southern part of Turkestan. He looked at me with +a begging and frightened gaze. Examining him, I found the bullet had +passed through his chest from left to right, that he had lost much blood +and was very weak. Conscientiously I did all that I could for him. In +the first place I tried on my own tongue all the medicines to be used on +him, even the iodoform, in order to demonstrate that there was no +poison among them. I cauterized the wound with iodine, sprinkled it with +iodoform and applied the bandages. I ordered that the wounded man be not +touched nor moved and that he be left right where he lay. Then I taught +a Tibetan how the dressing must be changed and left with him medicated +cotton, bandages and a little iodoform. To the patient, in whom the +fever was already developing, I gave a big dose of aspirin and left +several tablets of quinine with them. Afterwards, addressing myself to +the bystanders through my Kalmuck, I said very solemnly: + +"The wound is very dangerous but I gave to your Chief very strong +medicine and hope that he will recover. One condition, however, +is necessary: the bad demons which have rushed to his side for his +unwarranted attack upon us innocent travelers will instantly kill him, +if another shot is let off against us. You must not even keep a single +cartridge in your rifles." + +With these words I ordered the Kalmuck to empty his rifle and I, at +the same time, took all the cartridges out of my Mauser. The Tibetans +instantly and very servilely followed my example. + +"Remember that I told you: 'Eleven days and eleven nights do not move +from this place and do not charge your rifles.' Otherwise the demon of +death will snatch off your Chief and will pursue you!"--and with these +words I solemnly drew forth and raised above their heads the ring of +Hutuktu Narabanchi. + +I returned to my companions and calmed them. I told them we were safe +against further attack from the robbers and that we must only guess the +way to reach Mongolia. Our horses were so exhausted and thin that on +their bones we could have hung our overcoats. We spent two days here, +during which time I frequently visited my patient. It also gave us +opportunity to bandage our own fortunately light wounds and to secure +a little rest; though unfortunately I had nothing but a jackknife +with which to dig the bullet out of my left calf and the shoemaker's +accessories from my right ankle. Inquiring from the brigands about the +caravan roads, we soon made our way out to one of the main routes and +had the good fortune to meet there the caravan of the young Mongol +Prince Pounzig, who was on a holy mission carrying a message from +the Living Buddha in Urga to the Dalai Lama in Lhasa. He helped us to +purchase horses, camels and food. + +With all our arms and supplies spent in barter during the journey for +the purchase of transport and food, we returned stripped and broken to +the Narabanchi Monastery, where we were welcomed by the Hutuktu. + +"I knew you would come back," said he. "The divinations revealed it all +to me." + +With six of our little band left behind us in Tibet to pay the eternal +toll of our dash for the south we returned but twelve to the Monastery +and waited there two weeks to re-adjust ourselves and learn how events +would again set us afloat on this turbulent sea to steer for any port +that Destiny might indicate. The officers enlisted in the detachment +which was then being formed in Mongolia to fight against the destroyers +of their native land, the Bolsheviki. My original companion and I +prepared to continue our journey over Mongolian plains with whatever +further adventures and dangers might come in the struggle to escape to a +place of safety. + +And now, with the scenes of that trying march so vividly recalled, I +would dedicate these chapters to my gigantic, old and ruggedly tried +friend, the agronome, to my Russian fellow-travelers, and especially, to +the sacred memory of those of our companions whose bodies lie cradled +in the sleep among the mountains of Tibet--Colonel Ostrovsky, Captains +Zuboff and Turoff, Lieutenant Pisarjevsky, Cossack Vernigora and +Tartar Mahomed Spirin. Also here I express my deep thanks for help and +friendship to the Prince of Soldjak, Hereditary Noyon Ta Lama and to +the Kampo Gelong of Narabanchi Monastery, the honorable Jelyb Djamsrap +Hutuktu. + + + + +Part II + +THE LAND OF DEMONS + + +CHAPTER XVII + +MYSTERIOUS MONGOLIA + + +In the heart of Asia lies the enormous, mysterious and rich country of +Mongolia. From somewhere on the snowy slopes of the Tian Shan and from +the hot sands of Western Zungaria to the timbered ridges of the Sayan +and to the Great Wall of China it stretches over a huge portion of +Central Asia. The cradle of peoples, histories and legends; the native +land of bloody conquerors, who have left here their capitals covered +by the sand of the Gobi, their mysterious rings and their ancient nomad +laws; the states of monks and evil devils, the country of wandering +tribes administered by the descendants of Jenghiz Khan and Kublai +Khan--Khans and Princes of the Junior lines: that is Mongolia. + +Mysterious country of the cults of Rama, Sakkia-Mouni, Djonkapa and +Paspa, cults guarded by the very person of the living Buddha--Buddha +incarnated in the third dignitary of the Lamaite religion--Bogdo Gheghen +in Ta Kure or Urga; the land of mysterious doctors, prophets, sorcerers, +fortune-tellers and witches; the land of the sign of the swastika; the +land which has not forgotten the thoughts of the long deceased great +potentates of Asia and of half of Europe: that is Mongolia. + +The land of nude mountains, of plains burned by the sun and killed by +the cold, of ill cattle and ill people; the nest of pests, anthrax +and smallpox; the land of boiling hot springs and of mountain passes +inhabited by demons; of sacred lakes swarming with fish; of wolves, rare +species of deer and mountain goats, marmots in millions, wild horses, +wild donkeys and wild camels that have never known the bridle, ferocious +dogs and rapacious birds of prey which devour the dead bodies cast out +on the plains by the people: that is Mongolia. + +The land whose disappearing primitive people gaze upon the bones of +their forefathers whitening in the sands and dust of their plains; where +are dying out the people who formerly conquered China, Siam, Northern +India and Russia and broke their chests against the iron lances of +the Polish knights, defending then all the Christian world against the +invasion of wild and wandering Asia: that is Mongolia. + +The land swelling with natural riches, producing nothing, in need of +everything, destitute and suffering from the world's cataclysm: that is +Mongolia. + +In this land, by order of Fate, after my unsuccessful attempt to reach +the Indian Ocean through Tibet, I spent half a year in the struggle to +live and to escape. My old and faithful friend and I were compelled, +willy-nilly, to participate in the exceedingly important and dangerous +events transpiring in Mongolia in the year of grace 1921. Thanks to +this, I came to know the calm, good and honest Mongolian people; I +read their souls, saw their sufferings and hopes; I witnessed the whole +horror of their oppression and fear before the face of Mystery, there +where Mystery pervades all life. I watched the rivers during the severe +cold break with a rumbling roar their chains of ice; saw lakes cast up +on their shores the bones of human beings; heard unknown wild voices +in the mountain ravines; made out the fires over miry swamps of the +will-o'-the-wisps; witnessed burning lakes; gazed upward to mountains +whose peaks could not be scaled; came across great balls of writhing +snakes in the ditches in winter; met with streams which are eternally +frozen, rocks like petrified caravans of camels, horsemen and carts; and +over all saw the barren mountains whose folds looked like the mantle of +Satan, which the glow of the evening sun drenched with blood. + +"Look up there!" cried an old shepherd, pointing to the slope of the +cursed Zagastai. "That is no mountain. It is HE who lies in his red +mantle and awaits the day when he will rise again to begin the fight +with the good spirits." + +And as he spoke I recalled the mystic picture of the noted painter +Vroubel. The same nude mountains with the violet and purple robes of +Satan, whose face is half covered by an approaching grey cloud. Mongolia +is a terrible land of mystery and demons. Therefore it is no wonder that +here every violation of the ancient order of life of the wandering nomad +tribes is transformed into streams of red blood and horror, ministering +to the demonic pleasure of Satan couched on the bare mountains and robed +in the grey cloak of dejection and sadness, or in the purple mantle of +war and vengeance. + +After returning from the district of Koko Nor to Mongolia and resting a +few days at the Narabanchi Monastery, we went to live in Uliassutai, the +capital of Western Outer Mongolia. It is the last purely Mongolian town +to the west. In Mongolia there are but three purely Mongolian towns, +Urga, Uliassutai and Ulankom. The fourth town, Kobdo, has an essentially +Chinese character, being the center of Chinese administration in this +district inhabited by the wandering tribes only nominally recognizing +the influence of either Peking or Urga. In Uliassutai and Ulankom, +besides the unlawful Chinese commissioners and troops, there were +stationed Mongolian governors or "Saits," appointed by the decree of the +Living Buddha. + +When we arrived in that town, we were at once in the sea of political +passions. The Mongols were protesting in great agitation against the +Chinese policy in their country; the Chinese raged and demanded from the +Mongolians the payment of taxes for the full period since the autonomy +of Mongolia had been forcibly extracted from Peking; Russian colonists +who had years before settled near the town and in the vicinity of the +great monasteries or among the wandering tribes had separated into +factions and were fighting against one another; from Urga came the +news of the struggle for the maintenance of the independence of Outer +Mongolia, led by the Russian General, Baron Ungern von Sternberg; +Russian officers and refugees congregated in detachments, against which +the Chinese authorities protested but which the Mongols welcomed; the +Bolsheviki, worried by the formation of White detachments in Mongolia, +sent their troops to the borders of Mongolia; from Irkutsk and Chita +to Uliassutai and Urga envoys were running from the Bolsheviki to the +Chinese commissioners with various proposals of all kinds; the Chinese +authorities in Mongolia were gradually entering into secret relations +with the Bolsheviki and in Kiakhta and Ulankom delivered to them the +Russian refugees, thus violating recognized international law; in +Urga the Bolsheviki set up a Russian communistic municipality; Russian +Consuls were inactive; Red troops in the region of Kosogol and the +valley of the Selenga had encounters with Anti-Bolshevik officers; the +Chinese authorities established garrisons in the Mongolian towns +and sent punitive expeditions into the country; and, to complete the +confusion, the Chinese troops carried out house-to-house searches, +during which they plundered and stole. + +Into what an atmosphere we had fallen after our hard and dangerous trip +along the Yenisei, through Urianhai, Mongolia, the lands of the Turguts, +Kansu and Koko Nor! + +"Do you know," said my old friend to me, "I prefer strangling Partisans +and fighting with the hunghutze to listening to news and more anxious +news!" + +He was right; for the worst of it was that in this bustle and whirl of +facts, rumours and gossip the Reds could approach troubled Uliassutai +and take everyone with their bare hands. We should very willingly have +left this town of uncertainties but we had no place to go. In the north +were the hostile Partisans and Red troops; to the south we had already +lost our companions and not a little of our own blood; to the west raged +the Chinese administrators and detachments; and to the east a war had +broken out, the news of which, in spite of the attempts of the Chinese +authorities at secrecy, had filtered through and had testified to +the seriousness of the situation in this part of Outer Mongolia. +Consequently we had no choice but to remain in Uliassutai. Here also +were living several Polish soldiers who had escaped from the prison +camps in Russia, two Polish families and two American firms, all in +the same plight as ourselves. We joined together and made our own +intelligence department, very carefully watching the evolution of +events. We succeeded in forming good connections with the Chinese +commissioner and with the Mongolian Sait, which greatly helped us in our +orientation. + +What was behind all these events in Mongolia? The very clever Mongol +Sait of Uliassutai gave me the following explanation. + +"According to the agreements between Mongolia, China and Russia of +October 21, 1912, of October 23, 1913, and of June 7, 1915, Outer +Mongolia was accorded independence and the Moral Head of our 'Yellow +Faith,' His Holiness the Living Buddha, became the Suzerain of the +Mongolian people of Khalkha or Outer Mongolia with the title of 'Bogdo +Djebtsung Damba Hutuktu Khan.' While Russia was still strong and +carefully watched her policy in Asia, the Government of Peking kept the +treaty; but, when, at the beginning of the war with Germany, Russia was +compelled to withdraw her troops from Siberia, Peking began to claim the +return of its lost rights in Mongolia. It was because of this that the +first two treaties of 1912 and 1913 were supplemented by the convention +of 1915. However, in 1916, when all the forces of Russia were +pre-occupied in the unsuccessful war and afterwards when the first +Russian revolution broke out in February, 1917, overthrowing the +Romanoff Dynasty, the Chinese Government openly retook Mongolia. They +changed all the Mongolian ministers and Saits, replacing them with +individuals friendly to China; arrested many Mongolian autonomists and +sent them to prison in Peking; set up their administration in Urga and +other Mongol towns; actually removed His Holiness Bogdo Khan from the +affairs of administration; made him only a machine for signing Chinese +decrees; and at last introduced into Mongolia their troops. From that +moment there developed an energetic flow of Chinese merchants and +coolies into Mongolia. The Chinese began to demand the payment of taxes +and dues from 1912. The Mongolian population were rapidly stripped of +their wealth and now in the vicinities of our towns and monasteries you +can see whole settlements of beggar Mongols living in dugouts. All our +Mongol arsenals and treasuries were requisitioned. All monasteries +were forced to pay taxes; all Mongols working for the liberty of their +country were persecuted; through bribery with Chinese silver, orders and +titles the Chinese secured a following among the poorer Mongol Princes. +It is easy to understand how the governing class, His Holiness, Khans, +Princes, and high Lamas, as well as the ruined and oppressed people, +remembering that the Mongol rulers had once held Peking and China in +their hands and under their reign had given her the first place in +Asia, were definitely hostile to the Chinese administrators acting thus. +Insurrection was, however, impossible. We had no arms. All our leaders +were under surveillance and every movement by them toward an armed +resistance would have ended in the same prison at Peking where eighty +of our Nobles, Princes and Lamas died from hunger and torture after a +previous struggle for the liberty of Mongolia. Some abnormally strong +shock was necessary to drive the people into action. This was given by +the Chinese administrators, General Cheng Yi and General Chu Chi-hsiang. +They announced that His Holiness Bogdo Khan was under arrest in his +own palace, and they recalled to his attention the former decree of +the Peking Government--held by the Mongols to be unwarranted and +illegal--that His Holiness was the last Living Buddha. This was enough. +Immediately secret relations were made between the people and their +Living God, and plans were at once elaborated for the liberation of His +Holiness and for the struggle for liberty and freedom of our people. We +were helped by the great Prince of the Buriats, Djam Bolon, who began +parleys with General Ungern, then engaged in fighting the Bolsheviki +in Transbaikalia, and invited him to enter Mongolia and help in the war +against the Chinese. Then our struggle for liberty began." + +Thus the Sait of Uliassutai explained the situation to me. Afterwards +I heard that Baron Ungern, who had agreed to fight for the liberty +of Mongolia, directed that the mobilization of the Mongolians in the +northern districts be forwarded at once and promised to enter Mongolia +with his own small detachment, moving along the River Kerulen. +Afterwards he took up relations with the other Russian detachment of +Colonel Kazagrandi and, together with the mobilized Mongolian riders, +began the attack on Urga. Twice he was defeated but on the third of +February, 1921, he succeeded in capturing the town and replaced the +Living Buddha on the throne of the Khans. + +At the end of March, however, these events were still unknown in +Uliassutai. We knew neither of the fall of Urga nor of the destruction +of the Chinese army of nearly 15,000 in the battles of Maimachen on the +shore of the Tola and on the roads between Urga and Ude. The Chinese +carefully concealed the truth by preventing anybody from passing +westward from Urga. However, rumours existed and troubled all. The +atmosphere became more and more tense, while the relations between the +Chinese on the one side and the Mongolians and Russians on the other +became more and more strained. At this time the Chinese Commissioner +in Uliassutai was Wang Tsao-tsun and his advisor, Fu Hsiang, both very +young and inexperienced men. The Chinese authorities had dismissed the +Uliassutai Sait, the prominent Mongolian patriot, Prince Chultun +Beyle, and had appointed a Lama Prince friendly to China, the former +Vice-Minister of War in Urga. Oppression increased. The searching of +Russian officers' and colonists' houses and quarters commenced, open +relations with the Bolsheviki followed and arrest and beatings became +common. The Russian officers formed a secret detachment of sixty men +so that they could defend themselves. However, in this detachment +disagreements soon sprang up between Lieutenant-Colonel M. M. Michailoff +and some of his officers. It was evident that in the decisive moment the +detachment must separate into factions. + +We foreigners in council decided to make a thorough reconnaissance in +order to know whether there was danger of Red troops arriving. My old +companion and I agreed to do this scouting. Prince Chultun Beyle gave +us a very good guide--an old Mongol named Tzeren, who spoke and read +Russian perfectly. He was a very interesting personage, holding the +position of interpreter with the Mongolian authorities and sometimes +with the Chinese Commissioner. Shortly before he had been sent as +a special envoy to Peking with very important despatches and this +incomparable horseman had made the journey between Uliassutai and +Peking, that is 1,800 miles, in nine days, incredible as it may seem. He +prepared himself for the journey by binding all his abdomen and chest, +legs, arms and neck with strong cotton bandages to protect himself from +the wracks and strains of such a period in the saddle. In his cap he +bore three eagle feathers as a token that he had received orders to fly +like a bird. Armed with a special document called a tzara, which gave +him the right to receive at all post stations the best horses, one +to ride and one fully saddled to lead as a change, together with two +oulatchen or guards to accompany him and bring back the horses from the +next station or ourton, he made the distance of from fifteen to thirty +miles between stations at full gallop, stopping only long enough to have +the horses and guards changed before he was off again. Ahead of him rode +one oulatchen with the best horses to enable him to announce and prepare +in advance the complement of steeds at the next station. Each oulatchen +had three horses in all, so that he could swing from one that had given +out and release him to graze until his return to pick him up and lead or +ride him back home. At every third ourton, without leaving his saddle, +he received a cup of hot green tea with salt and continued his race +southward. After seventeen or eighteen hours of such riding he stopped +at the ourton for the night or what was left of it, devoured a leg of +boiled mutton and slept. Thus he ate once a day and five times a day had +tea; and so he traveled for nine days! + +With this servant we moved out one cold winter morning in the direction +of Kobdo, just over three hundred miles, because from there we had +received the disquieting rumours that the Red troops had entered +Ulankom and that the Chinese authorities had handed over to them all the +Europeans in the town. We crossed the River Dzaphin on the ice. It is a +terrible stream. Its bed is full of quicksands, which in summer suck +in numbers of camels, horses and men. We entered a long, winding valley +among the mountains covered with deep snow and here and there with +groves of the black wood of the larch. About halfway to Kobdo we came +across the yurta of a shepherd on the shore of the small Lake of Baga +Nor, where evening and a strong wind whirling gusts of snow in our faces +easily persuaded us to stop. By the yurta stood a splendid bay horse +with a saddle richly ornamerited with silver and coral. As we turned +in from the road, two Mongols left the yurta very hastily; one of them +jumped into the saddle and quickly disappeared in the plain behind the +snowy hillocks. We clearly made out the flashing folds of his yellow +robe under the great outer coat and saw his large knife sheathed in a +green leather scabbard and handled with horn and ivory. The other man +was the host of the yurta, the shepherd of a local prince, Novontziran. +He gave signs of great pleasure at seeing us and receiving us in his +yurta. + +"Who was the rider on the bay horse?" we asked. + +He dropped his eyes and was silent. + +"Tell us," we insisted. "If you do not wish to speak his name, it means +that you are dealing with a bad character." + +"No! No!" he remonstrated, flourishing his hands. "He is a good, great +man; but the law does not permit me to speak his name." + +We at once understood that the man was either the chief of the shepherd +or some high Lama. Consequently we did not further insist and began +making our sleeping arrangements. Our host set three legs of mutton to +boil for us, skillfully cutting out the bones with his heavy knife. We +chatted and learned that no one had seen Red troops around this region +but in Kobdo and in Ulankom the Chinese soldiers were oppressing the +population, and were beating to death with the bamboo Mongol men who +were defending their women against the ravages of these Chinese troops. +Some of the Mongols had retreated to the mountains to join detachments +under the command of Kaigordoff, an Altai Tartar officer who was +supplying them with weapons. + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +THE MYSTERIOUS LAMA AVENGER + + +We rested soundly in the yurta after the two days of travel which had +brought us one hundred seventy miles through the snow and sharp cold. +Round the evening meal of juicy mutton we were talking freely and +carelessly when suddenly we heard a low, hoarse voice: + +"Sayn--Good evening!" + +We turned around from the brazier to the door and saw a medium height, +very heavy set Mongol in deerskin overcoat and cap with side flaps and +the long, wide tying strings of the same material. Under his girdle +lay the same large knife in the green sheath which we had seen on the +departing horseman. + +"Amoursayn," we answered. + +He quickly untied his girdle and laid aside his overcoat. He stood +before us in a wonderful gown of silk, yellow as beaten gold and girt +with a brilliant blue sash. His cleanly shaven face, short hair, red +coral rosary on the left hand and his yellow garment proved clearly that +before us stood some high Lama Priest,--with a big Colt under his blue +sash! + +I turned to my host and Tzeren and read in their faces fear and +veneration. The stranger came over to the brazier and sat down. + +"Let's speak Russian," he said and took a bit of meat. + +The conversation began. The stranger began to find fault with the +Government of the Living Buddha in Urga. + +"There they liberate Mongolia, capture Urga, defeat the Chinese army and +here in the west they give us no news of it. We are without action here +while the Chinese kill our people and steal from them. I think that +Bogdo Khan might send us envoys. How is it the Chinese can send their +envoys from Urga and Kiakhta to Kobdo, asking for assistance, and the +Mongol Government cannot do it? Why?" + +"Will the Chinese send help to Urga?" I asked. + +Our guest laughed hoarsely and said: "I caught all the envoys, took away +their letters and then sent them back . . . into the ground." + +He laughed again and glanced around peculiarly with his blazing eyes. +Only then did I notice that his cheekbones and eyes had lines strange to +the Mongols of Central Asia. He looked more like a Tartar or a Kirghiz. +We were silent and smoked our pipes. + +"How soon will the detachment of Chahars leave Uliassutai?" he asked. + +We answered that we had not heard about them. Our guest explained +that from Inner Mongolia the Chinese authorities had sent out a strong +detachment, mobilized from among the most warlike tribe of Chahars, +which wander about the region just outside the Great Wall. Its chief was +a notorious hunghutze leader promoted by the Chinese Government to the +rank of captain on promising that he would bring under subjugation to +the Chinese authorities all the tribes of the districts of Kobdo and +Urianhai. When he learned whither we were going and for what purpose, +he said he could give us the most accurate news and relieve us from the +necessity of going farther. + +"Besides that, it is very dangerous," he said, "because Kobdo will be +massacred and burned. I know this positively." + +When he heard of our unsuccessful attempt to pass through Tibet, he +became attentive and very sympathetic in his bearing toward us and, with +evident feeling of regret, expressed himself strongly: + +"Only I could have helped you in this enterprise, but not the Narabanchi +Hutuktu. With my laissez-passer you could have gone anywhere in Tibet. I +am Tushegoun Lama." + +Tushegoun Lama! How many extraordinary tales I had heard about him. +He is a Russian Kalmuck, who because of his propaganda work for the +independence of the Kalmuck people made the acquaintance of many Russian +prisons under the Czar and, for the same cause, added to his list under +the Bolsheviki. He escaped to Mongolia and at once attained to great +influence among the Mongols. It was no wonder, for he was a close friend +and pupil of the Dalai Lama in Potala (Lhasa), was the most learned +among the Lamites, a famous thaumaturgist and doctor. He occupied an +almost independent position in his relationship with the Living Buddha +and achieved to the leadership of all the old wandering tribes of +Western Mongolia and Zungaria, even extending his political domination +over the Mongolian tribes of Turkestan. His influence was irresistible, +based as it was on his great control of mysterious science, as he +expressed it; but I was also told that it has its foundation largely +in the panicky fear which he could produce in the Mongols. Everyone who +disobeyed his orders perished. Such an one never knew the day or the +hour when, in his yurta or beside his galloping horse on the plains, the +strange and powerful friend of the Dalai Lama would appear. The stroke +of a knife, a bullet or strong fingers strangling the neck like a vise +accomplished the justice of the plans of this miracle worker. + +Without the walls of the yurta the wind whistled and roared and drove +the frozen snow sharply against the stretched felt. Through the roar of +the wind came the sound of many voices in mingled shouting, wailing +and laughter. I felt that in such surroundings it were not difficult to +dumbfound a wandering nomad with miracles, because Nature herself had +prepared the setting for it. This thought had scarcely time to flash +through my mind before Tushegoun Lama suddenly raised his head, looked +sharply at me and said: + +"There is very much unknown in Nature and the skill of using the unknown +produces the miracle; but the power is given to few. I want to prove it +to you and you may tell me afterwards whether you have seen it before or +not." + +He stood up, pushed back the sleeves of his yellow garment, seized his +knife and strode across to the shepherd. + +"Michik, stand up!" he ordered. + +When the shepherd had risen, the Lama quickly unbuttoned his coat +and bared the man's chest. I could not yet understand what was his +intention, when suddenly the Tushegoun with all his force struck his +knife into the chest of the shepherd. The Mongol fell all covered with +blood, a splash of which I noticed on the yellow silk of the Lama's +coat. + +"What have you done?" I exclaimed. + +"Sh! Be still," he whispered turning to me his now quite blanched face. + +With a few strokes of the knife he opened the chest of the Mongol and +I saw the man's lungs softly breathing and the distinct palpitations of +the heart. The Lama touched these organs with his fingers but no more +blood appeared to flow and the face of the shepherd was quite calm. +He was lying with his eyes closed and appeared to be in deep and quiet +sleep. As the Lama began to open his abdomen, I shut my eyes in fear and +horror; and, when I opened them a little while later, I was still more +dumbfounded at seeing the shepherd with his coat still open and his +breast normal, quietly sleeping on his side and Tushegoun Lama sitting +peacefully by the brazier, smoking his pipe and looking into the fire in +deep thought. + +"It is wonderful!" I confessed. "I have never seen anything like it!" + +"About what are you speaking?" asked the Kalmuck. + +"About your demonstration or 'miracle,' as you call it," I answered. + +"I never said anything like that," refuted the Kalmuck, with coldness in +his voice. + +"Did you see it?" I asked of my companion. + +"What?" he queried in a dozing voice. + +I realized that I had become the victim of the hypnotic power of +Tushegoun Lama; but I preferred this to seeing an innocent Mongolian +die, for I had not believed that Tushegoun Lama, after slashing open the +bodies of his victims, could repair them again so readily. + +The following day we took leave of our hosts. We decided to return, +inasmuch as our mission was accomplished; and Tushegoun Lama explained +to us that he would "move through space." He wandered over all Mongolia, +lived both in the single, simple yurta of the shepherd and hunter and in +the splendid tents of the princes and tribal chiefs, surrounded by deep +veneration and panic-fear, enticing and cementing to him rich and poor +alike with his miracles and prophecies. When bidding us adieu, the +Kalmuck sorcerer slyly smiled and said: + +"Do not give any information about me to the Chinese authorities." + +Afterwards he added: "What happened to you yesterday evening was +a futile demonstration. You Europeans will not recognize that we +dark-minded nomads possess the powers of mysterious science. If you +could only see the miracles and power of the Most Holy Tashi Lama, when +at his command the lamps and candles before the ancient statue of Buddha +light themselves and when the ikons of the gods begin to speak and +prophesy! But there exists a more powerful and more holy man. . ." + +"Is it the King of the World in Agharti?" I interrupted. + +He stared and glanced at me in amazement. + +"Have you heard about him?" he asked, as his brows knit in thought. + +After a few seconds he raised his narrow eyes and said: "Only one man +knows his holy name; only one man now living was ever in Agharti. That +is I. This is the reason why the Most Holy Dalai Lama has honored me and +why the Living Buddha in Urga fears me. But in vain, for I shall never +sit on the Holy Throne of the highest priest in Lhasa nor reach that +which has come down from Jenghiz Khan to the Head of our yellow Faith. I +am no monk. I am a warrior and avenger." + +He jumped smartly into the saddle, whipped his horse and whirled away, +flinging out as he left the common Mongolian phrase of adieu: "Sayn! +Sayn-bayna!" + +On the way back Tzeren related to us the hundreds of legends surrounding +Tushegoun Lama. One tale especially remained in my mind. It was in 1911 +or 1912 when the Mongols by armed force tried to attain their liberty in +a struggle with the Chinese. The general Chinese headquarters in Western +Mongolia was Kobdo, where they had about ten thousand soldiers under the +command of their best officers. The command to capture Kobdo was sent +to Hun Baldon, a simple shepherd who had distinguished himself in fights +with the Chinese and received from the Living Buddha the title of Prince +of Hun. Ferocious, absolutely without fear and possessing gigantic +strength, Baldon had several times led to the attack his poorly armed +Mongols but each time had been forced to retreat after losing many of +his men under the machine-gun fire. Unexpectedly Tushegoun Lama arrived. +He collected all the soldiers and then said to them: + +"You must not fear death and must not retreat. You are fighting and +dying for Mongolia, for which the gods have appointed a great destiny. +See what the fate of Mongolia will be!" + +He made a great sweeping gesture with his hand and all the soldiers saw +the country round about set with rich yurtas and pastures covered +with great herds of horses and cattle. On the plains appeared numerous +horsemen on richly saddled steeds. The women were gowned in the finest +of silk with massive silver rings in their ears and precious ornaments +in their elaborate head dresses. Chinese merchants led an endless +caravan of merchandise up to distinguished looking Mongol Saits, +surrounded by the gaily dressed tzirik or soldiers and proudly +negotiating with the merchants for their wares. + +Shortly the vision disappeared and Tushegoun began to speak. + +"Do not fear death! It is a release from our labor on earth and the path +to the state of constant blessings. Look to the East! Do you see your +brothers and friends who have fallen in battle?" + +"We see, we see!" the Mongol warriors exclaimed in astonishment, as they +all looked upon a great group of dwellings which might have been yurtas +or the arches of temples flushed with a warm and kindly light. Red and +yellow silk were interwoven in bright bands that covered the walls and +floor, everywhere the gilding on pillars and walls gleamed brightly; +on the great red altar burned the thin sacrificial candles in gold +candelabra, beside the massive silver vessels filled with milk and nuts; +on soft pillows about the floor sat the Mongols who had fallen in the +previous attack on Kobdo. Before them stood low, lacquered tables laden +with many dishes of steaming, succulent flesh of the lamb and the kid, +with high jugs of wine and tea, with plates of borsuk, a kind of sweet, +rich cakes, with aromatic zatouran covered with sheep's fat, with bricks +of dried cheese, with dates, raisins and nuts. These fallen soldiers +smoked golden pipes and chatted gaily. + +This vision in turn also disappeared and before the gazing Mongols stood +only the mysterious Kalmuck with his hand upraised. + +"To battle and return not without victory! I am with you in the fight." + +The attack began. The Mongols fought furiously, perished by the hundreds +but not before they had rushed into the heart of Kobdo. Then was +re-enacted the long forgotten picture of Tartar hordes destroying +European towns. Hun Baldon ordered carried over him a triangle of lances +with brilliant red streamers, a sign that he gave up the town to the +soldiers for three days. Murder and pillage began. All the Chinese met +their death there. The town was burned and the walls of the fortress +destroyed. Afterwards Hun Baldon came to Uliassutai and also destroyed +the Chinese fortress there. The ruins of it still stand with the broken +embattlements and towers, the useless gates and the remnants of the +burned official quarters and soldiers' barracks. + + +CHAPTER XIX + +WILD CHAHARS + + +After our return to Uliassutai we heard that disquieting news had been +received by the Mongol Sait from Muren Kure. The letter stated that Red +Troops were pressing Colonel Kazagrandi very hard in the region of Lake +Kosogol. The Sait feared the advance of the Red troops southward to +Uliassutai. Both the American firms liquidated their affairs and all +our friends were prepared for a quick exit, though they hesitated at +the thought of leaving the town, as they were afraid of meeting the +detachment of Chahars sent from the east. We decided to await the +arrival of this detachment, as their coming could change the whole +course of events. In a few days they came, two hundred warlike Chahar +brigands under the command of a former Chinese hunghutze. He was a tall, +skinny man with hands that reached almost to his knees, a face blackened +by wind and sun and mutilated with two long scars down over his forehead +and cheek, the making of one of which had also closed one of his +hawklike eyes, topped off with a shaggy coonskin cap--such was the +commander of the detachment of Chahars. A personage very dark and stern, +with whom a night meeting on a lonely street could not be considered a +pleasure by any bent of the imagination. + +The detachment made camp within the destroyed fortress, near to the +single Chinese building that had not been razed and which was now +serving as headquarters for the Chinese Commissioner. On the very day of +their arrival the Chahars pillaged a Chinese dugun or trading house not +half a mile from the fortress and also offended the wife of the Chinese +Commissioner by calling her a "traitor." The Chahars, like the Mongols, +were quite right in their stand, because the Chinese Commissioner Wang +Tsao-tsun had on his arrival in Uliassutai followed the Chinese custom +of demanding a Mongolian wife. The servile new Sait had given orders +that a beautiful and suitable Mongolian girl be found for him. One was +so run down and placed in his yamen, together with her big wrestling +Mongol brother who was to be a guard for the Commissioner but who +developed into the nurse for the little white Pekingese pug which the +official presented to his new wife. + +Burglaries, squabbles and drunken orgies of the Chahars followed, so +that Wang Tsoa-tsun exerted all his efforts to hurry the detachment +westward to Kobdo and farther into Urianhai. + +One cold morning the inhabitants of Uliassutai rose to witness a very +stern picture. Along the main street of the town the detachment was +passing. They were riding on small, shaggy ponies, three abreast; were +dressed in warm blue coats with sheepskin overcoats outside and crowned +with the regulation coonskin caps; armed from head to foot. They rode +with wild shouts and cheers, very greedily eyeing the Chinese shops and +the houses of the Russian colonists. At their head rode the one-eyed +hunghutze chief with three horsemen behind him in white overcoats, +who carried waving banners and blew what may have been meant for music +through great conch shells. One of the Chahars could not resist and so +jumped out of his saddle and made for a Chinese shop along the street. +Immediately the anxious cries of the Chinese merchants came from the +shop. The hunghutze swung round, noticed the horse at the door of the +shop and realized what was happening. Immediately he reined his horse +and made for the spot. With his raucous voice he called the Chahar out. +As he came, he struck him full in the face with his whip and with all +his strength. Blood flowed from the slashed cheek. But the Chahar was in +the saddle in a second without a murmur and galloped to his place in +the file. During this exit of the Chahars all the people were hidden +in their houses, anxiously peeping through cracks and corners of the +windows. But the Chahars passed peacefully out and only when they met a +caravan carrying Chinese wine about six miles from town did their +native tendency display itself again in pillaging and emptying several +containers. Somewhere in the vicinity of Hargana they were ambushed by +Tushegoun Lama and so treated that never again will the plains of Chahar +welcome the return of these warrior sons who were sent out to conquer +the Soyot descendants of the ancient Tuba. + +The day the column left Uliassutai a heavy snow fell, so that the road +became impassable. The horses first were up to their knees, tired out +and stopped. Some Mongol horsemen reached Uliassutai the following day +after great hardship and exertion, having made only twenty-five miles in +forty-eight hours. Caravans were compelled to stop along the routes. The +Mongols would not consent even to attempt journeys with oxen and yaks +which made but ten or twelve miles a day. Only camels could be used but +there were too few and their drivers did not feel that they could make +the first railway station of Kuku-Hoto, which was about fourteen hundred +miles away. We were forced again to wait: for which? Death or salvation? +Only our own energy and force could save us. Consequently my friend +and I started out, supplied with a tent, stove and food, for a new +reconnaissance along the shore of Lake Kosogol, whence the Mongol Sait +expected the new invasion of Red troops. + + +CHAPTER XX + +THE DEMON OF JAGISSTAI + + +Our small group consisting of four mounted and one pack camel moved +northward along the valley of the River Boyagol in the direction of the +Tarbagatai Mountains. The road was rocky and covered deep with snow. Our +camels walked very carefully, sniffing out the way as our guide shouted +the "Ok! Ok!" of the camel drivers to urge them on. We left behind us +the fortress and Chinese dugun, swung round the shoulder of a ridge +and, after fording several times an open stream, began the ascent of the +mountain. The scramble was hard and dangerous. Our camels picked their +way most cautiously, moving their ears constantly, as is their habit in +such stress. The trail zigzagged into mountain ravines, passed over the +tops of ridges, slipped back down again into shallower valleys but ever +made higher and higher altitudes. At one place under the grey clouds +that tipped the ridges we saw away up on the wide expanse of snow some +black spots. + +"Those are the obo, the sacred signs and altars for the bad demons +watching this pass," explained the guide. "This pass is called +Jagisstai. Many very old tales about it have been kept alive, ancient as +these mountains themselves." + +We encouraged him to tell us some of them. + +The Mongol, rocking on his camel and looking carefully all around him, +began his tale. + +"It was long ago, very long ago. . . . The grandson of the great Jenghiz +Khan sat on the throne of China and ruled all Asia. The Chinese killed +their Khan and wanted to exterminate all his family but a holy old Lama +slipped the wife and little son out of the palace and carried them off +on swift camels beyond the Great Wall, where they sank into our native +plains. The Chinese made a long search for the trails of our refugees +and at last found where they had gone. They despatched a strong +detachment on fleet horses to capture them. Sometimes the Chinese nearly +came up with the fleeing heir of our Khan but the Lama called down from +Heaven a deep snow, through which the camels could pass while the horses +were inextricably held. This Lama was from a distant monastery. We shall +pass this hospice of Jahantsi Kure. In order to reach it one must cross +over the Jagisstai. And it was just here the old Lama suddenly became +ill, rocked in his saddle and fell dead. Ta Sin Lo, the widow of the +Great Khan, burst into tears; but, seeing the Chinese riders galloping +there below across the valley, pressed on toward the pass. The camels +were tired, stopping every moment, nor did the woman know how to +stimulate and drive them on. The Chinese riders came nearer and nearer. +Already she heard their shouts of joy, as they felt within their grasp +the prize of the mandarins for the murder of the heir of the Great +Khan. The heads of the mother and the son would be brought to Peking and +exposed on the Ch'ien Men for the mockery and insults of the people. The +frightened mother lifted her little son toward heaven and exclaimed: + +"'Earth and Gods of Mongolia, behold the offspring of the man who has +glorified the name of the Mongols from one end of the world to the +other! Allow not this very flesh of Jenghiz Khan to perish!' + +"At this moment she noticed a white mouse sitting on a rock nearby. It +jumped to her knees and said: + +"'I am sent to help you. Go on calmly and do not fear. The pursuers of +you and your son, to whom is destined a life of glory, have come to the +last bourne of their lives.' + +"Ta Sin Lo did not see how one small mouse could hold in check three +hundred men. The mouse jumped back to the ground and again spoke: + +"'I am the demon of Tarbagatai, Jagasstai. I am mighty and beloved of +the Gods but, because you doubted the powers of the miracle-speaking +mouse, from this day the Jagasstai will be dangerous for the good and +bad alike.' + +"The Khan's widow and son were saved but Jagasstai has ever remained +merciless. During the journey over this pass one must always be on one's +guard. The demon of the mountain is ever ready to lead the traveler to +destruction." + +All the tops of the ridges of the Tarbagatai are thickly dotted with the +obo of rocks and branches. In one place there was even erected a tower +of stones as an altar to propitiate the Gods for the doubts of Ta Sin +Lo. Evidently the demon expected us. When we began our ascent of the +main ridge, he blew into our faces with a sharp, cold wind, whistled and +roared and afterwards began casting over us whole blocks of snow torn +off the drifts above. We could not distinguish anything around us, +scarcely seeing the camel immediately in front. Suddenly I felt a +shock and looked about me. Nothing unusual was visible. I was seated +comfortably between two leather saddle bags filled with meat and bread +but . . . I could not see the head of my camel. He had disappeared. It +seemed that he had slipped and fallen to the bottom of a shallow ravine, +while the bags which were slung across his back without straps had +caught on a rock and stopped with myself there in the snow. This time +the demon of Jagasstai only played a joke but one that did not satisfy +him. He began to show more and more anger. With furious gusts of wind he +almost dragged us and our bags from the camels and nearly knocked over +our humped steeds, blinded us with frozen snow and prevented us from +breathing. Through long hours we dragged slowly on in the deep snow, +often falling over the edge of the rocks. At last we entered a small +valley where the wind whistled and roared with a thousand voices. It +had grown dark. The Mongol wandered around searching for the trail and +finally came back to us, flourishing his arms and saying: + +"We have lost the road. We must spend the night here. It is very bad +because we shall have no wood for our stove and the cold will grow +worse." + +With great difficulties and with frozen hands we managed to set up our +tent in the wind, placing in it the now useless stove. We covered the +tent with snow, dug deep, long ditches in the drifts and forced our +camels to lie down in them by shouting the "Dzuk! Dzuk!" command to +kneel. Then we brought our packs into the tent. + +My companion rebelled against the thought of spending a cold night with +a stove hard by. + +"I am going out to look for firewood," said he very decisively; and at +that took up the ax and started. He returned after an hour with a big +section of a telegraph pole. + +"You, Jenghiz Khans," said he, rubbing his frozen hands, "take your +axes and go up there to the left on the mountain and you will find the +telegraph poles that have been cut down. I made acquaintance with the +old Jagasstai and he showed me the poles." + +Just a little way from us the line of the Russian telegraphs passed, +that which had connected Irkutsk with Uliassutai before the days of the +Bolsheviki and which the Chinese had commanded the Mongols to cut +down and take the wire. These poles are now the salvation of travelers +crossing the pass. Thus we spent the night in a warm tent, supped +well from hot meat soup with vermicelli, all in the very center of the +dominion of the angered Jagasstai. Early the next morning we found +the road not more than two or three hundred paces from our tent and +continued our hard trip over the ridge of Tarbagatai. At the head of +the Adair River valley we noticed a flock of the Mongolian crows with +carmine beaks circling among the rocks. We approached the place and +discovered the recently fallen bodies of a horse and rider. What had +happened to them was difficult to guess. They lay close together; the +bridle was wound around the right wrist of the man; no trace of knife or +bullet was found. It was impossible to make out the features of the man. +His overcoat was Mongolian but his trousers and under jacket were not of +the Mongolian pattern. We asked ourselves what had happened to him. + +Our Mongol bowed his head in anxiety and said in hushed but assured +tones: "It is the vengeance of Jagasstai. The rider did not make +sacrifice at the southern obo and the demon has strangled him and his +horse." + +At last Tarbagatai was behind us. Before us lay the valley of the Adair. +It was a narrow zigzagging plain following along the river bed between +close mountain ranges and covered with a rich grass. It was cut into two +parts by the road along which the prostrate telegraph poles now lay, as +the stumps of varying heights and long stretches of wire completed +the debris. This destruction of the telegraph line between Irkutsk and +Uliassutai was necessary and incident to the aggressive Chinese policy +in Mongolia. + +Soon we began to meet large herds of sheep, which were digging through +the snow to the dry but very nutritious grass. In some places yaks and +oxen were seen on the high slopes of the mountains. Only once, however, +did we see a shepherd, for all of them, spying us first, had made off +to the mountains or hidden in the ravines. We did not even discover any +yurtas along the way. The Mongols had also concealed all their movable +homes in the folds of the mountains out of sight and away from the reach +of the strong winds. Nomads are very skilful in choosing the places +for their winter dwellings. I had often in winter visited the Mongolian +yurtas set in such sheltered places that, as I came off the windy +plains, I felt as though I were in a conservatory. Once we came up to +a big herd of sheep. But as we approached most of the herd gradually +withdrew, leaving one part that remained unmoved as the other worked +off across the plains. From this section soon about thirty of forty head +emerged and went scrambling and leaping right up the mountain side. I +took up my glasses and began to observe them. The part of the herd that +remained behind were common sheep; the large section that had drawn off +over the plain were Mongolian antelopes (gazella gutturosa); while +the few that had taken to the mountain were the big horned sheep (ovis +argali). All this company had been grazing together with the domestic +sheep on the plains of the Adair, which attracted them with its good +grass and clear water. In many places the river was not frozen and in +some places I saw great clouds of steam over the surface of the open +water. In the meantime some of the antelopes and the mountain sheep +began looking at us. + +"Now they will soon begin to cross our trail," laughed the Mongol; "very +funny beasts. Sometimes the antelopes course for miles in their endeavor +to outrun and cross in front of our horses and then, when they have done +so, go loping quietly off." + +I had already seen this strategy of the antelopes and I decided to make +use of it for the purpose of the hunt. We organized our chase in the +following manner. We let one Mongol with the pack camel proceed as +we had been traveling and the other three of us spread out like a fan +headed toward the herd on the right of our true course. The herd stopped +and looked about puzzled, for their etiquette required that they should +cross the path of all four of these riders at once. Confusion began. +They counted about three thousand heads. All this army began to run +from one side to another but without forming any distinct groups. Whole +squadrons of them ran before us and then, noticing another rider, came +coursing back and made anew the same manoeuvre. One group of about fifty +head rushed in two rows toward my point. When they were about a hundred +and fifty paces away I shouted and fired. They stopped at once and began +to whirl round in one spot, running into one another and even jumping +over one another. Their panic cost them dear, for I had time to shoot +four times to bring down two beautiful heads. My friend was even more +fortunate than I, for he shot only once into the herd as it rushed past +him in parallel lines and dropped two with the same bullet. + +Meanwhile the argali had gone farther up the mountainside and taken +stand there in a row like so many soldiers, turning to gaze at us. Even +at this distance I could clearly distinguish their muscular bodies +with their majestic heads and stalwart horns. Picking up our prey, we +overtook the Mongol who had gone on ahead and continued our way. In many +places we came across the carcasses of sheep with necks torn and the +flesh of the sides eaten off. + +"It is the work of wolves," said the Mongol. "They are always hereabout +in large numbers." + +We came across several more herds of antelope, which ran along quietly +enough until they had made a comfortable distance ahead of us and then +with tremendous leaps and bounds crossed our bows like the proverbial +chicken on the road. Then, after a couple of hundred paces at this +speed, they stopped and began to graze quite calmly. Once I turned my +camel back and the whole herd immediately took up the challenge again, +coursed along parallel with me until they had made sufficient distance +for their ideas of safety and then once more rushed across the road +ahead of me as though it were paved with red hot stones, only to assume +their previous calmness and graze back on the same side of the trail +from which our column had first started them. On another occasion I did +this three times with a particular herd and laughed long and heartily at +their stupid customs. + +We passed a very unpleasant night in this valley. We stopped on the +shore of the frozen stream in a spot where we found shelter from the +wind under the lee of a high shore. In our stove we did have a fire and +in our kettle boiling water. Also our tent was warm and cozy. We were +quietly resting with pleasant thoughts of supper to soothe us, when +suddenly a howling and laughter as though from some inferno burst upon +us from just outside the tent, while from the other side of the valley +came the long and doleful howls in answer. + +"Wolves," calmly explained the Mongol, who took my revolver and went out +of the tent. He did not return for some time but at last we heard a shot +and shortly after he entered. + +"I scared them a little," said he. "They had congregated on the shore of +the Adair around the body of a camel." + +"And they have not touched our camels?" we asked. + +"We shall make a bonfire behind our tent; then they will not bother us." + +After our supper we turned in but I lay awake for a long time listening +to the crackle of the wood in the fire, the deep sighing breaths of the +camels and the distant howling of the packs of wolves; but finally, even +with all these noises, fell asleep. How long I had been asleep I did not +know when suddenly I was awakened by a strong blow in the side. I was +lying at the very edge of the tent and someone from outside had, without +the least ceremony, pushed strongly against me. I thought it was one of +the camels chewing the felt of the tent. I took my Mauser and struck the +wall. A sharp scream was followed by the sound of quick running over the +pebbles. In the morning we discovered the tracks of wolves approaching +our tent from the side opposite to the fire and followed them to where +they had begun to dig under the tent wall; but evidently one of the +would-be robbers was forced to retreat with a bruise on his head from +the handle of the Mauser. + +Wolves and eagles are the servants of Jagasstai, the Mongol very +seriously instructed us. However, this does not prevent the Mongols from +hunting them. Once in the camp of Prince Baysei I witnessed such a hunt. +The Mongol horsemen on the best of his steeds overtook the wolves on the +open plain and killed them with heavy bamboo sticks or tashur. A Russian +veterinary surgeon taught the Mongols to poison wolves with strychnine +but the Mongols soon abandoned this method because of its danger to +the dogs, the faithful friends and allies of the nomad. They do not, +however, touch the eagles and hawks but even feed them. When the Mongols +are slaughtering animals they often cast bits of meat up into the air +for the hawks and eagles to catch in flight, just as we throw a bit of +meat to a dog. Eagles and hawks fight and drive away the magpies and +crows, which are very dangerous for cattle and horses, because they +scratch and peck at the smallest wound or abrasion on the backs of the +animals until they make them into uncurable areas which they continue to +harass. + + +CHAPTER XXI + +THE NEST OF DEATH + + +Our camels were trudging to a slow but steady measure on toward the +north. We were making twenty-five to thirty miles a day as we approached +a small monastery that lay to the left of our route. It was in the +form of a square of large buildings surrounded by a high fence of +thick poles. Each side had an opening in the middle leading to the four +entrances of the temple in the center of the square. The temple was +built with the red lacquered columns and the Chinese style roofs and +dominated the surrounding low dwellings of the Lamas. On the opposite +side of the road lay what appeared to be a Chinese fortress but which +was in reality a trading compound or dugun, which the Chinese always +build in the form of a fortress with double walls a few feet apart, +within which they place their houses and shops and usually have twenty +or thirty traders fully armed for any emergency. In case of need these +duguns can be used as blockhouses and are capable of withstanding long +sieges. Between the dugun and the monastery and nearer to the road I +made out the camp of some nomads. Their horses and cattle were nowhere +to be seen. Evidently the Mongols had stopped here for some time and +had left their cattle in the mountains. Over several yurtas waved +multi-colored triangular flags, a sign of the presence of disease. Near +some yurtas high poles were stuck into the ground with Mongol caps at +their tops, which indicated that the host of the yurta had died. The +packs of dogs wandering over the plain showed that the dead bodies lay +somewhere near, either in the ravines or along the banks of the river. + +As we approached the camp, we heard from a distance the frantic beating +of drums, the mournful sounds of the flute and shrill, mad shouting. +Our Mongol went forward to investigate for us and reported that several +Mongolian families had come here to the monastery to seek aid from the +Hutuktu Jahansti who was famed for his miracles of healing. The people +were stricken with leprosy and black smallpox and had come from long +distances only to find that the Hutuktu was not at the monastery but had +gone to the Living Buddha in Urga. Consequently they had been forced to +invite the witch doctors. The people were dying one after another. Just +the day before they had cast on the plain the twenty-seventh man. + +Meanwhile, as we talked, the witch doctor came out of one of the yurtas. +He was an old man with a cataract on one eye and with a face deeply +scarred by smallpox. He was dressed in tatters with various colored bits +of cloth hanging down from his waist. He carried a drum and a flute. We +could see froth on his blue lips and madness in his eyes. Suddenly he +began to whirl round and dance with a thousand prancings of his long +legs and writhings of his arms and shoulders, still beating the drum and +playing the flute or crying and raging at intervals, ever accelerating +his movements until at last with pallid face and bloodshot eyes he fell +on the snow, where he continued to writhe and give out his incoherent +cries. In this manner the doctor treated his patients, frightening with +his madness the bad devils that carry disease. Another witch doctor gave +his patients dirty, muddy water, which I learned was the water from the +bath of the very person of the Living Buddha who had washed in it his +"divine" body born from the sacred flower of the lotus. + +"Om! Om!" both witches continuously screamed. + +While the doctors fought with the devils, the ill people were left to +themselves. They lay in high fever under the heaps of sheepskins and +overcoats, were delirious, raved and threw themselves about. By the +braziers squatted adults and children who were still well, indifferently +chatting, drinking tea and smoking. In all the yurtas I saw the +diseased and the dead and such misery and physical horrors as cannot be +described. + +And I thought: "Oh, Great Jenghiz Khan! Why did you with your keen +understanding of the whole situation of Asia and Europe, you who devoted +all your life to the glory of the name of the Mongols, why did you not +give to your own people, who preserve their old morality, honesty and +peaceful customs, the enlightenment that would have saved them from such +death? Your bones in the mausoleum at Karakorum being destroyed by +the centuries that pass over them must cry out against the rapid +disappearance of your formerly great people, who were feared by half the +civilized world!" + +Such thoughts filled my brain when I saw this camp of the dead tomorrow +and when I heard the groans, shoutings and raving of dying men, +women and children. Somewhere in the distance the dogs were howling +mournfully, and monotonously the drum of the tired witch rolled. + +"Forward!" I could not witness longer this dark horror, which I had +no means or force to eradicate. We quickly passed on from the ominous +place. Nor could we shake the thought that some horrible invisible +spirit was following us from this scene of terror. "The devils of +disease?" "The pictures of horror and misery?" "The souls of men +who have been sacrificed on the altar of darkness of Mongolia?" An +inexplicable fear penetrated into our consciousness from whose grasp +we could not release ourselves. Only when we had turned from the road, +passed over a timbered ridge into a bowl in the mountains from which we +could see neither Jahantsi Kure, the dugun nor the squirming grave of +dying Mongols could we breathe freely again. + +Presently we discovered a large lake. It was Tisingol. Near the shore +stood a large Russian house, the telegraph station between Kosogol and +Uliassutai. + + +CHAPTER XXII + +AMONG THE MURDERERS + + +As we approached the telegraph station, we were met by a blonde young +man who was in charge of the office, Kanine by name. With some little +confusion he offered us a place in his house for the night. When we +entered the room, a tall, lanky man rose from the table and indecisively +walked toward us, looking very attentively at us the while. + +"Guests . . ." explained Kanine. "They are going to Khathyl. Private +persons, strangers, foreigners . . ." + +"A-h," drawled the stranger in a quiet, comprehending tone. + +While we were untying our girdles and with difficulty getting out of our +great Mongolian coats, the tall man was animatedly whispering something +to our host. As we approached the table to sit down and rest, I +overheard him say: "We are forced to postpone it," and saw Kanine simply +nod in answer. + +Several other people were seated at the table, among them the assistant +of Kanine, a tall blonde man with a white face, who talked like a +Gatling gun about everything imaginable. He was half crazy and his +semi-madness expressed itself when any loud talking, shouting or sudden +sharp report led him to repeat the words of the one to whom he was +talking at the time or to relate in a mechanical, hurried manner stories +of what was happening around him just at this particular juncture. The +wife of Kanine, a pale, young, exhausted-looking woman with frightened +eyes and a face distorted by fear, was also there and near her a young +girl of fifteen with cropped hair and dressed like a man, as well as +the two small sons of Kanine. We made acquaintance with all of them. +The tall stranger called himself Gorokoff, a Russian colonist from +Samgaltai, and presented the short-haired girl as his sister. Kanine's +wife looked at us with plainly discernible fear and said nothing, +evidently displeased over our being there. However, we had no choice and +consequently began drinking tea and eating our bread and cold meat. + +Kanine told us that ever since the telegraph line had been destroyed all +his family and relatives had felt very keenly the poverty and hardship +that naturally followed. The Bolsheviki did not send him any salary from +Irkutsk, so that he was compelled to shift for himself as best he +could. They cut and cured hay for sale to the Russian colonists, +handled private messages and merchandise from Khathyl to Uliassutai and +Samgaltai, bought and sold cattle, hunted and in this manner managed to +exist. Gorokoff announced that his commercial affairs compelled him +to go to Khathyl and that he and his sister would be glad to join +our caravan. He had a most unprepossessing, angry-looking face with +colorless eyes that always avoided those of the person with whom he was +speaking. During the conversation we asked Kanine if there were Russian +colonists near by, to which he answered with knitted brow and a look of +disgust on his face: + +"There is one rich old man, Bobroff, who lives a verst away from our +station; but I would not advise you to visit him. He is a miserly, +inhospitable old fellow who does not like guests." + +During these words of her husband Madame Kanine dropped her eyes and +contracted her shoulders in something resembling a shudder. Gorokoff and +his sister smoked along indifferently. I very clearly remarked all this +as well as the hostile tone of Kanine, the confusion of his wife and +the artificial indifference of Gorokoff; and I determined to see the +old colonist given such a bad name by Kanine. In Uliassutai I knew +two Bobroffs. I said to Kanine that I had been asked to hand a letter +personally to Bobroff and, after finishing my tea, put on my overcoat +and went out. + +The house of Bobroff stood in a deep sink in the mountains, surrounded +by a high fence over which the low roofs of the houses could be seen. A +light shone through the window. I knocked at the gate. A furious barking +of dogs answered me and through the cracks of the fence I made out four +huge black Mongol dogs, showing their teeth and growling as they rushed +toward the gate. Inside the court someone opened the door and called +out: "Who is there?" + +I answered that I was traveling through from Uliassutai. The dogs were +first caught and chained and I was then admitted by a man who looked me +over very carefully and inquiringly from head to foot. A revolver handle +stuck out of his pocket. Satisfied with his observations and learning +that I knew his relatives, he warmly welcomed me to the house and +presented me to his wife, a dignified old woman, and to his beautiful +little adopted daughter, a girl of five years. She had been found on +the plain beside the dead body of her mother exhausted in her attempt to +escape from the Bolsheviki in Siberia. + +Bobroff told me that the Russian detachment of Kazagrandi had succeeded +in driving the Red troops away from the Kosogol and that we could +consequently continue our trip to Khathyl without danger. + +"Why did you not stop with me instead of with those brigands?" asked the +old fellow. + +I began to question him and received some very important news. It +seemed that Kanine was a Bolshevik, the agent of the Irkutsk Soviet, and +stationed here for purposes of observation. However, now he was rendered +harmless, because the road between him and Irkutsk was interrupted. +Still from Biisk in the Altai country had just come a very important +commissar. + +"Gorokoff?" I asked. + +"That's what he calls himself," replied the old fellow; "but I am also +from Biisk and I know everyone there. His real name is Pouzikoff and the +short-haired girl with him is his mistress. He is the commissar of the +'Cheka' and she is the agent of this establishment. Last August the two +of them shot with their revolvers seventy bound officers from Kolchak's +army. Villainous, cowardly murderers! Now they have come here for a +reconnaissance. They wanted to stay in my house but I knew them too well +and refused them place." + +"And you do not fear him?" I asked, remembering the different words and +glances of these people as they sat at the table in the station. + +"No," answered the old man. "I know how to defend myself and my family +and I have a protector too--my son, such a shot, a rider and a fighter +as does not exist in all Mongolia. I am very sorry that you will not +make the acquaintance of my boy. He has gone off to the herds and will +return only tomorrow evening." + +We took most cordial leave of each other and I promised to stop with him +on my return. + +"Well, what yarns did Bobroff tell you about us?" was the question with +which Kanine and Gorokoff met me when I came back to the station. + +"Nothing about you," I answered, "because he did not even want to speak +with me when he found out that I was staying in your house. What is the +trouble between you?" I asked of them, expressing complete astonishment +on my face. + +"It is an old score," growled Gorokoff. + +"A malicious old churl," Kanine added in agreement, the while the +frightened, suffering-laden eyes of his wife again gave expression +to terrifying horror, as if she momentarily expected a deadly blow. +Gorokoff began to pack his luggage in preparation for the journey with +us the following morning. We prepared our simple beds in an adjoining +room and went to sleep. I whispered to my friend to keep his revolver +handy for anything that might happen but he only smiled as he dragged +his revolver and his ax from his coat to place them under his pillow. + +"This people at the outset seemed to me very suspicious," he whispered. +"They are cooking up something crooked. Tomorrow I shall ride behind +this Gorokoff and shall prepare for him a very faithful one of my +bullets, a little dum-dum." + +The Mongols spent the night under their tent in the open court beside +their camels, because they wanted to be near to feed them. About seven +o'clock we started. My friend took up his post as rear guard to our +caravan, keeping all the time behind Gorokoff, who with his sister, both +armed from tip to toe, rode splendid mounts. + +"How have you kept your horses in such fine condition coming all the way +from Samgaltai?" I inquired as I looked over their fine beasts. + +When he answered that these belonged to his host, I realized that Kanine +was not so poor as he made out; for any rich Mongol would have given him +in exchange for one of these lovely animals enough sheep to have kept +his household in mutton for a whole year. + +Soon we came to a large swamp surrounded by dense brush, where I was +much astonished by seeing literally hundreds of white kuropatka or +partridges. Out of the water rose a flock of duck with a mad rush as +we hove in sight. Winter, cold driving wind, snow and wild ducks! The +Mongol explained it to me thus: + +"This swamp always remains warm and never freezes. The wild ducks live +here the year round and the kuropatka too, finding fresh food in the +soft warm earth." + +As I was speaking with the Mongol I noticed over the swamp a tongue of +reddish-yellow flame. It flashed and disappeared at once but later, on +the farther edge, two further tongues ran upward. I realized that here +was the real will-o'-the-wisp surrounded by so many thousands of legends +and explained so simply by chemistry as merely a flash of methane or +swamp gas generated by the putrefying of vegetable matter in the warm +damp earth. + +"Here dwell the demons of Adair, who are in perpetual war with those of +Muren," explained the Mongol. + +"Indeed," I thought, "if in prosaic Europe in our days the inhabitants +of our villages believe these flames to be some wild sorcery, then +surely in the land of mystery they must be at least the evidences of war +between the demons of two neighboring rivers!" + +After passing this swamp we made out far ahead of us a large monastery. +Though this was some half mile off the road, the Gorokoffs said they +would ride over to it to make some purchases in the Chinese shops there. +They quickly rode away, promising to overtake us shortly, but we did not +see them again for a while. They slipped away without leaving any trail +but we met them later in very unexpected circumstances of fatal portent +for them. On our part we were highly satisfied that we were rid of +them so soon and, after they were gone, I imparted to my friend the +information gleaned from Bobroff the evening before. + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +ON A VOLCANO + + +The following evening we arrived at Khathyl, a small Russian settlement +of ten scattered houses in the valley of the Egingol or Yaga, which here +takes its waters from the Kosogol half a mile above the village. The +Kosogol is a huge Alpine lake, deep and cold, eighty-five miles in +length and from ten to thirty in width. On the western shore live the +Darkhat Soyots, who call it Hubsugul, the Mongols, Kosogol. Both the +Soyots and Mongols consider this a terrible and sacred lake. It is very +easy to understand this prejudice because the lake lies in a region of +present volcanic activity, where in the summer on perfectly calm sunny +days it sometimes lashes itself into great waves that are dangerous not +only to the native fishing boats but also to the large Russian passenger +steamers that ply on the lake. In winter also it sometimes entirely +breaks up its covering of ice and gives off great clouds of steam. +Evidently the bottom of the lake is sporadically pierced by discharging +hot springs or, perhaps, by streams of lava. Evidence of some great +underground convulsion like this is afforded by the mass of killed fish +which at times dams the outlet river in its shallow places. The lake is +exceedingly rich in fish, chiefly varieties of trout and salmon, and +is famous for its wonderful "white fish," which was previously sent all +over Siberia and even down into Manchuria so far as Moukden. It is fat +and remarkably tender and produces fine caviar. Another variety in +the lake is the white khayrus or trout, which in the migration season, +contrary to the customs of most fish, goes down stream into the Yaga, +where it sometimes fills the river from bank to bank with swarms of +backs breaking the surface of the water. However, this fish is not +caught, because it is infested with worms and is unfit for food. Even +cats and dogs will not touch it. This is a very interesting phemonenon +and was being investigated and studied by Professor Dorogostaisky of the +University at Irkutsk when the coming of the Bolsheviki interrupted his +work. + +In Khathyl we found a panic. The Russian detachment of Colonel +Kazagrandi, after having twice defeated the Bolsheviki and well on its +march against Irkutsk, was suddenly rendered impotent and scattered +through internal strife among the officers. The Bolsheviki took +advantage of this situation, increased their forces to one thousand men +and began a forward movement to recover what they had lost, while the +remnants of Colonel Kazagrandi's detachment were retreating on Khathyl, +where he determined to make his last stand against the Reds. The +inhabitants were loading their movable property with their families into +carts and scurrying away from the town, leaving all their cattle and +horses to whomsoever should have the power to seize and hold them. +One party intended to hide in the dense larch forest and the mountain +ravines not far away, while another party made southward for Muren Kure +and Uliassutai. The morning following our arrival the Mongol official +received word that the Red troops had outflanked Colonel Kazagrandi's +men and were approaching Khathyl. The Mongol loaded his documents and +his servants on eleven camels and left his yamen. Our Mongol guides, +without ever saying a word to us, secretly slipped off with him and left +us without camels. Our situation thus became desperate. We hastened to +the colonists who had not yet got away to bargain with them for camels, +but they had previously, in anticipation of trouble, sent their herds +to distant Mongols and so could do nothing to help us. Then we betook +ourselves to Dr. V. G. Gay, a veterinarian living in the town, famous +throughout Mongolia for his battle against rinderpest. He lived here +with his family and after being forced to give up his government work +became a cattle dealer. He was a most interesting person, clever and +energetic, and the one who had been appointed under the Czarist regime +to purchase all the meat supplies from Mongolia for the Russian Army on +the German Front. He organized a huge enterprise in Mongolia but when +the Bolsheviki seized power in 1917 he transferred his allegiance and +began to work with them. Then in May, 1918, when the Kolchak forces +drove the Bolsheviki out of Siberia, he was arrested and taken for +trial. However, he was released because he was looked upon as the single +individual to organize this big Mongolian enterprise and he handed +to Admiral Kolchak all the supplies of meat and the silver formerly +received from the Soviet commissars. At this time Gay had been serving +as the chief organizer and supplier of the forces of Kazagrandi. + +When we went to him, he at once suggested that we take the only thing +left, some poor, broken-down horses which would be able to carry us the +sixty miles to Muren Kure, where we could secure camels to return to +Uliassutai. However, even these were being kept some distance from the +town so that we should have to spend the night there, the night in which +the Red troops were expected to arrive. Also we were much astonished to +see that Gay was remaining there with his family right up to the time of +the expected arrival of the Reds. The only others in the town were a few +Cossacks, who had been ordered to stay behind to watch the movements of +the Red troops. The night came. My friend and I were prepared either +to fight or, in the last event, to commit suicide. We stayed in a small +house near the Yaga, where some workmen were living who could not, and +did not feel it necessary to, leave. They went up on a hill from which +they could scan the whole country up to the range from behind which the +Red detachment must appear. From this vantage point in the forest one of +the workmen came running in and cried out: + +"Woe, woe to us! The Reds have arrived. A horseman is galloping fast +through the forest road. I called to him but he did not answer me. It +was dark but I knew the horse was a strange one." + +"Do not babble so," said another of the workmen. "Some Mongol rode by +and you jumped to the conclusion that he was a Red." + +"No, it was not a Mongol," he replied. "The horse was shod. I heard the +sound of iron shoes on the road. Woe to us!" + +"Well," said my friend, "it seems that this is our finish. It is a silly +way for it all to end." + +He was right. Just then there was a knock at our door but it was that +of the Mongol bringing us three horses for our escape. Immediately we +saddled them, packed the third beast with our tent and food and rode off +at once to take leave of Gay. + +In his house we found the whole war council. Two or three colonists and +several Cossacks had galloped from the mountains and announced that the +Red detachment was approaching Khathyl but would remain for the night +in the forest, where they were building campfires. In fact, through +the house windows we could see the glare of the fires. It seemed very +strange that the enemy should await the morning there in the forest when +they were right on the village they wished to capture. + +An armed Cossack entered the room and announced that two armed men from +the detachment were approaching. All the men in the room pricked up +their ears. Outside were heard the horses' hoofs followed by men's +voices and a knock at the door. + +"Come in," said Gay. + +Two young men entered, their moustaches and beards white and their +cheeks blazing red from the cold. They were dressed in the common +Siberian overcoat with the big Astrakhan caps, but they had no weapons. +Questions began. It developed that it was a detachment of White peasants +from the Irkutsk and Yakutsk districts who had been fighting with the +Bolsheviki. They had been defeated somewhere in the vicinity of Irkutsk +and were now trying to make a junction with Kazagrandi. The leader of +this band was a socialist, Captain Vassilieff, who had suffered much +under the Czar because of his tenets. + +Our troubles had vanished but we decided to start immediately to Muren +Kure, as we had gathered our information and were in a hurry to make +our report. We started. On the road we overtook three Cossacks who were +going out to bring back the colonists who were fleeing to the south. We +joined them and, dismounting, we all led our horses over the ice. The +Yaga was mad. The subterranean forces produced underneath the ice great +heaving waves which with a swirling roar threw up and tore loose great +sections of ice, breaking them into small blocks and sucking them under +the unbroken downstream field. Cracks ran like snakes over the surface +in different directions. One of the Cossacks fell into one of these +but we had just time to save him. He was forced by his ducking in such +extreme cold to turn back to Khathyl. Our horses slipped about and fell +several times. Men and animals felt the presence of death which hovered +over them and momentarily threatened them with destruction. At last we +made the farther bank and continued southward down the valley, glad to +have left the geological and figurative volcanoes behind us. Ten miles +farther on we came up with the first party of refugees. They had spread +a big tent and made a fire inside, filling it with warmth and smoke. +Their camp was made beside the establishment of a large Chinese trading +house, where the owners refused to let the colonists come into their +amply spacious buildings, even though there were children, women and +invalids among the refugees. We spent but half an hour here. The road +as we continued was easy, save in places where the snow lay deep. We +crossed the fairly high divide between the Egingol and Muren. Near the +pass one very unexpected event occurred to us. We crossed the mouth of +a fairly wide valley whose upper end was covered with a dense wood. Near +this wood we noticed two horsemen, evidently watching us. Their manner +of sitting in their saddles and the character of their horses told us +that they were not Mongols. We began shouting and waving to them; but +they did not answer. Out of the wood emerged a third and stopped to +look at us. We decided to interview them and, whipping up our horses, +galloped toward them. When we were about one thousand yards from them, +they slipped from their saddles and opened on us with a running fire. +Fortunately we rode a little apart and thus made a poor target for them. +We jumped off our horses, dropped prone on the ground and prepared to +fight. However, we did not fire because we thought it might be a mistake +on their part, thinking that we were Reds. They shortly made off. Their +shots from the European rifles had given us further proof that they were +not Mongols. We waited until they had disappeared into the woods and +then went forward to investigate their tracks, which we found were those +of shod horses, clearly corroborating the earlier evidence that they +were not Mongols. Who could they have been? We never found out; yet what +a different relationship they might have borne to our lives, had their +shots been true! + +After we had passed over the divide, we met the Russian colonist D. A. +Teternikoff from Muren Kure, who invited us to stay in his house and +promised to secure camels for us from the Lamas. The cold was intense +and heightened by a piercing wind. During the day we froze to the bone +but at night thawed and warmed up nicely by our tent stove. After two +days we entered the valley of Muren and from afar made out the square +of the Kure with its Chinese roofs and large red temples. Nearby was +a second square, the Chinese and Russian settlement. Two hours more +brought us to the house of our hospitable companion and his attractive +young wife who feasted us with a wonderful luncheon of tasty dishes. We +spent five days at Muren waiting for the camels to be engaged. During +this time many refugees arrived from Khathyl because Colonel Kazagrandi +was gradually falling back upon the town. Among others there were two +Colonels, Plavako and Maklakoff, who had caused the disruption of the +Kazagrandi force. No sooner had the refugees appeared in Muren Kure +than the Mongolian officials announced that the Chinese authorities had +ordered them to drive out all Russian refugees. + +"Where can we go now in winter with women and children and no homes of +our own?" asked the distraught refugees. + +"That is of no moment to us," answered the Mongolian officials. "The +Chinese authorities are angry and have ordered us to drive you away. We +cannot help you at all." + +The refugees had to leave Muren Kure and so erected their tents in the +open not far away. Plavako and Maklakoff bought horses and started out +for Van Kure. Long afterwards I learned that both had been killed by the +Chinese along the road. + +We secured three camels and started out with a large group of Chinese +merchants and Russian refugees to make Uliassutai, preserving +the warmest recollections of our courteous hosts, T. V. and D. A. +Teternikoff. For the trip we had to pay for our camels the very high +price of 33 lan of the silver bullion which had been supplied us by an +American firm in Uliassutai, the equivalent roughly of 2.7 pounds of the +white metal. + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +A BLOODY CHASTISEMENT + + +Before long we struck the road which we had travelled coming north and +saw again the kindly rows of chopped down telegraph poles which had once +so warmly protected us. Over the timbered hillocks north of the valley +of Tisingol we wended just as it was growing dark. We decided to stay +in Bobroff's house and our companions thought to seek the hospitality of +Kanine in the telegraph station. At the station gate we found a soldier +with a rifle, who questioned us as to who we were and whence we had come +and, being apparently satisfied, whistled out a young officer from the +house. + +"Lieutenant Ivanoff," he introduced himself. "I am staying here with my +detachment of White Partisans." + +He had come from near Irkutsk with his following of ten men and had +formed a connection with Lieutenant-Colonel Michailoff at Uliassutai, +who commanded him to take possession of this blockhouse. + +"Enter, please," he said hospitably. + +I explained to him that I wanted to stay with Bobroff, whereat he made a +despairing gesture with his hand and said: + +"Don't trouble yourself. The Bobroffs are killed and their house +burned." + +I could not keep back a cry of horror. + +The Lieutenant continued: "Kanine and the Pouzikoffs killed them, +pillaged the place and afterwards burned the house with their dead +bodies in it. Do you want to see it?" + +My friend and I went with the Lieutenant and looked over the ominous +site. Blackened uprights stood among charred beams and planks while +crockery and iron pots and pans were scattered all around. A little +to one side under some felt lay the remains of the four unfortunate +individuals. The Lieutenant first spoke: + +"I reported the case to Uliassutai and received word back that the +relatives of the deceased would come with two officers, who would +investigate the affair. That is why I cannot bury the bodies." + +"How did it happen?" we asked, oppressed by the sad picture. + +"It was like this," he began. "I was approaching Tisingol at night with +my ten soldiers. Fearing that there might be Reds here, we sneaked up +to the station and looked into the windows. We saw Pouzikoff, Kanine +and the short-haired girl, looking over and dividing clothes and +other things and weighing lumps of silver. I did not at once grasp the +significance of all this; but, feeling the need for continued caution, +ordered one of my soldiers to climb the fence and open the gate. We +rushed into the court. The first to run from the house was Kanine's +wife, who threw up her hands and shrieked in fear: 'I knew that +misfortune would come of all this!' and then fainted. One of the men ran +out of a side door to a shed in the yard and there tried to get over the +fence. I had not noticed him but one of my soldiers caught him. We were +met at the door by Kanine, who was white and trembling. I realized +that something important had taken place, placed them all under arrest, +ordered the men tied and placed a close guard. All my questions were +met with silence save by Madame Kanine who cried: 'Pity, pity for the +children! They are innocent!' as she dropped on her knees and stretched +out her hands in supplication to us. The short-haired girl laughed out +of impudent eyes and blew a puff of smoke into my face. I was forced to +threaten them and said: + +"'I know that you have committed some crime, but you do not want to +confess. If you do not, I shall shoot the men and take the women to +Uliassutai to try them there.' + +"I spoke with definiteness of voice and intention, for they roused my +deepest anger. Quite to my surprise the short-haired girl first began to +speak. + +"'I want to tell you about everything,' she said. + +"I ordered ink, paper and pen brought me. My soldiers were the +witnesses. Then I prepared the protocol of the confession of Pouzikoff's +wife. This was her dark and bloody tale. + +"'My husband and I are Bolshevik commissars and we have been sent to +find out how many White officers are hidden in Mongolia. But the old +fellow Bobroff knew us. We wanted to go away but Kanine kept us, telling +us that Bobroff was rich and that he had for a long time wanted to kill +him and pillage his place. We agreed to join him. We decoyed the young +Bobroff to come and play cards with us. When he was going home my +husband stole along behind and shot him. Afterwards we all went to +Bobroff's place. I climbed upon the fence and threw some poisoned meat +to the dogs, who were dead in a few minutes. Then we all climbed over. +The first person to emerge from the house was Bobroff's wife. Pouzikoff, +who was hidden behind the door, killed her with his ax. The old fellow +we killed with a blow of the ax as he slept. The little girl ran out +into the room as she heard the noise and Kanine shot her in the head +with buckshot. Afterwards we looted the house and burned it, even +destroying the horses and cattle. Later all would have been completely +burned, so that no traces remained, but you suddenly arrived and these +stupid fellows at once betrayed us.' + +"It was a dastardly affair," continued the Lieutenant, as we returned +to the station. "The hair raised on my head as I listened to the calm +description of this young woman, hardly more than a girl. Only then did +I fully realize what depravity Bolshevism had brought into the world, +crushing out faith, fear of God and conscience. Only then did I +understand that all honest people must fight without compromise against +this most dangerous enemy of mankind, so long as life and strength +endure." + +As we walked I noticed at the side of the road a black spot. It +attracted and fixed my attention. + +"What is that?" I asked, pointing to the spot. + +"It is the murderer Pouzikoff whom I shot," answered the Lieutenant. "I +would have shot both Kanine and the wife of Pouzikoff but I was sorry +for Kanine's wife and children and I haven't learned the lesson +of shooting women. Now I shall send them along with you under the +surveillance of my soldiers to Uliassutai. The same result will come, +for the Mongols who try them for the murder will surely kill them." + +This is what happened at Tisingol, on whose shores the will-o'-the-wisp +flits over the marshy pools and near which runs the cleavage of over two +hundred miles that the last earthquake left in the surface of the land. +Maybe it was out of this cleavage that Pouzikoff, Kanine and the others +who have sought to infect the whole world with horror and crime made +their appearance from the land of the inferno. One of Lieutenant +Ivanoff's soldiers, who was always praying and pale, called them all +"the servants of Satan." + +Our trip from Tisingol to Uliassutai in the company of these criminals +was very unpleasant. My friend and I entirely lost our usual strength +of spirit and healthy frame of mind. Kanine persistently brooded and +thought while the impudent woman laughed, smoked and joked with the +soldiers and several of our companions. At last we crossed the Jagisstai +and in a few hours descried at first the fortress and then the low adobe +houses huddled on the plain, which we knew to be Uliassutai. + + +CHAPTER XXV + +HARASSING DAYS + + +Once more we found ourselves in the whirl of events. During our +fortnight away a great deal had happened here. The Chinese Commissioner +Wang Tsao-tsun had sent eleven envoys to Urga but none had returned. The +situation in Mongolia remained far from clear. The Russian detachment +had been increased by the arrival of new colonists and secretly +continued its illegal existence, although the Chinese knew about it +through their omnipresent system of spies. In the town no Russian or +foreign citizens left their houses and all remained armed and ready to +act. At night armed sentinels stood guard in all their court-yards. +It was the Chinese who induced such precautions. By order of their +Commissioner all the Chinese merchants with stocks of rifles armed their +staffs and handed over any surplus guns to the officials, who with +these formed and equipped a force of two hundred coolies into a special +garrison of gamins. Then they took possession of the Mongolian arsenal +and distributed these additional guns among the Chinese vegetable +farmers in the nagan hushun, where there was always a floating +population of the lowest grade of transient Chinese laborers. This +trash of China now felt themselves strong, gathered together in +excited discussions and evidently were preparing for some outburst of +aggression. At night the coolies transported many boxes of cartridges +from the Chinese shops to the nagan hushun and the behaviour of the +Chinese mob became unbearably audacious. These coolies and gamins +impertinently stopped and searched people right on the streets and +sought to provoke fights that would allow them to take anything they +wanted. Through secret news we received from certain Chinese quarters +we learned that the Chinese were preparing a pogrom for all the Russians +and Mongols in Uliassutai. We fully realized that it was only necessary +to fire one single house at the right part of the town and the entire +settlement of wooden buildings would go up in flames. The whole +population prepared to defend themselves, increased the sentinels in the +compounds, appointed leaders for certain sections of the town, organized +a special fire brigade and prepared horses, carts and food for a hasty +flight. The situation became worse when news arrived from Kobdo that +the Chinese there had made a pogrom, killing some of the inhabitants and +burning the whole town after a wild looting orgy. Most of the people +got away to the forests on the mountains but it was at night and +consequently without warm clothes and without food. During the following +days these mountains around Kobdo heard many cries of misfortune, woe +and death. The severe cold and hunger killed off the women and children +out under the open sky of the Mongolian winter. This news was soon known +to the Chinese. They laughed in mockery and soon organized a big meeting +at the nagan hushun to discuss letting the mob and gamins loose on the +town. + +A young Chinese, the son of a cook of one of the colonists, revealed +this news. We immediately decided to make an investigation. A Russian +officer and my friend joined me with this young Chinese as a guide for +a trip to the outskirts of the town. We feigned simply a stroll but were +stopped by the Chinese sentinel on the side of the city toward the nagan +hushun with an impertinent command that no one was allowed to leave +the town. As we spoke with him, I noticed that between the town and the +nagan hushun Chinese guards were stationed all along the way and that +streams of Chinese were moving in that direction. We saw at once it was +impossible to reach the meeting from this approach, so we chose another +route. We left the city from the eastern side and passed along by the +camp of the Mongolians who had been reduced to beggary by the Chinese +impositions. There also they were evidently anxiously awaiting the turn +of events, for, in spite of the lateness of the hour, none had gone to +sleep. We slipped out on the ice and worked around by the river to the +nagan hushun. As we passed free of the city we began to sneak cautiously +along, taking advantage of every bit of cover. We were armed with +revolvers and hand grenades and knew that a small detachment had been +prepared in the town to come to our aid, if we should be in danger. +First the young Chinese stole forward with my friend following him like +a shadow, constantly reminding him that he would strangle him like a +mouse if he made one move to betray us. I fear the young guide did not +greatly enjoy the trip with my gigantic friend puffing all too loudly +with the unusual exertions. At last the fences of nagan hushun were in +sight and nothing between us and them save the open plain, where our +group would have been easily spotted; so that we decided to crawl up one +by one, save that the Chinese was retained in the society of my trusted +friend. Fortunately there were many heaps of frozen manure on the plain, +which we made use of as cover to lead us right up to our objective +point, the fence of the enclosures. In the shadow of this we slunk along +to the courtyard where the voices of the excited crowd beckoned us. As +we took good vantage points in the darkness for listening and making +observations, we remarked two extraordinary things in our immediate +neighborhood. + +Another invisible guest was present with us at the Chinese gathering. +He lay on the ground with his head in a hole dug by the dogs under the +fence. He was perfectly still and evidently had not heard our advance. +Nearby in a ditch lay a white horse with his nose muzzled and a little +further away stood another saddled horse tied to a fence. + +In the courtyard there was a great hubbub. About two thousand men +were shouting, arguing and flourishing their arms about in wild +gesticulations. Nearly all were armed with rifles, revolvers, swords +and axes. In among the crowd circulated the gamins, constantly +talking, handing out papers, explaining and assuring. Finally a big, +broad-shouldered Chinese mounted the well combing, waved his rifle about +over his head and opened a tirade in strong, sharp tones. + +"He is assuring the people," said our interpreter, "that they must +do here what the Chinese have done in Kobdo and must secure from the +Commissioner the assurance of an order to his guard not to prevent the +carrying out of their plans. Also that the Chinese Commissioner +must demand from the Russians all their weapons. 'Then we shall take +vengeance on the Russians for their Blagoveschensk crime when they +drowned three thousand Chinese in 1900. You remain here while I go to +the Commissioner and talk with him.'" + +He jumped down from the well and quickly made his way to the gate toward +the town. At once I saw the man who was lying with his head under the +fence draw back out of his hole, take his white horse from the ditch and +then run over to untie the other horse and lead them both back to our +side, which was away from the city. He left the second horse there and +hid himself around the corner of the hushun. The spokesman went out of +the gate and, seeing his horse over on the other side of the enclosure, +slung his rifle across his back and started for his mount. He had gone +about half way when the stranger behind the corner of the fence suddenly +galloped out and in a flash literally swung the man clear from the +ground up across the pommel of his saddle, where we saw him tie the +mouth of the semi-strangled Chinese with a cloth and dash off with him +toward the west away from the town. + +"Who do you suppose he is?" I asked of my friend, who answered up at +once: "It must be Tushegoun Lama. . . ." + +His whole appearance did strongly remind me of this mysterious Lama +avenger and his manner of addressing himself to his enemy was a strict +replica of that of Tushegoun. Late in the night we learned that some +time after their orator had gone to seek the Commissioner's cooperation +in their venture, his head had been flung over the fence into the midst +of the waiting audience and that eight gamins had disappeared on their +way from the hushun to the town without leaving trace or trail. This +event terrorized the Chinese mob and calmed their heated spirits. + +The next day we received very unexpected aid. A young Mongol galloped in +from Urga, his overcoat torn, his hair all dishevelled and fallen to +his shoulders and a revolver prominent beneath his girdle. Proceeding +directly to the market where the Mongols are always gathered, without +leaving his saddle he cried out: + +"Urga is captured by our Mongols and Chiang Chun Baron Ungern! Bogdo +Hutuktu is once more our Khan! Mongols, kill the Chinese and pillage +their shops! Our patience is exhausted!" + +Through the crowd rose the roar of excitement. The rider was surrounded +with a mob of insistent questioners. The old Mongol Sait, Chultun Beyli, +who had been dismissed by the Chinese, was at once informed of this news +and asked to have the messenger brought to him. After questioning the +man he arrested him for inciting the people to riot, but he refused to +turn him over to the Chinese authorities. I was personally with the +Sait at the time and heard his decision in the matter. When the Chinese +Commissioner, Wang Tsao-tsun, threatened the Sait for disobedience to +his authority, the old man simply fingered his rosary and said: + +"I believe the story of this Mongol in its every word and I apprehend +that you and I shall soon have to reverse our relationship." + +I felt that Wang Tsao-tsun also accepted the correctness of the Mongol's +story, because he did not insist further. From this moment the Chinese +disappeared from the streets of Uliassutai as though they never had +been, and synchronously the patrols of the Russian officers and of +our foreign colony took their places. The panic among the Chinese was +heightened by the receipt of a letter containing the news that the +Mongols and Altai Tartars under the leadership of the Tartar officer +Kaigorodoff pursued the Chinese who were making off with their booty +from the sack of Kobdo and overtook and annihilated them on the borders +of Sinkiang. Another part of the letter told how General Bakitch and +the six thousand men who had been interned with him by the Chinese +authorities on the River Amyl had received arms and started to join with +Ataman Annenkoff, who had been interned in Kuldja, with the ultimate +intention of linking up with Baron Ungern. This rumour proved to be +wrong because neither Bakitch nor Annenkoff entertained this intention, +because Annenkoff had been transported by the Chinese into the Depths of +Turkestan. However, the news produced veritable stupefaction among the +Chinese. + +Just at this time there arrived at the house of the Bolshevist Russian +colonist Bourdukoff three Bolshevik agents from Irkutsk named Saltikoff, +Freimann and Novak, who started an agitation among the Chinese +authorities to get them to disarm the Russian officers and hand them +over to the Reds. They persuaded the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to +petition the Irkutsk Soviet to send a detachment of Reds to Uliassutai +for the protection of the Chinese against the White detachments. +Freimann brought with him communistic pamphlets in Mongolian and +instructions to begin the reconstruction of the telegraph line to +Irkutsk. Bourdukoff also received some messages from the Bolsheviki. +This quartette developed their policy very successfully and soon +saw Wang Tsao-tsun fall in with their schemes. Once more the days of +expecting a pogrom in Uliassutai returned to us. The Russian officers +anticipated attempts to arrest them. The representative of one of the +American firms went with me to the Commissioner for a parley. We pointed +out to him the illegality of his acts, inasmuch as he was not authorized +by his Government to treat with the Bolsheviki when the Soviet +Government had not been recognized by Peking. Wang Tsao-tsun and his +advisor Fu Hsiang were palpably confused at finding we knew of his +secret meetings with the Bolshevik agents. He assured us that his guard +was sufficient to prevent any such pogrom. It was quite true that his +guard was very capable, as it consisted of well trained and disciplined +soldiers under the command of a serious-minded and well educated +officer; but, what could eighty soldiers do against a mob of three +thousand coolies, one thousand armed merchants and two hundred gamins? +We strongly registered our apprehensions and urged him to avoid any +bloodshed, pointing out that the foreign and Russian population were +determined to defend themselves to the last moment. Wang at once ordered +the establishment of strong guards on the streets and thus made a very +interesting picture with all the Russian, foreign and Chinese patrols +moving up and down throughout the whole town. Then we did not know there +were three hundred more sentinels on duty, the men of Tushegoun Lama +hidden nearby in the mountains. + +Once more the picture changed very sharply and suddenly. The Mongolian +Sait received news through the Lamas of the nearest monastery that +Colonel Kazagrandi, after fighting with the Chinese irregulars, had +captured Van Kure and had formed there Russian-Mongolian brigades of +cavalry, mobilizing the Mongols by the order of the Living Buddha and +the Russians by order of Baron Ungern. A few hours later it became known +that in the large monastery of Dzain the Chinese soldiers had killed the +Russian Captain Barsky and as a result some of the troops of Kazagrandi +attacked and swept the Chinese out of the place. At the taking of Van +Kure the Russians arrested a Korean Communist who was on his way from +Moscow with gold and propaganda to work in Korea and America. Colonel +Kazagrandi sent this Korean with his freight of gold to Baron Ungern. +After receiving this news the chief of the Russian detachment in +Uliassutai arrested all the Bolsheviki agents and passed judgment upon +them and upon the murderers of the Bobroffs. Kanine, Madame Pouzikoff +and Freimann were shot. Regarding Saltikoff and Novak some doubt sprang +up and, moreover, Saltikoff escaped and hid, while Novak, under advice +from Lieutenant Colonel Michailoff, left for the west. The chief of the +Russian detachment gave out orders for the mobilization of the Russian +colonists and openly took Uliassutai under his protection with the tacit +agreement of the Mongolian authorities. The Mongol Sait, Chultun Beyli, +convened a council of the neighboring Mongolian Princes, the soul of +which was the noted Mongolian patriot, Hun Jap Lama. The Princes quickly +formulated their demands upon the Chinese for the complete evacuation of +the territory subject to the Sait Chultun Beyli. Out of it grew parleys, +threats and friction between the various Chinese and Mongolian elements. +Wang Tsao-tsun proposed his scheme of settlement, which some of the +Mongolian Princes accepted; but Jap Lama at the decisive moment threw +the Chinese document to the ground, drew his knife and swore that +he would die by his own hand rather than set it as a seal upon this +treacherous agreement. As a result the Chinese proposals were rejected +and the antagonists began to prepare themselves for the struggle. All +the armed Mongols were summoned from Jassaktu Khan, Sain-Noion Khan and +the dominion of Jahantsi Lama. The Chinese authorities placed their +four machine guns and prepared to defend the fortress. Continuous +deliberations were held by both the Chinese and Mongols. Finally, our +old acquaintance Tzeren came to me as one of the unconcerned foreigners +and handed to me the joint requests of Wang Tsao-tsun and Chultun Beyli +to try to pacify the two elements and to work out a fair agreement +between them. Similar requests were handed to the representative of an +American firm. The following evening we held the first meeting of +the arbitrators and the Chinese and Mongolian representatives. It +was passionate and stormy, so that we foreigners lost all hope of the +success of our mission. However, at midnight when the speakers were +tired, we secured agreement on two points: the Mongols announced that +they did not want to make war and that they desired to settle this +matter in such a way as to retain the friendship of the great Chinese +people; while the Chinese Commissioner acknowledged that China had +violated the treaties by which full independence had been legally +granted to Mongolia. + +These two points formed for us the groundwork of the next meeting and +gave us the starting points for urging reconciliation. The deliberations +continued for three days and finally turned so that we foreigners could +propose our suggestions for an agreement. Its chief provisions were that +the Chinese authorities should surrender administrative powers, return +the arms to the Mongolians, disarm the two hundred gamins and leave +the country; and that the Mongols on their side should give free and +honorable passage of their country to the Commissioner with his armed +guard of eighty men. This Chinese-Mongolian Treaty of Uliassutai was +signed and sealed by the Chinese Commissioners, Wang Tsao-tsun and Fu +Hsiang, by both Mongolian Saits, by Hun Jap Lama and other Princes, +as well as by the Russian and Chinese Presidents of the Chambers of +Commerce and by us foreign arbitrators. The Chinese officials and convoy +began at once to pack up their belongings and prepare for departure. The +Chinese merchants remained in Uliassutai because Sait Chultun Beyli, +now having full authority and power, guaranteed their safety. The day of +departure for the expedition of Wang Tsao-tsun arrived. The camels with +their packs already filled the yamen court-yard and the men only awaited +the arrival of their horses from the plains. Suddenly the news spread +everywhere that the herd of horses had been stolen during the night +and run off toward the south. Of two soldiers that had been sent out to +follow the tracks of the herd only one came back with the news that the +other had been killed. Astonishment spread over the whole town while +among the Chinese it turned to open panic. It perceptibly increased when +some Mongols from a distant ourton to the east came in and announced +that in various places along the post road to Urga they had discovered +the bodies of sixteen of the soldiers whom Wang Tsao-tsun had sent +out with letters for Urga. The mystery of these events will soon be +explained. + +The chief of the Russian detachment received a letter from a Cossack +Colonel, V. N. Domojiroff, containing the order to disarm immediately +the Chinese garrison, to arrest all Chinese officials for transport +to Baron Ungern at Urga, to take control of Uliassutai, by force if +necessary, and to join forces with his detachment. At the very same time +a messenger from the Narabanchi Hutuktu galloped in with a letter to the +effect that a Russian detachment under the leadership of Hun Boldon and +Colonel Domojiroff from Urga had pillaged some Chinese firms and killed +the merchants, had come to the Monastery and demanded horses, food and +shelter. The Hutuktu asked for help because the ferocious conqueror of +Kobdo, Hun Boldon, could very easily pillage the unprotected isolated +monastery. We strongly urged Colonel Michailoff not to violate the +sealed treaty and discountenance all the foreigners and Russians who had +taken part in making it, for this would but be to imitate the Bolshevik +principle of making deceit the leading rule in all acts of state. +This touched Michailoff and he answered Domojiroff that Uliassutai was +already in his hands without a fight; that over the building of the +former Russian Consulate the tri-color flag of Russia was flying; the +gamins had been disarmed but that the other orders could not be carried +out, because their execution would violate the Chinese-Mongolian treaty +just signed in Uliassutai. + +Daily several envoys traveled from Narabanchi Hutuktu to Uliassutai. +The news became more and more disquieting. The Hutuktu reported that Hun +Boldon was mobilizing the Mongolian beggars and horse stealers, arming +and training them; that the soldiers were taking the sheep of the +monastery; that the "Noyon" Domojiroff was always drunk; and that the +protests of the Hutuktu were answered with jeers and scolding. The +messengers gave very indefinite information regarding the strength of +the detachment, some placing it at about thirty while others stated that +Domojiroff said he had eight hundred in all. We could not understand +it at all and soon the messengers ceased coming. All the letters of the +Sait remained unanswered and the envoys did not return. There seemed to +be no doubt that the men had been killed or captured. + +Prince Chultun Beyli determined to go himself. He took with him the +Russian and Chinese Presidents of the Chambers of Commerce and two +Mongolian officers. Three days elapsed without receiving any news +from him whatever. The Mongols began to get worried. Then the Chinese +Commissioner and Hun Jap Lama addressed a request to the foreigner +group to send some one to Narabanchi, in order to try to resolve the +controversy there and to persuade Domojiroff to recognize the treaty and +not permit the "great insult of violation" of a covenant between the two +great peoples. Our group asked me once more to accomplish this mission +pro bono publico. I had assigned me as interpreter a fine young Russian +colonist, the nephew of the murdered Bobroff, a splendid rider as well +as a cool, brave man. Lt.-Colonel Michailoff gave me one of his officers +to accompany me. Supplied with an express tzara for the post horses and +guides, we traveled rapidly over the way which was now familiar to me +to find my old friend, Jelib Djamsrap Huktuktu of Narabanchi. Although +there was deep snow in some places, we made from one hundred to one +hundred and fifteen miles per day. + + +CHAPTER XXVI + +THE BAND OF WHITE HUNGHUTZES + + +We arrived at Narabanchi late at night on the third day out. As we were +approaching, we noticed several riders who, as soon as they had seen us, +galloped quickly back to the monastery. For some time we looked for the +camp of the Russian detachment without finding it. The Mongols led us +into the monastery, where the Hutuktu immediately received me. In his +yurta sat Chultun Beyli. There he presented me with hatyks and said to +me: "The very God has sent you here to us in this difficult moment." + +It seems Domojiroff had arrested both the Presidents of the Chambers of +Commerce and had threatened to shoot Prince Chultun. Both Domojiroff and +Hun Boldon had no documents legalizing their activities. Chultun Beyli +was preparing to fight with them. + +I asked them to take me to Domojiroff. Through the dark I saw four big +yurtas and two Mongol sentinels with Russian rifles. We entered the +Russian "Noyon's" tent. A very strange picture was presented to our +eyes. In the middle of the yurta the brazier was burning. In the usual +place for the altar stood a throne, on which the tall, thin, grey-haired +Colonel Domojiroff was seated. He was only in his undergarments and +stockings, was evidently a little drunk and was telling stories. Around +the brazier lay twelve young men in various picturesque poses. My +officer companion reported to Domojiroff about the events in Uliassutai +and during the conversation I asked Domojiroff where his detachment was +encamped. He laughed and answered, with a sweep of his hand: "This is my +detachment." I pointed out to him that the form of his orders to us in +Uliassutai had led us to believe that he must have a large company with +him. Then I informed him that Lt.-Colonel Michailoff was preparing to +cross swords with the Bolshevik force approaching Uliassutai. + +"What?" he exclaimed with fear and confusion, "the Reds?" + +We spent the night in his yurta and, when I was ready to lie down, my +officer whispered to me: + +"Be sure to keep your revolver handy," to which I laughed and said: + +"But we are in the center of a White detachment and therefore in perfect +safety!" + +"Uh-huh!" answered my officer and finished the response with one eye +closed. + +The next day I invited Domojiroff to walk with me over the plain, when +I talked very frankly with him about what had been happening. He and Hun +Boldon had received orders from Baron Ungern simply to get into touch +with General Bakitch, but instead they began pillaging Chinese firms +along the route and he had made up his mind to become a great conqueror. +On the way he had run across some of the officers who deserted Colonel +Kazagrandi and formed his present band. I succeeded in persuading +Domojiroff to arrange matters peacefully with Chultun Beyli and not to +violate the treaty. He immediately went ahead to the monastery. As I +returned, I met a tall Mongol with a ferocious face, dressed in a blue +silk outercoat--it was Hun Boldon. He introduced himself and spoke +with me in Russian. I had only time to take off my coat in the tent of +Domojiroff when a Mongol came running to invite me to the yurta of +Hun Boldon. The Prince lived just beside me in a splendid blue yurta. +Knowing the Mongolian custom, I jumped into the saddle and rode the ten +paces to his door. Hun Boldon received me with coldness and pride. + +"Who is he?" he inquired of the interpreter, pointing to me with his +finger. + +I understood his desire to offend me and I answered in the same manner, +thrusting out my finger toward him and turning to the interpreter with +the same question in a slightly more unpleasant tone: + +"Who is he? High Prince and warrior or shepherd and brute?" + +Boldon at once became confused and, with trembling voice and agitation +in his whole manner, blurted out to me that he would not allow me to +interfere in his affairs and would shoot every man who dared to run +counter to his orders. He pounded on the low table with his fist and +then rose up and drew his revolver. But I was much traveled among the +nomads and had studied them thoroughly--Princes, Lamas, shepherds and +brigands. I grasped my whip and, striking it on the table with all my +strength, I said to the interpreter: + +"Tell him that he has the honor to speak with neither Mongol nor Russian +but with a foreigner, a citizen of a great and free state. Tell him he +must first learn to be a man and then he can visit me and we can talk +together." + +I turned and went out. Ten minutes later Hun Boldon entered my yurta and +offered his apologies. I persuaded him to parley with Chultun Beyli +and not to offend the free Mongol people with his activities. That very +night all was arranged. Hun Boldon dismissed his Mongols and left for +Kobdo, while Domojiroff with his band started for Jassaktu Khan to +arrange for the mobilization of the Mongols there. With the consent of +Chultun Beyli he wrote to Wang Tsao-tsun a demand to disarm his guard, +as all of the Chinese troops in Urga had been so treated; but this +letter arrived after Wang had bought camels to replace the stolen horses +and was on his way to the border. Later Lt.-Colonel Michailoff sent +a detachment of fifty men under the command of Lieutenant Strigine to +overhaul Wang and receive their arms. + + +CHAPTER XXVII + +MYSTERY IN A SMALL TEMPLE + + +Prince Chultun Beyli and I were ready to leave the Narabanchi Kure. +While the Hutuktu was holding service for the Sait in the Temple of +Blessing, I wandered around through the narrow alleyways between the +walls of the houses of the various grades of Lama Gelongs, Getuls, +Chaidje and Rabdjampa; of schools where the learned doctors of theology +or Maramba taught together with the doctors of medicine or Ta Lama; +of the residences for students called Bandi; of stores, archives and +libraries. When I returned to the yurta of the Hutuktu, he was inside. +He presented me with a large hatyk and proposed a walk around the +monastery. His face wore a preoccupied expression from which I gathered +that he had something he wished to discuss with me. As we went out of +the yurta, the liberated President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce +and a Russian officer joined us. The Hutuktu led us to a small building +just back of a bright yellow stone wall. + +"In that building once stopped the Dalai Lama and Bogdo Khan and we +always paint the buildings yellow where these holy persons have lived. +Enter!" + +The interior of the building was arranged with splendor. On the ground +floor was the dining-room, furnished with richly carved, heavy blackwood +Chinese tables and cabinets filled with porcelains and bronze. Above +were two rooms, the first a bed-room hung with heavy yellow silk +curtains; a large Chinese lantern richly set with colored stones hung +by a thin bronze chain from the carved wooden ceiling beam. Here stood +a large square bed covered with silken pillows, mattresses and blankets. +The frame work of the bed was also of the Chinese blackwood and carried, +especially on the posts that held the roof-like canopy, finely executed +carvings with the chief motive the conventional dragon devouring the +sun. By the side stood a chest of drawers completely covered with +carvings setting forth religious pictures. Four comfortable easy chairs +completed the furniture, save for the low oriental throne which stood on +a dais at the end of the room. + +"Do you see this throne?" said the Hutuktu to me. "One night in winter +several horsemen rode into the monastery and demanded that all the +Gelongs and Getuls with the Hutuktu and Kanpo at their head should +congregate in this room. Then one of the strangers mounted the throne, +where he took off his bashlyk or cap-like head covering. All of the +Lamas fell to their knees as they recognized the man who had been long +ago described in the sacred bulls of Dalai Lama, Tashi Lama and Bogdo +Khan. He was the man to whom the whole world belongs and who has +penetrated into all the mysteries of Nature. He pronounced a short +Tibetan prayer, blessed all his hearers and afterwards made predictions +for the coming half century. This was thirty years ago and in the +interim all his prophecies are being fulfilled. During his prayers +before that small shrine in the next room this door opened of its own +accord, the candles and lights before the altar lighted themselves and +the sacred braziers without coals gave forth great streams of incense +that filled the room. And then, without warning, the King of the World +and his companions disappeared from among us. Behind him remained no +trace save the folds in the silken throne coverings which smoothed +themselves out and left the throne as though no one had sat upon it." + +The Hutuktu entered the shrine, kneeled down, covering his eyes with his +hands, and began to pray. I looked at the calm, indifferent face of the +golden Buddha, over which the flickering lamps threw changing shadows, +and then turned my eyes to the side of the throne. It was wonderful and +difficult to believe but I really saw there the strong, muscular figure +of a man with a swarthy face of stern and fixed expression about the +mouth and jaws, thrown into high relief by the brightness of the eyes. +Through his transparent body draped in white raiment I saw the Tibetan +inscriptions on the back of the throne. I closed my eyes and opened +them again. No one was there but the silk throne covering seemed to be +moving. + +"Nervousness," I thought. "Abnormal and over-emphasized +impressionability growing out of the unusual surroundings and strains." + +The Hutuktu turned to me and said: "Give me your hatyk. I have the +feeling that you are troubled about those whom you love, and I want +to pray for them. And you must pray also, importune God and direct the +sight of your soul to the King of the World who was here and sanctified +this place." + +The Hutuktu placed the hatyk on the shoulder of the Buddha and, +prostrating himself on the carpet before the altar, whispered the words +of prayer. Then he raised his head and beckoned me to him with a slight +movement of his hand. + +"Look at the dark space behind the statue of Buddha and he will show +your beloved to you." + +Readily obeying his deep-voiced command, I began to look into the dark +niche behind the figure of the Buddha. Soon out of the darkness began to +appear streams of smoke or transparent threads. They floated in the air, +becoming more and more dense and increasing in number, until gradually +they formed the bodies of several persons and the outlines of various +objects. I saw a room that was strange to me with my family there, +surrounded by some whom I knew and others whom I did not. I recognized +even the dress my wife wore. Every line of her dear face was clearly +visible. Gradually the vision became too dark, dissipated itself into +the streams of smoke and transparent threads and disappeared. Behind the +golden Buddha was nothing but the darkness. The Hutuktu arose, took my +hatyk from the shoulder of the Buddha and handed it to me with these +words: + +"Fortune is always with you and with your family. God's goodness will +not forsake you." + +We left the building of this unknown King of the World, where he had +prayed for all mankind and had predicted the fate of peoples and states. +I was greatly astonished to find that my companions had also seen my +vision and to hear them describe to me in minute detail the appearance +and the clothes of the persons whom I had seen in the dark niche behind +the head of Buddha.* + + * In order that I might have the evidence of others on this + extraordinarily impressive vision, I asked them to make + protocols or affidavits concerning what they saw. This they + did and I now have these statements in my possession. + +The Mongol officer also told me that Chultun Beyli had the day before +asked the Hutuktu to reveal to him his fate in this important juncture +of his life and in this crisis of his country but the Hutuktu only waved +his hand in an expression of fear and refused. When I asked the Hutuktu +for the reason of his refusal, suggesting to him that it might calm and +help Chultun Beyli as the vision of my beloved had strengthened me, the +Hutuktu knitted his brow and answered: + +"No! The vision would not please the Prince. His fate is black. +Yesterday I thrice sought his fortune on the burned shoulder blades and +with the entrails of sheep and each time came to the same dire result, +the same dire result! . . ." + +He did not really finish speaking but covered his face with his hands +in fear. He was convinced that the lot of Chultun Beyli was black as the +night. + +In an hour we were behind the low hills that hid the Narabanchi Kure +from our sight. + + +CHAPTER XXVIII + +THE BREATH OF DEATH + + +We arrived at Uliassutai on the day of the return of the detachment +which had gone out to disarm the convoy of Wang Tsao-tsun. This +detachment had met Colonel Domojiroff, who ordered them not only to +disarm but to pillage the convoy and, unfortunately, Lieutenant Strigine +executed this illegal and unwarranted command. It was compromising and +ignominious to see Russian officers and soldiers wearing the Chinese +overcoats, boots and wrist watches which had been taken from the Chinese +officials and the convoy. Everyone had Chinese silver and gold also from +the loot. The Mongol wife of Wang Tsao-tsun and her brother returned +with the detachment and entered a complaint of having been robbed by +the Russians. The Chinese officials and their convoy, deprived of their +supplies, reached the Chinese border only after great distress +from hunger and cold. We foreigners were astounded that Lt.-Colonel +Michailoff received Strigine with military honors but we caught the +explanation of it later when we learned that Michailoff had been given +some of the Chinese silver and his wife the handsomely decorated saddle +of Fu Hsiang. Chultun Beyli demanded that all the weapons taken from the +Chinese and all the stolen property be turned over to him, as it must +later be returned to the Chinese authorities; but Michailoff refused. +Afterwards we foreigners cut off all contact with the Russian +detachment. The relations between the Russians and Mongols became very +strained. Several of the Russian officers protested against the acts of +Michailoff and Strigine and controversies became more and more serious. + +At this time, one morning in April, an extraordinary group of armed +horsemen arrived at Uliassutai. They stayed at the house of the +Bolshevik Bourdukoff, who gave them, so we were told, a great quantity +of silver. This group explained that they were former officers in the +Imperial Guard. They were Colonels Poletika, N. N. Philipoff and three +of the latter's brothers. They announced that they wanted to collect all +the White officers and soldiers then in Mongolia and China and lead them +to Urianhai to fight the Bolsheviki; but that first they wanted to wipe +out Ungern and return Mongolia to China. They called themselves the +representatives of the Central Organization of the Whites in Russia. + +The society of Russian officers in Uliassutai invited them to a meeting, +examined their documents and interrogated them. Investigation proved +that all the statements of these officers about their former connections +were entirely wrong, that Poletika occupied an important position in the +war commissariat of the Bolsheviki, that one of the Philipoff brothers +was the assistant of Kameneff in his first attempt to reach England, +that the Central White Organization in Russia did not exist, that the +proposed fighting in Urianhai was but a trap for the White officers and +that this group was in close relations with the Bolshevik Bourdukoff. + +A discussion at once sprang up among the officers as to what they +should do with this group, which split the detachment into two distinct +parties. Lt.-Colonel Michailoff with several officers joined themselves +to Poletika's group just as Colonel Domojiroff arrived with his +detachment. He began to get in touch with both factions and to feel out +the politics of the situation, finally appointing Poletika to the post +of Commandant of Uliassutai and sending to Baron Ungern a full report +of the events in the town. In this document he devoted much space to me, +accusing me of standing in the way of the execution of his orders. His +officers watched me continuously. From different quarters I received +warnings to take great care. This band and its leader openly demanded +to know what right this foreigner had to interfere in the affairs of +Mongolia, one of Domojiroff's officers directly giving me the challenge +in a meeting in the attempt to provoke a controversy. I quietly answered +him: + +"And on what basis do the Russian refugees interfere, they who have +rights neither at home nor abroad?" + +The officer made no verbal reply but in his eyes burned a definite +answer. My huge friend who sat beside me noticed this, strode over +toward him and, towering over him, stretched his arms and hands as +though just waking from sleep and remarked: "I'm looking for a little +boxing exercise." + +On one occasion Domojiroff's men would have succeeded in taking me if I +had not been saved by the watchfulness of our foreign group. I had gone +to the fortress to negotiate with the Mongol Sait for the departure of +the foreigners from Uliassutai. Chultun Beyli detained me for a long +time, so that I was forced to return about nine in the evening. My horse +was walking. Half a mile from the town three men sprang up out of the +ditch and ran at me. I whipped up my horse but noticed several more men +coming out of the other ditch as though to head me off. They, however, +made for the other group and captured them and I heard the voice of a +foreigner calling me back. There I found three of Domojiroff's officers +surrounded by the Polish soldiers and other foreigners under the +leadership of my old trusted agronome, who was occupied with tying the +hands of the officers behind their backs so strongly that the bones +cracked. Ending his work and still smoking his perpetual pipe, he +announced in a serious and important manner: "I think it best to throw +them into the river." + +Laughing at his seriousness and the fear of Domojiroff's officers, I +asked them why they had started to attack me. They dropped their eyes +and were silent. It was an eloquent silence and we perfectly understood +what they had proposed to do. They had revolvers hidden in their +pockets. + +"Fine!" I said. "All is perfectly clear. I shall release you but you +must report to your sender that he will not welcome you back the next +time. Your weapons I shall hand to the Commandant of Uliassutai." + +My friend, using his former terrifying care, began to untie them, +repeating over and over: "And I would have fed you to the fishes in the +river!" Then we all returned to the town, leaving them to go their way. + +Domojiroff continued to send envoys to Baron Ungern at Urga with +requests for plenary powers and money and with reports about Michailoff, +Chultun Beyli, Poletika, Philipoff and myself. With Asiatic cunning +he was then maintaining good relations with all those for whom he was +preparing death at the hands of the severe warrior, Baron Ungern, +who was receiving only one-sided reports about all the happenings in +Uliassutai. Our whole colony was greatly agitated. The officers split +into different parties; the soldiers collected in groups and discussed +the events of the day, criticising their chiefs, and under the influence +of some of Domojiroff's men began making such statements as: + +"We have now seven Colonels, who all want to be in command and are all +quarreling among themselves. They all ought to be pegged down and given +good sound thrashings. The one who could take the greatest number of +blows ought to be chosen as our chief." + +It was an ominous joke that proved the demoralization of the Russian +detachment. + +"It seems," my friend frequently observed, "that we shall soon have the +pleasure of seeing a Council of Soldiers here in Uliassutai. God and +the Devil! One thing here is very unfortunate--there are no forests +near into which good Christian men may dive and get away from all these +cursed Soviets. It's bare, frightfully bare, this wretched Mongolia, +with no place for us to hide." + +Really this possibility of the Soviet was approaching. On one occasion +the soldiers captured the arsenal containing the weapons surrendered +by the Chinese and carried them off to their barracks. Drunkenness, +gambling and fighting increased. We foreigners, carefully watching +events and in fear of a catastrophe, finally decided to leave +Uliassutai, that caldron of passions, controversies and denunciations. +We heard that the group of Poletika was also preparing to get out a few +days later. We foreigners separated into two parties, one traveling by +the old caravan route across the Gobi considerably to the south of Urga +to Kuku-Hoto or Kweihuacheng and Kalgan, and mine, consisting of my +friend, two Polish soldiers and myself, heading for Urga via Zain Shabi, +where Colonel Kazagrandi had asked me in a recent letter to meet him. +Thus we left the Uliassutai where we had lived through so many exciting +events. + +On the sixth day after our departure there arrived in the town the +Mongol-Buriat detachment under the command of the Buriat Vandaloff and +the Russian Captain Bezrodnoff. Afterwards I met them in Zain Shabi. It +was a detachment sent out from Urga by Baron Ungern to restore order +in Uliassutai and to march on to Kobdo. On the way from Zain Shabi +Bezrodnoff came across the group of Poletika and Michailoff. He +instituted a search which disclosed suspicious documents in their +baggage and in that of Michailoff and his wife the silver and other +possessions taken from the Chinese. From this group of sixteen he sent +N. N. Philipoff to Baron Ungern, released three others and shot the +remaining twelve. Thus ended in Zain Shabi the life of one party of +Uliassutai refugees and the activities of the group of Poletika. In +Uliassutai Bezrodnoff shot Chultun Beyli for the violation of the treaty +with the Chinese, and also some Bolshevist Russian colonists; arrested +Domojiroff and sent him to Urga; and . . . restored order. The +predictions about Chultun Beyli were fulfilled. + +I knew of Domojiroff's reports regarding myself but I decided, +nevertheless, to proceed to Urga and not to swing round it, as Poletika +had started to do when he was accidentally captured by Bezrodnoff. I was +accustomed now to looking into the eyes of danger and I set out to meet +the terrible "bloody Baron." No one can decide his own fate. I did not +think myself in the wrong and the feeling of fear had long since ceased +to occupy a place in my menage. On the way a Mongol rider who overhauled +us brought the news of the death of our acquaintances at Zain Shabi. He +spent the night with me in the yurta at the ourton and related to me the +following legend of death. + +"It was a long time ago when the Mongolians ruled over China. The +Prince of Uliassutai, Beltis Van, was mad. He executed any one he wished +without trial and no one dared to pass through his town. All the other +Princes and rich Mongols surrounded Uliassutai, where Beltis raged, +cut off communication on every road and allowed none to pass in or out. +Famine developed in the town. They consumed all the oxen, sheep and +horses and finally Beltis Van determined to make a dash with his +soldiers through to the west to the land of one of his tribes, the +Olets. He and his men all perished in the fight. The Princes, following +the advice of the Hutuktu Buyantu, buried the dead on the slopes of the +mountains surrounding Uliassutai. They buried them with incantations and +exorcisings in order that Death by Violence might be kept from a further +visitation to their land. The tombs were covered with heavy stones and +the Hutuktu predicted that the bad demon of Death by Violence would +only leave the earth when the blood of a man should be spilled upon the +covering stone. Such a legend lived among us. Now it is fulfilled. The +Russians shot there three Bolsheviki and the Chinese two Mongols. The +evil spirit of Beltis Van broke loose from beneath the heavy stone and +now mows down the people with his scythe. The noble Chultun Beyli has +perished; the Russian Noyon Michailoff also has fallen; and death has +flowed out from Uliassutai all over our boundless plains. Who shall be +able to stem it now? Who shall tie the ferocious hands? An evil time has +fallen upon the Gods and the Good Spirits. The Evil Demons have made war +upon the Good Spirits. What can man now do? Only perish, only +perish. . . ." + + + + +Part III + +THE STRAINING HEART OF ASIA + + +CHAPTER XXIX + +ON THE ROAD OF GREAT CONQUERORS + + +The great conqueror, Jenghiz Khan, the son of sad, stern, severe +Mongolia, according to an old Mongolian legend "mounted to the top of +Karasu Togol and with his eyes of an eagle looked to the west and the +east. In the west he saw whole seas of human blood over which floated +a bloody fog that blanketed all the horizon. There he could not discern +his fate. But the gods ordered him to proceed to the west, leading with +him all his warriors and Mongolian tribes. To the east he saw wealthy +towns, shining temples, crowds of happy people, gardens and fields of +rich earth, all of which pleased the great Mongol. He said to his sons: +'There in the west I shall be fire and sword, destroyer, avenging +Fate; in the east I shall come as the merciful, great builder, bringing +happiness to the people and to the land.'" + +Thus runs the legend. I found much of truth in it. I had passed over +much of his road to the west and always identified it by the old tombs +and the impertinent monuments of stone to the merciless conqueror. I saw +also a part of the eastern road of the hero, over which he traveled to +China. Once when we were making a trip out of Uliassutai we stopped the +night in Djirgalantu. The old host of the ourton, knowing me from my +previous trip to Narabanchi, welcomed us very kindly and regaled us with +stories during our evening meal. Among other things he led us out of the +yurta and pointed out a mountain peak brightly lighted by the full moon +and recounted to us the story of one of the sons of Jenghiz, afterwards +Emperor of China, Indo-China and Mongolia, who had been attracted by the +beautiful scenery and grazing lands of Djirgalantu and had founded here +a town. This was soon left without inhabitants, for the Mongol is a +nomad who cannot live in artificial cities. The plain is his house and +the world his town. For a time this town witnessed battles between the +Chinese and the troops of Jenghiz Khan but afterwards it was forgotten. +At present there remains only a half-ruined tower, from which in the +early days the heavy rocks were hurled down upon the heads of the +enemy, and the dilapidated gate of Kublai, the grandson of Jenghiz Khan. +Against the greenish sky drenched with the rays of the moon stood out +the jagged line of the mountains and the black silhouette of the tower +with its loopholes, through which the alternate scudding clouds and +light flashed. + +When our party left Uliassutai, we traveled on leisurely, making +thirty-five to fifty miles a day until we were within sixty miles of +Zain Shabi, where I took leave of the others to go south to this place +in order to keep my engagement with Colonel Kazagrandi. The sun had just +risen as my single Mongol guide and I without any pack animals began to +ascend the low, timbered ridges, from the top of which I caught the last +glimpses of my companions disappearing down the valley. I had no idea +then of the many and almost fatal dangers which I should have to pass +through during this trip by myself, which was destined to prove much +longer than I had anticipated. As we were crossing a small river with +sandy shores, my Mongol guide told me how the Mongolians came there +during the summer to wash gold, in spite of the prohibitions of the +Lamas. The manner of working the placer was very primitive but the +results testified clearly to the richness of these sands. The Mongol +lies flat on the ground, brushes the sand aside with a feather and keeps +blowing into the little excavation so formed. From time to time he wets +his finger and picks up on it a small bit of grain gold or a diminutive +nugget and drops these into a little bag hanging under his chin. In such +manner this primitive dredge wins about a quarter of an ounce or five +dollars' worth of the yellow metal per day. + +I determined to make the whole distance to Zain Shabi in a single day. +At the ourtons I hurried them through the catching and saddling of the +horses as fast as I could. At one of these stations about twenty-five +miles from the monastery the Mongols gave me a wild horse, a big, strong +white stallion. Just as I was about to mount him and had already touched +my foot to the stirrup, he jumped and kicked me right on the leg which +had been wounded in the Ma-chu fight. The leg soon began to swell and +ache. At sunset I made out the first Russian and Chinese buildings +and later the monastery at Zain. We dropped into the valley of a small +stream which flowed along a mountain on whose peak were set white rocks +forming the words of a Tibetan prayer. At the bottom of this mountain +was a cemetery for the Lamas, that is, piles of bones and a pack +of dogs. At last the monastery lay right below us, a common square +surrounded with wooden fences. In the middle rose a large temple quite +different from all those of western Mongolia, not in the Chinese but in +the Tibetan style of architecture, a white building with perpendicular +walls and regular rows of windows in black frames, with a roof of black +tiles and with a most unusual damp course laid between the stone walls +and the roof timbers and made of bundles of twigs from a Tibetan tree +which never rots. Another small quadrangle lay a little to the east and +contained Russian buildings connected with the monastery by telephone. + +"That is the house of the Living God of Zain," the Mongol explained, +pointing to this smaller quadrangle. "He likes Russian customs and +manners." + +To the north on a conical-shaped hill rose a tower that recalled the +Babylonian zikkurat. It was the temple where the ancient books and +manuscripts were kept and the broken ornaments and objects used in +the religious ceremonies together with the robes of deceased Hutuktus +preserved. A sheer cliff rose behind this museum, which it was +impossible for one to climb. On the face of this were carved images of +the Lamaite gods, scattered about without any special order. They were +from one to two and a half metres high. At night the monks lighted +lamps before them, so that one could see these images of the gods and +goddesses from far away. + +We entered the trading settlement. The streets were deserted and from +the windows only women and children looked out. I stopped with a Russian +firm whose other branches I had known throughout the country. Much to my +astonishment they welcomed me as an acquaintance. It appeared that +the Hutuktu of Narabanchi had sent word to all the monasteries that, +whenever I should come, they must all render me aid, inasmuch as I +had saved the Narabanchi Monastery and, by the clear signs of the +divinations, I was an incarnate Buddha beloved of the Gods. This letter +of this kindly disposed Hutuktu helped me very much--perhaps I should +even say more, that it saved me from death. The hospitality of my hosts +proved of great and much needed assistance to me because my injured leg +had swelled and was aching severely. When I took off my boot, I found +my foot all covered with blood and my old wound re-opened by the blow. A +felcher was called to assist me with treatment and bandaging, so that I +was able to walk again three days later. + +I did not find Colonel Kazagrandi at Zain Shabi. After destroying the +Chinese gamins who had killed the local Commandant, he had returned via +Van Kure. The new Commandment handed me the letter of Kazagrandi, who +very cordially asked me to visit him after I had rested in Zain. A +Mongolian document was enclosed in the letter giving me the right to +receive horses and carts from herd to herd by means of the "urga," which +I shall later describe and which opened for me an entirely new vista of +Mongolian life and country that I should otherwise never have seen. The +making of this journey of over two hundred miles was a very disagreeable +task for me; but evidently Kazagrandi, whom I had never met, had serious +reasons for wishing this meeting. + +At one o'clock the day after my arrival I was visited by the local +"Very God," Gheghen Pandita Hutuktu. A more strange and extraordinary +appearance of a god I could not imagine. He was a short, thin young man +of twenty or twenty-two years with quick, nervous movements and with an +expressive face lighted and dominated, like the countenances of all the +Mongol gods, by large, frightened eyes. He was dressed in a blue silk +Russian uniform with yellow epaulets with the sacred sign of Pandita +Hutuktu, in blue silk trousers and high boots, all surmounted by a white +Astrakhan cap with a yellow pointed top. At his girdle a revolver and +sword were slung. I did not know quite what to think of this disguised +god. He took a cup of tea from the host and began to talk with a mixture +of Mongolian and Russian. + +"Not far from my Kure is located the ancient monastery of Erdeni Dzu, +erected on the site of the ruins of Karakorum, the ancient capital +of Jenghiz Khan and afterwards frequently visited by Kublai Kahn for +sanctuary and rest after his labors as Emperor of China, India, Persia, +Afghanistan, Mongolia and half of Europe. Now only ruins and tombs +remain to mark this former 'Garden of Beatific Days.' The pious monks of +Baroun Kure found in the underground chambers of the ruins manuscripts +that were much older than Erdeni Dzu itself. In these my Maramba +Meetchik-Atak found the prediction that the Hutuktu of Zain who should +carry the title of 'Pandita,' should be but twenty-one years of age, be +born in the heart of the lands of Jenghiz Khan and have on his chest +the natural sign of the swastika--such Hutuktu would be honored by the +people in the days of a great war and trouble, would begin the fight +with the servants of Red evil and would conquer them and bring order +into the universe, celebrating this happy day in the city with white +temples and with the songs of ten thousand bells. It is I, Pandita +Hutuktu! The signs and symbols have met in me. I shall destroy the +Bolsheviki, the bad 'servants of the Red evil,' and in Moscow I shall +rest from my glorious and great work. Therefore I have asked Colonel +Kazagrandi to enlist me in the troops of Baron Ungern and give me the +chance to fight. The Lamas seek to prevent me from going but who is the +god here?" + +He very sternly stamped his foot, while the Lamas and guard who +accompanied him reverently bowed their heads. + +As he left he presented me with a hatyk and, rummaging through my saddle +bags, I found a single article that might be considered worthy as a +gift for a Hutuktu, a small bottle of osmiridium, this rare, natural +concomitant of platinum. + +"This is the most stable and hardest of metals," I said. "Let it be the +sign of your glory and strength, Hutuktu!" + +The Pandita thanked me and invited me to visit him. When I had recovered +a little, I went to his house, which was arranged in European style: +electric lights, push bells and telephone. He feasted me with wine and +sweets and introduced me to two very interesting personages, one an old +Tibetan surgeon with a face deeply pitted by smallpox, a heavy thick +nose and crossed eyes. He was a peculiar surgeon, consecrated in Tibet. +His duties consisted in treating and curing Hutuktus when they were +ill and . . . in poisoning them when they became too independent or +extravagant or when their policies were not in accord with the wishes +of the Council of Lamas of the Living Buddha or the Dalai Lama. By +now Pandita Hutuktu probably rests in eternal peace on the top of some +sacred mountain, sent thither by the solicitude of his extraordinary +court physician. The martial spirit of Pandita Hutuktu was very +unwelcome to the Council of Lamas, who protested against the +adventuresomeness of this "Living God." + +Pandita liked wine and cards. One day when he was in the company of +Russians and dressed in a European suit, some Lamas came running to +announce that divine service had begun and that the "Living God" must +take his place on the altar to be prayed to but he had gone out from his +abode and was playing cards! Without any confusion Pandita drew his red +mantle of the Hutuktu over his European coat and long grey trousers and +allowed the shocked Lamas to carry their "God" away in his palanquin. + +Besides the surgeon-poisoner I met at the Hutuktu's a lad of thirteen +years, whose youthfulness, red robe and cropped hair led me to suppose +he was a Bandi or student servant in the home of the Hutuktu; but it +turned out otherwise. This boy was the first Hubilgan, also an incarnate +Buddha, an artful teller of fortunes and the successor of Pandita +Hutuktu. He was drunk all the time and a great card player, always +making side-splitting jokes that greatly offended the Lamas. + +That same evening I made the acquaintance of the second Hubilgan +who called on me, the real administrator of Zain Shabi, which is +an independent dominion subject directly to the Living Buddha. This +Hubilgan was a serious and ascetic man of thirty-two, well educated and +deeply learned in Mongol lore. He knew Russian and read much in that +language, being interested chiefly in the life and stories of other +peoples. He had a high respect for the creative genius of the American +people and said to me: + +"When you go to America, ask the Americans to come to us and lead us out +from the darkness that surrounds us. The Chinese and Russians will lead +us to destruction and only the Americans can save us." + +It is a deep satisfaction for me to carry out the request of this +influential Mongol, Hubilgan, and to urge his appeal to the American +people. Will you not save this honest, uncorrupted but dark, deceived +and oppressed people? They should not be allowed to perish, for within +their souls they carry a great store of strong moral forces. Make of +them a cultured people, believing in the verity of humankind; teach them +to use the wealth of their land; and the ancient people of Jenghiz Khan +will ever be your faithful friends. + +When I had sufficiently recovered, the Hutuktu invited me to travel with +him to Erdeni Dzu, to which I willingly agreed. On the following morning +a light and comfortable carriage was brought for me. Our trip lasted +five days, during which we visited Erdeni Dzu, Karakorum, Hoto-Zaidam +and Hara-Balgasun. All these are the ruins of monasteries and cities +erected by Jenghiz Khan and his successors, Ugadai Khan and Kublai +in the thirteenth century. Now only the remnants of walls and towers +remain, some large tombs and whole books of legends and stories. + +"Look at these tombs!" said the Hutuktu to me. "Here the son of Khan +Uyuk was buried. This young prince was bribed by the Chinese to kill his +father but was frustrated in his attempt by his own sister, who killed +him in her watchful care of her old father, the Emperor and Khan. There +is the tomb of Tsinilla, the beloved spouse of Khan Mangu. She left the +capital of China to go to Khara Bolgasun, where she fell in love with +the brave shepherd Damcharen, who overtook the wind on his steed and +who captured wild yaks and horses with his bare hands. The enraged Khan +ordered his unfaithful wife strangled but afterwards buried her with +imperial honors and frequently came to her tomb to weep for his lost +love." + +"And what happened to Damcharen?" I inquired. + +The Hutuktu himself did not know; but his old servant, the real archive +of legends, answered: + +"With the aid of ferocious Chahar brigands he fought with China for a +long time. It is, however, unknown how he died." + +Among the ruins the monks pray at certain fixed times and they also +search for sacred books and objects concealed or buried in the debris. +Recently they found here two Chinese rifles and two gold rings and big +bundles of old manuscripts tied with leather thongs. + +"Why did this region attract the powerful emperors and Khans who ruled +from the Pacific to the Adriatic?" I asked myself. Certainly not these +mountains and valleys covered with larch and birch, not these vast +sands, receding lakes and barren rocks. It seems that I found the +answer. + +The great emperors, remembering the vision of Jenghiz Khan, sought here +new revelations and predictions of his miraculous, majestic destiny, +surrounded by the divine honors, obeisance and hate. Where could they +come into touch with the gods, the good and bad spirits? Only there +where they abode. All the district of Zain with these ancient ruins is +just such a place. + +"On this mountain only such men can ascend as are born of the direct +line of Jenghiz Khan," the Pandita explained to me. "Half way up the +ordinary man suffocates and dies, if he ventures to go further. Recently +Mongolian hunters chased a pack of wolves up this mountain and, when +they came to this part of the mountainside, they all perished. There on +the slopes of the mountain lie the bones of eagles, big horned sheep and +the kabarga antelope, light and swift as the wind. There dwells the bad +demon who possesses the book of human destinies." + +"This is the answer," I thought. + +In the Western Caucasus I once saw a mountain between Soukhoum Kale and +Tuopsei where wolves, eagles and wild goats also perish, and where men +would likewise perish if they did not go on horseback through this zone. +There the earth breathes out carbonic acid gas through holes in the +mountainside, killing all animal life. The gas clings to the earth in a +layer about half a metre thick. Men on horseback pass above this and the +horses always hold their heads way up and snuff and whinny in fear until +they cross the dangerous zone. Here on the top of this mountain +where the bad demon peruses the book of human destinies is the same +phenomenon, and I realized the sacred fear of the Mongols as well as the +stern attraction of this place for the tall, almost gigantic descendants +of Jenghiz Khan. Their heads tower above the layers of poisonous gas, +so that they can reach the top of this mysterious and terrible mountain. +Also it is possible to explain this phenomenon geologically, because +here in this region is the southern edge of the coal deposits which are +the source of carbonic acid and swamp gases. + +Not far from the ruins in the lands of Hun Doptchin Djamtso there is +a small lake which sometimes burns with a red flame, terrifying the +Mongols and herds of horses. Naturally this lake is rich with legends. +Here a meteor formerly fell and sank far into the earth. In the hole +this lake appeared. Now, it seems, the inhabitants of the subterranean +passages, semi-man and semi-demon, are laboring to extract this "stone +of the sky" from its deep bed and it is setting the water on fire as it +rises and falls back in spite of their every effort. I did not see the +lake myself but a Russian colonist told me that it may be petroleum on +the lake that is fired either from the campfires of the shepherds or by +the blazing rays of the sun. + +At any rate all this makes it very easy to understand the attractions +for the great Mongol potentates. The strongest impression was produced +upon me by Karakorum, the place where the cruel and wise Jenghiz Khan +lived and laid his gigantic plans for overrunning all the west with +blood and for covering the east with a glory never before seen. Two +Karakorums were erected by Jenghiz Khan, one here near Tatsa Gol on the +Caravan Road and the other in Pamir, where the sad warriors buried the +greatest of human conquerors in the mausoleum built by five hundred +captives who were sacrificed to the spirit of the deceased when their +work was done. + +The warlike Pandita Hutuktu prayed on the ruins where the shades of +these potentates who had ruled half the world wandered, and his soul +longed for the chimerical exploits and for the glory of Jenghiz and +Tamerlane. + +On the return journey we were invited not far from Zain to visit a very +rich Mongol by the way. He had already prepared the yurtas suitable for +Princes, ornamented with rich carpets and silk draperies. The Hutuktu +accepted. We arranged ourselves on the soft pillows in the yurtas as the +Hutuktu blessed the Mongol, touching his head with his holy hand, and +received the hatyks. The host then had a whole sheep brought in to us, +boiled in a huge vessel. The Hutuktu carved off one hind leg and offered +it to me, while he reserved the other for himself. After this he gave a +large piece of meat to the smallest son of the host, which was the sign +that Pandita Hutuktu invited all to begin the feast. In a trice the +sheep was entirely carved or torn up and in the hands of the banqueters. +When the Hutuktu had thrown down by the brazier the white bones without +a trace of meat left on them, the host on his knees withdrew from the +fire a piece of sheepskin and ceremoniously offered it on both his hands +to the Hutuktu. Pandita began to clean off the wool and ashes with his +knife and, cutting it into thin strips, fell to eating this really tasty +course. It is the covering from just above the breast bone and is called +in Mongolian tarach or "arrow." When a sheep is skinned, this small +section is cut out and placed on the hot coals, where it is broiled very +slowly. Thus prepared it is considered the most dainty bit of the +whole animal and is always presented to the guest of honor. It is +not permissible to divide it, such is the strength of the custom and +ceremony. + +After dinner our host proposed a hunt for bighorns, a large herd of +which was known to graze in the mountains within less than a mile from +the yurtas. Horses with rich saddles and bridles were led up. All the +elaborate harness of the Hutuktu's mount was ornamented with red and +yellow bits of cloth as a mark of his rank. About fifty Mongol riders +galloped behind us. When we left our horses, we were placed behind +the rocks roughly three hundred paces apart and the Mongols began the +encircling movement around the mountain. After about half an hour I +noticed way up among the rocks something flash and soon made out a fine +bighorn jumping with tremendous springs from rock to rock, and behind +him a herd of some twenty odd head leaping like lightning over the +ground. I was vexed beyond words when it appeared that the Mongols had +made a mess of it and pushed the herd out to the side before having +completed their circle. But happily I was mistaken. Behind a rock right +ahead of the herd a Mongol sprang up and waved his hands. Only the big +leader was not frightened and kept right on past the unarmed Mongol +while all the rest of the herd swung suddenly round and rushed right +down upon me. I opened fire and dropped two of them. The Hutuktu also +brought down one as well as a musk antelope that came unexpectedly from +behind a rock hard by. The largest pair of horns weighed about thirty +pounds, but they were from a young sheep. + +The day following our return to Zain Shabi, as I was feeling quite +recovered, I decided to go on to Van Kure. At my leave-taking from +the Hutuktu I received a large hatyk from him together with warmest +expressions of thanks for the present I had given him on the first day +of our acquaintance. + +"It is a fine medicine!" he exclaimed. "After our trip I felt quite +exhausted but I took your medicine and am now quite rejuvenated. Many, +many thanks!" + +The poor chap had swallowed my osmiridium. To be sure it could not +harm him; but to have helped him was wonderful. Perhaps doctors in the +Occident may wish to try this new, harmless and very cheap remedy--only +eight pounds of it in the whole world--and I merely ask that they leave +me the patent rights for it for Mongolia, Barga, Sinkiang, Koko Nor and +all the other lands of Central Asia. + +An old Russian colonist went as guide for me. They gave me a big but +light and comfortable cart hitched and drawn in a marvelous way. A +straight pole four metres long was fastened athwart the front of the +shafts. On either side two riders took this pole across their saddle +pommels and galloped away with me across the plains. Behind us galloped +four other riders with four extra horses. + + +CHAPTER XXX + +ARRESTED! + + +About twelve miles from Zain we saw from a ridge a snakelike line of +riders crossing the valley, which detachment we met half an hour later +on the shore of a deep, swampy stream. The group consisted of Mongols, +Buriats and Tibetans armed with Russian rifles. At the head of the +column were two men, one of whom in a huge black Astrakhan and black +felt cape with red Caucasian cowl on his shoulders blocked my road and, +in a coarse, harsh voice, demanded of me: "Who are you, where are you +from and where are you going?" + +I gave also a laconic answer. They then said that they were a detachment +of troops from Baron Ungern under the command of Captain Vandaloff. "I +am Captain Bezrodnoff, military judge." + +Suddenly he laughed loudly. His insolent, stupid face did not please me +and, bowing to the officers, I ordered my riders to move. + +"Oh no!" he remonstrated, as he blocked the road again. "I cannot allow +you to go farther. I want to have a long and serious conversation with +you and you will have to come back to Zain for it." + +I protested and called attention to the letter of Colonel Kazagrandi, +only to hear Bezrodnoff answer with coldness: + +"This letter is a matter of Colonel Kazagrandi's and to bring you back +to Zain and talk with you is my affair. Now give me your weapon." + +But I could not yield to this demand, even though death were threatened. + +"Listen," I said. "Tell me frankly. Is yours really a detachment +fighting against the Boisheviki or is it a Red contingent?" + +"No, I assure you!" replied the Buriat officer Vandaloff, approaching +me. "We have already been fighting the Bolsheviki for three years." + +"Then I cannot hand you my weapon," I calmly replied. "I brought it from +Soviet Siberia, have had many fights with this faithful weapon and now +I am to be disarmed by White officers! It is an offence that I cannot +allow." + +With these words I threw my rifle and my Mauser into the stream. The +officers were confused. Bezrodnoff turned red with anger. + +"I freed you and myself from humiliation," I explained. + +Bezrodnoff in silence turned his horse, the whole detachment of three +hundred men passed immediately before me and only the last two riders +stopped, ordered my Mongols to turn my cart round and then fell in +behind my little group. So I was arrested! One of the horsemen behind me +was a Russian and he told me that Bezrodnoff carried with him many death +decrees. I was sure that mine was among them. + +Stupid, very stupid! What was the use of fighting one's way through Red +detachments, of being frozen and hungry, of almost perishing in Tibet +only to die from a bullet of one of Bezrodnoff's Mongols? For such a +pleasure it was not worth while to travel so long and so far! In every +Siberian "Cheka" I could have had this end so joyfully accorded me. + +When we arrived at Zain Shabi, my luggage was examined and Bezrodnoff +began to question me in minutest detail about the events in Uliassutai. +We talked about three hours, during which I tried to defend all the +officers of Uliassutai, maintaining that one must not trust only the +reports of Domojiroff. When our conversation was finished, the Captain +stood up and offered his apologies for detaining me in my journey. +Afterwards he presented me a fine Mauser with silver mountings on the +handle and said: + +"Your pride greatly pleased me. I beg you to receive this weapon as a +memento of me." + +The following morning I set out anew from Zain Shabi, having in my +pocket the laissez-passer of Bezrodnoff for his outposts. + + +CHAPTER XXXI + +TRAVELING BY "URGA" + + +Once more we traveled along the now known places, the mountain from +which I espied the detachment of Bezrodnoff, the stream into which I had +thrown my weapon, and soon all this lay behind us. At the first ourton +we were disappointed because we did not find horses there. In the yurtas +were only the host with two of his sons. I showed him my document and he +exclaimed: + +"Noyon has the right of 'urga.' Horses will be brought very soon." + +He jumped into his saddle, took two of my Mongols with him, providing +them and himself with long thin poles, four or five metres in length, +and fitted at the end with a loop of rope, and galloped away. My cart +moved behind them. We left the road, crossed the plain for an hour and +came upon a big herd of horses grazing there. The Mongol began to catch +a quota of them for us with his pole and noose or urga, when out of the +mountains nearby came galloping the owners of the herds. When the +old Mongol showed my papers to them, they submissively acquiesced and +substituted four of their men for those who had come with me thus far. +In this manner the Mongols travel, not along the ourton or station road +but directly from one herd to another, where the fresh horses are caught +and saddled and the new owners substituted for those of the last herd. +All the Mongols so effected by the right of urga try to finish their +task as rapidly as possible and gallop like mad for the nearest herd +in your general direction of travel to turn over their task to their +neighbor. Any traveler having this right of urga can catch horses +himself and, if there are no owners, can force the former ones to carry +on and leave the animals in the next herd he requisitions. But this +happens very rarely because the Mongol never likes to seek out his +animals in another's herd, as it always gives so many chances for +controversy. + +It was from this custom, according to one explanation, that the town +of Urga took its name among outsiders. By the Mongols themselves it is +always referred to as Ta Kure, "The Great Monastery." The reason the +Buriats and Russians, who were the first to trade into this region, +called it Urga was because it was the principal destination of all the +trading expeditions which crossed the plains by this old method or right +of travel. A second explanation is that the town lies in a "loop" whose +sides are formed by three mountain ridges, along one of which the River +Tola runs like the pole or stick of the familiar urga of the plains. + +Thanks to this unique ticket of urga I crossed quite untraveled +sections of Mongolia for about two hundred miles. It gave me the welcome +opportunity to observe the fauna of this part of the country. I saw many +huge herds of Mongolian antelopes running from five to six thousand, +many groups of bighorns, wapiti and kabarga antelopes. Sometimes small +herds of wild horses and wild asses flashed as a vision on the horizon. + +In one place I observed a big colony of marmots. All over an area of +several square miles their mounds were scattered with the holes leading +down to their runways below, the dwellings of the marmot. In and out +among these mounds the greyish-yellow or brown animals ran in all sizes +up to half that of an average dog. They ran heavily and the skin on +their fat bodies moved as though it were too big for them. The marmots +are splendid prospectors, always digging deep ditches, throwing out on +the surface all the stones. In many places I saw mounds the marmots had +made from copper ore and farther north some from minerals containing +wolfram and vanadium. Whenever the marmot is at the entrance of his +hole, he sits up straight on his hind legs and looks like a bit of wood, +a small stump or a stone. As soon as he spies a rider in the distance, +he watches him with great curiosity and begins whistling sharply. This +curiosity of the marmots is taken advantage of by the hunters, who sneak +up to their holes flourishing streamers of cloth on the tips of long +poles. The whole attention of the small animals is concentrated on this +small flag and only the bullet that takes his life explains to him the +reason for this previously unknown object. + +I saw a very exciting picture as I passed through a marmot colony near +the Orkhon River. There were thousands of holes here so that my Mongols +had to use all their skill to keep the horses from breaking their legs +in them. I noticed an eagle circling high overhead. All of a sudden he +dropped like a stone to the top of a mound, where he sat motionless as +a rock. The marmot in a few minutes ran out of his hole to a neighbor's +doorway. The eagle calmly jumped down from the top and with one wing +closed the entrance to the hole. The rodent heard the noise, turned back +and rushed to the attack, trying to break through to his hole where he +had evidently left his family. The struggle began. The eagle fought with +one free wing, one leg and his beak but did not withdraw the bar to the +entrance. The marmot jumped at the rapacious bird with great boldness +but soon fell from a blow on the head. Only then the eagle withdrew his +wing, approached the marmot, finished him off and with difficulty +lifted him in his talons to carry him away to the mountains for a tasty +luncheon. + +In the more barren places with only occasional spears of grass in the +plain another species of rodent lives, called imouran, about the size of +a squirrel. They have a coat the same color as the prairie and, running +about it like snakes, they collect the seeds that are blown across by +the wind and carry them down into their diminutive homes. The imouran +has a truly faithful friend, the yellow lark of the prairie with a brown +back and head. When he sees the imouran running across the plain, he +settles on his back, flaps his wings in balance and rides well this +swiftly galloping mount, who gaily flourishes his long shaggy tail. The +lark during his ride skilfully and quickly catches the parasites living +on the body of his friend, giving evidence of his enjoyment of his work +with a short agreeable song. The Mongols call the imouran "the steed of +the gay lark." The lark warns the imouran of the approach of eagles and +hawks with three sharp whistles the moment he sees the aerial brigand +and takes refuge himself behind a stone or in a small ditch. After this +signal no imouran will stick his head out of his hole until the danger +is past. Thus the gay lark and his steed live in kindly neighborliness. + +In other parts of Mongolia where there was very rich grass I saw another +type of rodent, which I had previously come across in Urianhai. It is +a gigantic black prairie rat with a short tail and lives in colonies +of from one to two hundred. He is interesting and unique as the most +skilful farmer among the animals in his preparation of his winter supply +of fodder. During the weeks when the grass is most succulent he actually +mows it down with swift jerky swings of his head, cutting about twenty +or thirty stalks with his sharp long front teeth. Then he allows his +grass to cure and later puts up his prepared hay in a most scientific +manner. First he makes a mound about a foot high. Through this he pushes +down into the ground four slanting stakes, converging toward the middle +of the pile, and binds them close over the surface of the hay with the +longest strands of grass, leaving the ends protruding enough for him +to add another foot to the height of the pile, when he again binds the +surface with more long strands--all this to keep his winter supply of +food from blowing away over the prairie. This stock he always locates +right at the door of his den to avoid long winter hauls. The horses and +camels are very fond of this small farmer's hay, because it is always +made from the most nutritious grass. The haycocks are so strongly made +that one can hardly kick them to pieces. + +Almost everywhere in Mongolia I met either single pairs or whole flocks +of the greyish-yellow prairie partridges, salga or "partridge swallow," +so called because they have long sharp tails resembling those of +swallows and because their flight also is a close copy of that of the +swallow. These birds are very tame or fearless, allowing men to come +within ten or fifteen paces of them; but, when they do break, they go +high and fly long distances without lighting, whistling all the time +quite like swallows. Their general markings are light grey and yellow, +though the males have pretty chocolate spots on the backs and wings, +while their legs and feet are heavily feathered. + +My opportunity to make these observations came from traveling +through unfrequented regions by the urga, which, however, had its +counterbalancing disadvantages. The Mongols carried me directly and +swiftly toward my destination, receiving with great satisfaction the +presents of Chinese dollars which I gave them. But after having made +about five thousand miles on my Cossack saddle that now lay behind me +on the cart all covered with dust like common merchandise, I rebelled +against being wracked and torn by the rough riding of the cart as it was +swung heedlessly over stones, hillocks and ditches by the wild horses +with their equally wild riders, bounding and cracking and holding +together only through its tenacity of purpose in demonstrating the +cosiness and attractiveness of a good Mongol equipage! All my bones +began to ache. Finally I groaned at every lunge and at last I suffered +a very sharp attack of ischias or sciatica in my wounded leg. At night +I could neither sleep, lie down nor sit with comfort and spent the whole +night pacing up and down the plain, listening to the loud snoring of +the inhabitants of the yurta. At times I had to fight the two huge black +dogs which attacked me. The following day I could endure the wracking +only until noon and was then forced to give up and lie down. The pain +was unbearable. I could not move my leg nor my back and finally fell +into a high fever. We were forced to stop and rest. I swallowed all +my stock of aspirin and quinine but without relief. Before me was a +sleepless night about which I could not think without weakening fear. We +had stopped in the yurta for guests by the side of a small monastery. My +Mongols invited the Lama doctor to visit me, who gave me two very bitter +powders and assured me I should be able to continue in the morning. I +soon felt a stimulated palpitation of the heart, after which the pain +became even sharper. Again I spent the night without any sleep but when +the sun arose the pain ceased instantly and, after an hour, I ordered +them to saddle me a horse, as I was afraid to continue further in the +cart. + +While the Mongols were catching the horses, there came to my tent +Colonel N. N. Philipoff, who told me that he denied all the accusations +that he and his brother and Poletika were Bolsheviki and that Bezrodnoff +allowed him to go to Van Kure to meet Baron Ungern, who was expected +there. Only Philipoff did not know that his Mongol guide was armed with +a bomb and that another Mongol had been sent on ahead with a letter to +Baron Ungern. He did not know that Poletika and his brothers were shot +at the same time in Zain Shabi. Philipoff was in a hurry and wanted to +reach Van Kure that day. I left an hour after him. + + +CHAPTER XXXII + +AN OLD FORTUNE TELLER + + +From this point we began traveling along the ourton road. In this region +the Mongols had very poor and exhausted horses, because they were forced +continuously to supply mounts to the numerous envoys of Daichin Van and +of Colonel Kazagrandi. We were compelled to spend the night at the last +ourton before Van Kure, where a stout old Mongol and his son kept the +station. After our supper he took the shoulder-blade of the sheep, which +had been carefully scraped clean of all the flesh, and, looking at me, +placed this bone in the coals with some incantations and said: + +"I want to tell your fortune. All my predictions come true." + +When the bone had been blackened he drew it out, blew off the ashes and +began to scrutinize the surface very closely and to look through it into +the fire. He continued his examination for a long time and then, with +fear in his face, placed the bone back in the coals. + +"What did you see?" I asked, laughing. + +"Be silent!" he whispered. "I made out horrible signs." + +He again took out the bone and began examining it all over, all the time +whispering prayers and making strange movements. In a very solemn quiet +voice he began his predictions. + +"Death in the form of a tall white man with red hair will stand behind +you and will watch you long and close. You will feel it and wait but +Death will withdraw. . . . Another white man will become your friend. +. . . Before the fourth day you will lose your acquaintances. They will +die by a long knife. I already see them being eaten by the dogs. Beware +of the man with a head like a saddle. He will strive for your death." + +For a long time after the fortune had been told we sat smoking and +drinking tea but still the old fellow looked at me only with fear. +Through my brain flashed the thought that thus must his companions in +prison look at one who is condemned to death. + +The next morning we left the fortune teller before the sun was up, and, +when we had made about fifteen miles, hove in sight of Van Kure. I found +Colonel Kazagrandi at his headquarters. He was a man of good family, +an experienced engineer and a splendid officer, who had distinguished +himself in the war at the defence of the island of Moon in the Baltic +and afterwards in the fight with the Bolsheviki on the Volga. Colonel +Kazagrandi offered me a bath in a real tub, which had its habitat in +the house of the president of the local Chamber of Commerce. As I was in +this house, a tall young captain entered. He had long curly red hair and +an unusually white face, though heavy and stolid, with large, steel-cold +eyes and with beautiful, tender, almost girlish lips. But in his eyes +there was such cold cruelty that it was quite unpleasant to look at his +otherwise fine face. When he left the room, our host told me that he was +Captain Veseloffsky, the adjutant of General Rezukhin, who was fighting +against the Bolsheviki in the north of Mongolia. They had just that day +arrived for a conference with Baron Ungern. + +After luncheon Colonel Kazagrandi invited me to his yurta and began +discussing events in western Mongolia, where the situation had become +very tense. + +"Do you know Dr. Gay?" Kazagrandi asked me. "You know he helped me +to form my detachment but Urga accuses him of being the agent of the +Soviets." + +I made all the defences I could for Gay. He had helped me and had been +exonerated by Kolchak. + +"Yes, yes, and I justified Gay in such a manner," said the Colonel, "but +Rezukhin, who has just arrived today, has brought letters of Gay's to +the Bolsheviki which were seized in transit. By order of Baron Ungern, +Gay and his family have today been sent to the headquarters of Rezukhin +and I fear that they will not reach this destination." + +"Why?" I asked. + +"They will be executed on the road!" answered Colonel Kazagrandi. + +"What are we to do?" I responded. "Gay cannot be a Bolshevik, because +he is too well educated and too clever for it." + +"I don't know; I don't know!" murmured the Colonel with a despondent +gesture. "Try to speak with Rezukhin." + +I decided to proceed at once to Rezukhin but just then Colonel Philipoff +entered and began talking about the errors being made in the training of +the soldiers. When I had donned my coat, another man came in. He was a +small sized officer with an old green Cossack cap with a visor, a torn +grey Mongol overcoat and with his right hand in a black sling tied +around his neck. It was General Rezukhin, to whom I was at once +introduced. During the conversation the General very politely and very +skilfully inquired about the lives of Philipoff and myself during the +last three years, joking and laughing with discretion and modesty. When +he soon took his leave, I availed myself of the chance and went out with +him. + +He listened very attentively and politely to me and afterwards, in his +quiet voice, said: + +"Dr. Gay is the agent of the Soviets, disguised as a White in order +the better to see, hear and know everything. We are surrounded by our +enemies. The Russian people are demoralized and will undertake any +treachery for money. Such is Gay. Anyway, what is the use of discussing +him further? He and his family are no longer alive. Today my men cut +them to pieces five kilometres from here." + +In consternation and fear I looked at the face of this small, dapper man +with such soft voice and courteous manners. In his eyes I read such hate +and tenacity that I understood at once the trembling respect of all the +officers whom I had seen in his presence. Afterwards in Urga I learned +more of this General Rezukhin distinguished by his absolute bravery and +boundless cruelty. He was the watchdog of Baron Ungern, ready to throw +himself into the fire and to spring at the throat of anyone his master +might indicate. + +Only four days then had elapsed before "my acquaintances" died "by a +long knife," so that one part of the prediction had been thus fulfilled. +And now I have to await Death's threat to me. The delay was not long. +Only two days later the Chief of the Asiatic Division of Cavalry +arrived--Baron Ungern von Sternberg. + + +CHAPTER XXXIII + +"DEATH FROM THE WHITE MAN WILL STAND BEHIND YOU" + + +"The terrible general, the Baron," arrived quite unexpectedly, unnoticed +by the outposts of Colonel Kazagrandi. After a talk with Kazagrandi the +Baron invited Colonel N. N. Philipoff and me into his presence. Colonel +Kazagrandi brought the word to me. I wanted to go at once but was +detained about half an hour by the Colonel, who then sped me with the +words: + +"Now God help you! Go!" + +It was a strange parting message, not reassuring and quite enigmatical. +I took my Mauser and also hid in the cuff of my coat my cyanide of +potassium. The Baron was quartered in the yurta of the military doctor. +When I entered the court, Captain Veseloffsky came up to me. He had a +Cossack sword and a revolver without its holster beneath his girdle. He +went into the yurta to report my arrival. + +"Come in," he said, as he emerged from the tent. + +At the entrance my eyes were struck with the sight of a pool of blood +that had not yet had time to drain down into the ground--an ominous +greeting that seemed to carry the very voice of one just gone before me. +I knocked. + +"Come in!" was the answer in a high tenor. As I passed the threshold, +a figure in a red silk Mongolian coat rushed at me with the spring of a +tiger, grabbed and shook my hand as though in flight across my path and +then fell prone on the bed at the side of the tent. + +"Tell me who you are! Hereabouts are many spies and agitators," he cried +out in an hysterical voice, as he fixed his eyes upon me. In one +moment I perceived his appearance and psychology. A small head on wide +shoulders; blonde hair in disorder; a reddish bristling moustache; a +skinny, exhausted face, like those on the old Byzantine ikons. Then +everything else faded from view save a big, protruding forehead +overhanging steely sharp eyes. These eyes were fixed upon me like those +of an animal from a cave. My observations lasted for but a flash but I +understood that before me was a very dangerous man ready for an instant +spring into irrevocable action. Though the danger was evident, I felt +the deepest offence. + +"Sit down," he snapped out in a hissing voice, as he pointed to a chair +and impatiently pulled at his moustache. I felt my anger rising through +my whole body and I said to him without taking the chair: + +"You have allowed yourself to offend me, Baron. My name is well enough +known so that you cannot thus indulge yourself in such epithets. You can +do with me as you wish, because force is on your side, but you cannot +compel me to speak with one who gives me offence." + +At these words of mine he swung his feet down off the bed and with +evident astonishment began to survey me, holding his breath and pulling +still at his moustache. Retaining my exterior calmness, I began to +glance indifferently around the yurta, and only then I noticed General +Rezukhin. I bowed to him and received his silent acknowledgment. After +that I swung my glance back to the Baron, who sat with bowed head and +closed eyes, from time to time rubbing his brow and mumbling to himself. + +Suddenly he stood up and sharply said, looking past and over me: + +"Go out! There is no need of more. . . ." + +I swung round and saw Captain Veseloffsky with his white, cold face. I +had not heard him enter. He did a formal "about face" and passed out of +the door. + +"'Death from the white man' has stood behind me," I thought; "but has it +quite left me?" + +The Baron stood thinking for some time and then began to speak in +jumbled, unfinished phrases. + +"I ask your pardon. . . . You must understand there are so many +traitors! Honest men have disappeared. I cannot trust anybody. All +names are false and assumed; documents are counterfeited. Eyes and +words deceive. . . . All is demoralized, insulted by Bolshevism. I +just ordered Colonel Philipoff cut down, he who called himself the +representative of the Russian White Organization. In the lining of his +garments were found two secret Bolshevik codes. . . . When my officer +flourished his sword over him, he exclaimed: 'Why do you kill me, +Tavarische?' I cannot trust anybody. . . ." + +He was silent and I also held my peace. + +"I beg your pardon!" he began anew. "I offended you; but I am not simply +a man, I am a leader of great forces and have in my head so much care, +sorrow and woe!" + +In his voice I felt there was mingled despair and sincerity. He frankly +put out his hand to me. Again silence. At last I answered: + +"What do you order me to do now, for I have neither counterfeit nor real +documents? But many of your officers know me and in Urga I can find many +who will testify that I could be neither agitator nor. . ." + +"No need, no need!" interrupted the Baron. "All is clear, all is +understood! I was in your soul and I know all. It is the truth which +Hutuktu Narabanchi has written about you. What can I do for you?" + +I explained how my friend and I had escaped from Soviet Russia in the +effort to reach our native land and how a group of Polish soldiers had +joined us in the hope of getting back to Poland; and I asked that help +be given us to reach the nearest port. + +"With pleasure, with pleasure. . . . I will help you all," he answered +excitedly. "I shall drive you to Urga in my motor car. Tomorrow we shall +start and there in Urga we shall talk about further arrangements." + +Taking my leave, I went out of the yurta. On arriving at my quarters, I +found Colonel Kazagrandi in great anxiety walking up and down my room. + +"Thanks be to God!" he exclaimed and crossed himself. + +His joy was very touching but at the same time I thought that the +Colonel could have taken much more active measures for the salvation of +his guest, if he had been so minded. The agitation of this day had +tired me and made me feel years older. When I looked in the mirror I +was certain there were more white hairs on my head. At night I could +not sleep for the flashing thoughts of the young, fine face of Colonel +Philipoff, the pool of blood, the cold eyes of Captain Veseloffsky, the +sound of Baron Ungern's voice with its tones of despair and woe, until +finally I sank into a heavy stupor. I was awakened by Baron Ungern who +came to ask pardon that he could not take me in his motor car, because +he was obliged to take Daichin Van with him. But he informed me that he +had left instructions to give me his own white camel and two Cossacks as +servants. I had no time to thank him before he rushed out of my room. + +Sleep then entirely deserted me, so I dressed and began smoking pipe +after pipe of tobacco, as I thought: "How much easier to fight the +Bolsheviki on the swamps of Seybi and to cross the snowy peaks of Ulan +Taiga, where the bad demons kill all the travelers they can! There +everything was simple and comprehensible, but here it is all a mad +nightmare, a dark and foreboding storm!" I felt some tragedy, some +horror in every movement of Baron Ungern, behind whom paced this silent, +white-faced Veseloffsky and Death. + + +CHAPTER XXXIV + +THE HORROR OF WAR! + + +At dawn of the following morning they led up the splendid white camel +for me and we moved away. My company consisted of the two Cossacks, two +Mongol soldiers and one Lama with two pack camels carrying the tent and +food. I still apprehended that the Baron had it in mind not to dispose +of me before my friends there in Van Kure but to prepare this journey +for me under the guise of which it would be so easy to do away with +me by the road. A bullet in the back and all would be finished. +Consequently I was momentarily ready to draw my revolver and defend +myself. I took care all the time to have the Cossacks either ahead of me +or at the side. About noon we heard the distant honk of a motor car and +soon saw Baron Ungern whizzing by us at full speed. With him were two +adjutants and Prince Daichin Van. The Baron greeted me very kindly and +shouted: + +"Shall see you again in Urga!" + +"Ah!" I thought, "evidently I shall reach Urga. So I can be at ease +during my trip, and in Urga I have many friends beside the presence +there of the bold Polish soldiers whom I had worked with in Uliassutai +and who had outdistanced me in this journey." + +After the meeting with the Baron my Cossacks became very attentive to +me and sought to distract me with stories. They told me about their +very severe struggles with the Bolsheviki in Transbaikalia and Mongolia, +about the battle with the Chinese near Urga, about finding communistic +passports on several Chinese soldiers from Moscow, about the bravery of +Baron Ungern and how he would sit at the campfire smoking and drinking +tea right on the battle line without ever being touched by a bullet. +At one fight seventy-four bullets entered his overcoat, saddle and +the boxes by his side and again left him untouched. This is one of +the reasons for his great influence over the Mongols. They related how +before the battle he had made a reconnaissance in Urga with only +one Cossack and on his way back had killed a Chinese officer and two +soldiers with his bamboo stick or tashur; how he had no outfit save one +change of linen and one extra pair of boots; how he was always calm and +jovial in battle and severe and morose in the rare days of peace; and +how he was everywhere his soldiers were fighting. + +I told them, in turn, of my escape from Siberia and with chatting thus +the day slipped by very quickly. Our camels trotted all the time, so +that instead of the ordinary eighteen to twenty miles per day we made +nearly fifty. My mount was the fastest of them all. He was a huge white +animal with a splendid thick mane and had been presented to Baron Ungern +by some Prince of Inner Mongolia with two black sables tied on the +bridle. He was a calm, strong, bold giant of the desert, on whose back +I felt myself as though perched on the tower of a building. Beyond the +Orkhon River we came across the first dead body of a Chinese soldier, +which lay face up and arms outstretched right in the middle of the road. +When we had crossed the Burgut Mountains, we entered the Tola River +valley, farther up which Urga is located. The road was strewn with the +overcoats, shirts, boots, caps and kettles which the Chinese had thrown +away in their flight; and marked by many of their dead. Further on the +road crossed a morass, where on either side lay great mounds of the dead +bodies of men, horses and camels with broken carts and military debris +of every sort. Here the Tibetans of Baron Ungern had cut up the escaping +Chinese baggage transport; and it was a strange and gloomy contrast to +see the piles of dead besides the effervescing awakening life of spring. +In every pool wild ducks of different kinds floated about; in the high +grass the cranes performed their weird dance of courtship; on the lakes +great flocks of swans and geese were swimming; through the swampy places +like spots of light moved the brilliantly colored pairs of the Mongolian +sacred bird, the turpan or "Lama goose"; on the higher dry places flocks +of wild turkey gamboled and fought as they fed; flocks of the salga +partridge whistled by; while on the mountain side not far away the +wolves lay basking and turning in the lazy warmth of the sun, whining +and occasionally barking like playful dogs. + +Nature knows only life. Death is for her but an episode whose traces +she rubs out with sand and snow or ornaments with luxuriant greenery +and brightly colored bushes and flowers. What matters it to Nature if a +mother at Chefoo or on the banks of the Yangtse offers her bowl of rice +with burning incense at some shrine and prays for the return of her son +that has fallen unknown for all time on the plains along the Tola, where +his bones will dry beneath the rays of Nature's dissipating fire and be +scattered by her winds over the sands of the prairie? It is splendid, +this indifference of Nature to death, and her greediness for life! + +On the fourth day we made the shores of the Tola well after nightfall. +We could not find the regular ford and I forced my camel to enter +the stream in the attempt to make a crossing without guidance. Very +fortunately I found a shallow, though somewhat miry, place and we got +over all right. This is something to be thankful for in fording a river +with a camel; because, when your mount finds the water too deep, coming +up around his neck, he does not strike out and swim like a horse will do +but just rolls over on his side and floats, which is vastly inconvenient +for his rider. Down by the river we pegged our tent. + +Fifteen miles further on we crossed a battlefield, where the third great +battle for the independence of Mongolia had been fought. Here the troops +of Baron Ungern clashed with six thousand Chinese moving down from +Kiakhta to the aid of Urga. The Chinese were completely defeated and +four thousand prisoners taken. However, these surrendered Chinese tried +to escape during the night. Baron Ungern sent the Transbaikal Cossacks +and Tibetans in pursuit of them and it was their work which we saw on +this field of death. There were still about fifteen hundred unburied and +as many more interred, according to the statements of our Cossacks, +who had participated in this battle. The killed showed terrible sword +wounds; everywhere equipment and other debris were scattered about. +The Mongols with their herds moved away from the neighborhood and their +place was taken by the wolves which hid behind every stone and in every +ditch as we passed. Packs of dogs that had become wild fought with the +wolves over the prey. + +At last we left this place of carnage to the cursed god of war. Soon we +approached a shallow, rapid stream, where the Mongols slipped from their +camels, took off their caps and began drinking. It was a sacred stream +which passed beside the abode of the Living Buddha. From this winding +valley we suddenly turned into another where a great mountain ridge +covered with dark, dense forest loomed up before us. + +"Holy Bogdo-Ol!" exclaimed the Lama. "The abode of the Gods which guard +our Living Buddha!" + +Bogdo-Ol is the huge knot which ties together here three mountain +chains: Gegyl from the southwest, Gangyn from the south, and Huntu from +the north. This mountain covered with virgin forest is the property of +the Living Buddha. The forests are full of nearly all the varieties +of animals found in Mongolia, but hunting is not allowed. Any Mongol +violating this law is condemned to death, while foreigners are deported. +Crossing the Bogdo-Ol is forbidden under penalty of death. This command +was transgressed by only one man, Baron Ungern, who crossed the mountain +with fifty Cossacks, penetrated to the palace of the Living Buddha, +where the Pontiff of Urga was being held under arrest by the Chinese, +and stole him. + + +CHAPTER XXXV + +IN THE CITY OF LIVING GODS, OF 30,000 BUDDHAS AND 60,000 MONKS + + +At last before our eyes the abode of the Living Buddha! At the foot of +Bogdo-Ol behind white walls rose a white Tibetan building covered with +greenish-blue tiles that glittered under the sunshine. It was richly set +among groves of trees dotted here and there with the fantastic roofs +of shrines and small palaces, while further from the mountain it was +connected by a long wooden bridge across the Tola with the city of +monks, sacred and revered throughout all the East as Ta Kure or Urga. +Here besides the Living Buddha live whole throngs of secondary miracle +workers, prophets, sorcerers and wonderful doctors. All these people +have divine origin and are honored as living gods. At the left on the +high plateau stands an old monastery with a huge, dark red tower, which +is known as the "Temple Lamas City," containing a gigantic bronze gilded +statue of Buddha sitting on the golden flower of the lotus; tens of +smaller temples, shrines, obo, open altars, towers for astrology and the +grey city of the Lamas consisting of single-storied houses and yurtas, +where about 60,000 monks of all ages and ranks dwell; schools, sacred +archives and libraries, the houses of Bandi and the inns for the honored +guests from China, Tibet, and the lands of the Buriat and Kalmuck. + +Down below the monastery is the foreign settlement where the Russian, +foreign and richest Chinese merchants live and where the multi-colored +and crowded oriental bazaar carries forward its bustling life. A +kilometre away the greyish enclosure of Maimachen surrounds the +remaining Chinese trading establishments, while farther on one sees a +long row of Russian private houses, a hospital, church, prison and, last +of all, the awkward four-storied red brick building that was formerly +the Russian Consulate. + +We were already within a short distance of the monastery, when I noticed +several Mongol soldiers in the mouth of a ravine nearby, dragging back +and concealing in the ravine three dead bodies. + +"What are they doing?" I asked. + +The Cossacks only smiled without answering. Suddenly they straightened +up with a sharp salute. Out of the ravine came a small, stocky Mongolian +pony with a short man in the saddle. As he passed us, I noticed the +epaulets of a colonel and the green cap with a visor. He examined me +with cold, colorless eyes from under dense brows. As he went on ahead, +he took off his cap and wiped the perspiration from his bald head. My +eyes were struck by the strange undulating line of his skull. It was the +man "with the head like a saddle," against whom I had been warned by the +old fortune teller at the last ourton outside Van Kure! + +"Who is this officer?" I inquired. + +Although he was already quite a distance in front of us, the Cossacks +whispered: "Colonel Sepailoff, Commandant of Urga City." + +Colonel Sepailoff, the darkest person on the canvas of Mongolian events! +Formerly a mechanician, afterwards a gendarme, he had gained quick +promotion under the Czar's regime. He was always nervously jerking and +wriggling his body and talking ceaselessly, making most unattractive +sounds in his throat and sputtering with saliva all over his lips, his +whole face often contracted with spasms. He was mad and Baron Ungern +twice appointed a commission of surgeons to examine him and ordered him +to rest in the hope he could rid the man of his evil genius. Undoubtedly +Sepailoff was a sadist. I heard afterwards that he himself executed +the condemned people, joking and singing as he did his work. Dark, +terrifying tales were current about him in Urga. He was a bloodhound, +fastening his victims with the jaws of death. All the glory of the +cruelty of Baron Ungern belonged to Sepailoff. Afterwards Baron Ungern +once told me in Urga that this Sepailoff annoyed him and that Sepailoff +could kill him just as well as others. Baron Ungern feared Sepailoff, +not as a man, but dominated by his own superstition, because Sepailoff +had found in Transbaikalia a witch doctor who predicted the death of the +Baron if he dismissed Sepailoff. Sepailoff knew no pardon for Bolshevik +nor for any one connected with the Bolsheviki in any way. The reason for +his vengeful spirit was that the Bolsheviki had tortured him in prison +and, after his escape, had killed all his family. He was now taking his +revenge. + +I put up with a Russian firm and was at once visited by my associates +from Uliassutai, who greeted me with great joy because they had been +much exercised about the events in Van Kure and Zain Shabi. When I had +bathed and spruced up, I went out with them on the street. We entered +the bazaar. The whole market was crowded. To the lively colored groups +of men buying, selling and shouting their wares, the bright streamers of +Chinese cloth, the strings of pearls, the earrings and bracelets gave an +air of endless festivity; while on another side buyers were feeling of +live sheep to see whether they were fat or not, the butcher was cutting +great pieces of mutton from the hanging carcasses and everywhere these +sons of the plain were joking and jesting. The Mongolian women in their +huge coiffures and heavy silver caps like saucers on their heads were +admiring the variegated silk ribbons and long chains of coral beads; an +imposing big Mongol attentively examined a small herd of splendid +horses and bargained with the Mongol zahachine or owner of the horses; a +skinny, quick, black Tibetan, who had come to Urga to pray to the Living +Buddha or, maybe, with a secret message from the other "God" in Lhasa, +squatted and bargained for an image of the Lotus Buddha carved in agate; +in another corner a big crowd of Mongols and Buriats had collected and +surrounded a Chinese merchant selling finely painted snuff-bottles of +glass, crystal, porcelain, amethyst, jade, agate and nephrite, for one +of which made of a greenish milky nephrite with regular brown veins +running through it and carved with a dragon winding itself around a bevy +of young damsels the merchant was demanding of his Mongol inquirers ten +young oxen; and everywhere Buriats in their long red coats and small +red caps embroidered with gold helped the Tartars in black overcoats +and black velvet caps on the back of their heads to weave the pattern of +this Oriental human tapestry. Lamas formed the common background for it +all, as they wandered about in their yellow and red robes, with capes +picturesquely thrown over their shoulders and caps of many forms, some +like yellow mushrooms, others like the red Phrygian bonnets or old +Greek helmets in red. They mingled with the crowd, chatting serenely and +counting their rosaries, telling fortunes for those who would hear but +chiefly searching out the rich Mongols whom they could cure or exploit +by fortune telling, predictions or other mysteries of a city of 60,000 +Lamas. Simultaneously religious and political espionage was being +carried out. Just at this time many Mongols were arriving from Inner +Mongolia and they were continuously surrounded by an invisible but +numerous network of watching Lamas. Over the buildings around floated +the Russian, Chinese and Mongolian national flags with a single one of +the Stars and Stripes above a small shop in the market; while over the +nearby tents and yurtas streamed the ribbons, the squares, the circles +and triangles of the princes and private persons afflicted or dying +from smallpox and leprosy. All were mingled and mixed in one bright mass +strongly lighted by the sun. Occasionally one saw the soldiers of Baron +Ungern rushing about in long blue coats; Mongols and Tibetans in red +coats with yellow epaulets bearing the swastika of Jenghiz Khan and +the initials of the Living Buddha; and Chinese soldiers from their +detachment in the Mongolian army. After the defeat of the Chinese army +two thousand of these braves petitioned the Living Buddha to enlist them +in his legions, swearing fealty and faith to him. They were accepted +and formed into two regiments bearing the old Chinese silver dragons on +their caps and shoulders. + +As we crossed this market, from around a corner came a big motor car +with the roar of a siren. There was Baron Ungern in the yellow silk +Mongolian coat with a blue girdle. He was going very fast but recognized +me at once, stopping and getting out to invite me to go with him to his +yurta. The Baron lived in a small, simply arranged yurta, set up in the +courtyard of a Chinese hong. He had his headquarters in two other yurtas +nearby, while his servants occupied one of the Chinese fang-tzu. When +I reminded him of his promise to help me to reach the open ports, the +General looked at me with his bright eyes and spoke in French: + +"My work here is coming to an end. In nine days I shall begin the war +with the Bolsheviki and shall go into the Transbaikal. I beg that you +will spend this time here. For many years I have lived without civilized +society. I am alone with my thoughts and I would like to have you know +them, speaking with me not as the 'bloody mad Baron,' as my enemies call +me, nor as the 'severe grandfather,' which my officers and soldiers call +me, but as an ordinary man who has sought much and has suffered even +more." + +The Baron reflected for some minutes and then continued: + +"I have thought about the further trip of your group and I shall arrange +everything for you, but I ask you to remain here these nine days." + +What was I to do? I agreed. The Baron shook my hand warmly and ordered +tea. + + +CHAPTER XXXVI + +A SON OF CRUSADERS AND PRIVATEERS + + +"Tell me about yourself and your trip," he urged. In response I related +all that I thought would interest him and he appeared quite excited over +my tale. + +"Now I shall tell you about myself, who and what I am! My name is +surrounded with such hate and fear that no one can judge what is the +truth and what is false, what is history and what myth. Some time you +will write about it, remembering your trip through Mongolia and your +sojourn at the yurta of the 'bloody General.'" + +He shut his eyes, smoking as he spoke, and tumbling out his sentences +without finishing them as though some one would prevent him from +phrasing them. + +"The family of Ungern von Sternberg is an old family, a mixture of +Germans with Hungarians--Huns from the time of Attila. My warlike +ancestors took part in all the European struggles. They participated +in the Crusades and one Ungern was killed under the walls of Jerusalem, +fighting under Richard Coeur de Lion. Even the tragic Crusade of the +Children was marked by the death of Ralph Ungern, eleven years old. +When the boldest warriors of the country were despatched to the eastern +border of the German Empire against the Slavs in the twelfth century, my +ancestor Arthur was among them, Baron Halsa Ungern Sternberg. Here these +border knights formed the order of Monk Knights or Teutons, which +with fire and sword spread Christianity among the pagan Lithuanians, +Esthonians, Latvians and Slavs. Since then the Teuton Order of Knights +has always had among its members representatives of our family. When the +Teuton Order perished in the Grunwald under the swords of the Polish and +Lithuanian troops, two Barons Ungern von Sternberg were killed there. +Our family was warlike and given to mysticism and asceticism. + +"During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries several Barons von +Ungern had their castles in the lands of Latvia and Esthonia. Many +legends and tales lived after them. Heinrich Ungern von Sternberg, +called 'Ax,' was a wandering knight. The tournaments of France, England, +Spain and Italy knew his name and lance, which filled the hearts of his +opponents with fear. He fell at Cadiz 'neath the sword of a knight who +cleft both his helmet and his skull. Baron Ralph Ungern was a brigand +knight between Riga and Reval. Baron Peter Ungern had his castle on +the island of Dago in the Baltic Sea, where as a privateer he ruled the +merchantmen of his day. + +"In the beginning of the eighteenth century there was also a well-known +Baron Wilhelm Ungern, who was referred to as the 'brother of Satan' +because he was an alchemist. My grandfather was a privateer in the +Indian Ocean, taking his tribute from the English traders whose warships +could not catch him for several years. At last he was captured and +handed to the Russian Consul, who transported him to Russia where he was +sentenced to deportation to the Transbaikal. I am also a naval officer +but the Russo-Japanese War forced me to leave my regular profession to +join and fight with the Zabaikal Cossacks. I have spent all my life in +war or in the study and learning of Buddhism. My grandfather brought +Buddhism to us from India and my father and I accepted and professed it. +In Transbaikalia I tried to form the order of Military Buddhists for an +uncompromising fight against the depravity of revolution." + +He fell into silence and began drinking cup after cup of tea as strong +and black as coffee. + +"Depravity of revolution! . . . Has anyone ever thought of it besides +the French philosopher, Bergson, and the most learned Tashi Lama in +Tibet?" + +The grandson of the privateer, quoting scientific theories, works, the +names of scientists and writers, the Holy Bible and Buddhist books, +mixing together French, German, Russian and English, continued: + +"In the Buddhistic and ancient Christian books we read stern predictions +about the time when the war between the good and evil spirits must +begin. Then there must come the unknown 'Curse' which will conquer the +world, blot out culture, kill morality and destroy all the people. Its +weapon is revolution. During every revolution the previously experienced +intellect-creator will be replaced by the new rough force of the +destroyer. He will place and hold in the first rank the lower instincts +and desires. Man will be farther removed from the divine and the +spiritual. The Great War proved that humanity must progress upward +toward higher ideals; but then appeared that Curse which was seen and +felt by Christ, the Apostle John, Buddha, the first Christian martyrs, +Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Goethe and Dostoyevsky. It appeared, turned +back the wheel of progress and blocked our road to the Divinity. +Revolution is an infectious disease and Europe making the treaty with +Moscow deceived itself and the other parts of the world. The Great +Spirit put at the threshold of our lives Karma, who knows neither anger +nor pardon. He will reckon the account, whose total will be famine, +destruction, the death of culture, of glory, of honor and of spirit, +the death of states and the death of peoples. I see already this horror, +this dark, mad destruction of humanity." + +The door of the yurta suddenly swung open and an adjutant snapped into a +position of attention and salute. + +"Why do you enter a room by force?" the General exclaimed in anger. + +"Your Excellency, our outpost on the border has caught a Bolshevik +reconnaissance party and brought them here." + +The Baron arose. His eyes sparkled and his face contracted with spasms. + +"Bring them in front of my yurta!" he ordered. + +All was forgotten--the inspired speech, the penetrating voice--all were +sunk in the austere order of the severe commander. The Baron put on his +cap, caught up the bamboo tashur which he always carried with him and +rushed from the yurta. I followed him out. There in front of the yurta +stood six Red soldiers surrounded by the Cossacks. + +The Baron stopped and glared sharply at them for several minutes. In his +face one could see the strong play of his thoughts. Afterwards he turned +away from them, sat down on the doorstep of the Chinese house and for a +long time was buried in thought. Then he rose, walked over to them and, +with an evident show of decisiveness in his movements, touched all the +prisoners on the shoulder with his tashur and said: "You to the left and +you to the right!" as he divided the squad into two sections, four on +the right and two on the left. + +"Search those two! They must be commissars!" commanded the Baron and, +turning to the other four, asked: "Are you peasants mobilized by the +Bolsheviki?" + +"Just so, Your Excellency!" cried the frightened soldiers. + +"Go to the Commandant and tell him that I have ordered you to be +enlisted in my troops!" + +On the two to the left they found passports of Commissars of the +Communist Political Department. The General knitted his brows and slowly +pronounced the following: + +"Beat them to death with sticks!" + +He turned and entered the yurta. After this our conversation did not +flow readily and so I left the Baron to himself. + +After dinner in the Russian firm where I was staying some of Ungern's +officers came in. We were chatting animatedly when suddenly we heard the +horn of an automobile, which instantly threw the officers into silence. + +"The General is passing somewhere near," one of them remarked in a +strangely altered voice. + +Our interrupted conversation was soon resumed but not for long. The +clerk of the firm came running into the room and exclaimed: "The Baron!" + +He entered the door but stopped on the threshold. The lamps had not yet +been lighted and it was getting dark inside, but the Baron instantly +recognized us all, approached and kissed the hand of the hostess, +greeted everyone very cordially and, accepting the cup of tea offered +him, drew up to the table to drink. Soon he spoke: + +"I want to steal your guest," he said to the hostess and then, turning +to me, asked: "Do you want to go for a motor ride? I shall show you the +city and the environs." + +Donning my coat, I followed my established custom and slipped my +revolver into it, at which the Baron laughed. + +"Leave that trash behind! Here you are in safety. Besides you must +remember the prediction of Narabanchi Hutuktu that Fortune will ever be +with you." + +"All right," I answered, also with a laugh. "I remember very well this +prediction. Only I do not know what the Hutuktu thinks 'Fortune' means +for me. Maybe it is death like the rest after my hard, long trip, and I +must confess that I prefer to travel farther and am not ready to die." + +We went out to the gate where the big Fiat stood with its intruding +great lights. The chauffeur officer sat at the wheel like a statue and +remained at salute all the time we were entering and seating ourselves. + +"To the wireless station!" commanded the Baron. + +We veritably leapt forward. The city swarmed, as earlier, with the +Oriental throng, but its appearance now was even more strange and +miraculous. In among the noisy crowd Mongol, Buriat and Tibetan riders +threaded swiftly; caravans of camels solemnly raised their heads as we +passed; the wooden wheels of the Mongol carts screamed in pain; and all +was illumined by splendid great arc lights from the electric station +which Baron Ungern had ordered erected immediately after the capture +of Urga, together with a telephone system and wireless station. He also +ordered his men to clean and disinfect the city which had probably not +felt the broom since the days of Jenghiz Khan. He arranged an auto-bus +traffic between different parts of the city; built bridges over the Tola +and Orkhon; published a newspaper; arranged a veterinary laboratory +and hospitals; re-opened the schools; protected commerce, mercilessly +hanging Russian and Mongolian soldiers for pillaging Chinese firms. + +In one of these cases his Commandant arrested two Cossacks and a Mongol +soldier who had stolen brandy from one of the Chinese shops and brought +them before him. He immediately bundled them all into his car, drove off +to the shop, delivered the brandy back to the proprietor and as promptly +ordered the Mongol to hang one of the Russians to the big gate of the +compound. With this one swung he commanded: "Now hang the other!" and +this had only just been accomplished when he turned to the Commandant +and ordered him to hang the Mongol beside the other two. That seemed +expeditious and just enough until the Chinese proprietor came in dire +distress to the Baron and plead with him: + +"General Baron! General Baron! Please take those men down from my +gateway, for no one will enter my shop!" + +After the commercial quarter was flashed past our eyes, we entered the +Russian settlement across a small river. Several Russian soldiers and +four very spruce-looking Mongolian women stood on the bridge as we +passed. The soldiers snapped to salute like immobile statues and fixed +their eyes on the severe face of their Commander. The women first began +to run and shift about and then, infected by the discipline and order +of events, swung their hands up to salute and stood as immobile as their +northern swains. The Baron looked at me and laughed: + +"You see the discipline! Even the Mongolian women salute me." + +Soon we were out on the plain with the car going like an arrow, with the +wind whistling and tossing the folds of our coats and caps. But Baron +Ungern, sitting with closed eyes, repeated: "Faster! Faster!" For a long +time we were both silent. + +"And yesterday I beat my adjutant for rushing into my yurta and +interrupting my story," he said. + +"You can finish it now," I answered. + +"And are you not bored by it? Well, there isn't much left and this +happens to be the most interesting. I was telling you that I wanted +to found an order of military Buddhists in Russia. For what? For +the protection of the processes of evolution of humanity and for the +struggle against revolution, because I am certain that evolution leads +to the Divinity and revolution to bestiality. But I worked in Russia! +In Russia, where the peasants are rough, untutored, wild and constantly +angry, hating everybody and everything without understanding why. They +are suspicious and materialistic, having no sacred ideals. Russian +intelligents live among imaginary ideals without realities. They have a +strong capacity for criticising everything but they lack creative power. +Also they have no will power, only the capacity for talking and talking. +With the peasants, they cannot like anything or anybody. Their love and +feelings are imaginary. Their thoughts and sentiments pass without trace +like futile words. My companions, therefore, soon began to violate the +regulations of the Order. Then I introduced the condition of celibacy, +the entire negation of woman, of the comforts of life, of superfluities, +according to the teachings of the Yellow Faith; and, in order that the +Russian might be able to live down his physical nature, I introduced the +limitless use of alcohol, hasheesh and opium. Now for alcohol I hang +my officers and soldiers; then we drank to the 'white fever,' delirium +tremens. I could not organize the Order but I gathered round me +and developed three hundred men wholly bold and entirely ferocious. +Afterward they were heroes in the war with Germany and later in the +fight against the Bolsheviki, but now only a few remain." + +"The wireless, Excellency!" reported the chauffeur. + +"Turn in there!" ordered the General. + +On the top of a flat hill stood the big, powerful radio station which +had been partially destroyed by the retreating Chinese but reconstructed +by the engineers of Baron Ungern. The General perused the telegrams and +handed them to me. They were from Moscow, Chita, Vladivostok and Peking. +On a separate yellow sheet were the code messages, which the Baron +slipped into his pocket as he said to me: + +"They are from my agents, who are stationed in Chita, Irkutsk, Harbin +and Vladivostok. They are all Jews, very skilled and very bold men, +friends of mine all. I have also one Jewish officer, Vulfovitch, who +commands my right flank. He is as ferocious as Satan but clever and +brave. . . . Now we shall fly into space." + +Once more we rushed away, sinking into the darkness of night. It was a +wild ride. The car bounded over small stones and ditches, even taking +narrow streamlets, as the skilled chauffeur only seemed to guide it +round the larger rocks. On the plain, as we sped by, I noticed several +times small bright flashes of fire which lasted but for a second and +then were extinguished. + +"The eyes of wolves," smiled my companion. "We have fed them to satiety +from the flesh of ourselves and our enemies!" he quietly interpolated, +as he turned to continue his confession of faith. + +"During the War we saw the gradual corruption of the Russian army and +foresaw the treachery of Russia to the Allies as well as the approaching +danger of revolution. To counteract this latter a plan was formed to +join together all the Mongolian peoples which had not forgotten their +ancient faiths and customs into one Asiatic State, consisting of +autonomous tribal units, under the moral and legislative leadership of +China, the country of loftiest and most ancient culture. Into this State +must come the Chinese, Mongols, Tibetans, Afghans, the Mongol tribes of +Turkestan, Tartars, Buriats, Kirghiz and Kalmucks. This State must +be strong, physically and morally, and must erect a barrier against +revolution and carefully preserve its own spirit, philosophy and +individual policy. If humanity, mad and corrupted, continues to threaten +the Divine Spirit in mankind, to spread blood and to obstruct moral +development, the Asiatic State must terminate this movement decisively +and establish a permanent, firm peace. This propaganda even during the +War made splendid progress among the Turkomans, Kirghiz, Buriats and +Mongols. . . . 'Stop!' suddenly shouted the Baron." + +The car pulled up with a jerk. The General jumped out and called me to +follow. We started walking over the prairie and the Baron kept bending +down all the time as though he were looking for something on the ground. + +"Ah!" he murmured at last, "He has gone away. . . ." + +I looked at him in amazement. + +"A rich Mongol formerly had his yurta here. He was the outfitter for the +Russian merchant, Noskoff. Noskoff was a ferocious man as shown by the +name the Mongols gave him--'Satan.' He used to have his Mongol debtors +beaten or imprisoned through the instrumentality of the Chinese +authorities. He ruined this Mongol, who lost everything and escaped to +a place thirty miles away; but Noskoff found him there, took all that he +had left of cattle and horses and left the Mongol and his family to die +of hunger. When I captured Urga, this Mongol appeared and brought with +him thirty other Mongol families similarly ruined by Noskoff. They +demanded his death. . . . So I hung 'Satan' . . ." + +Anew the motor car was rushing along, sweeping a great circle on the +prairie, and anew Baron Ungern with his sharp, nervous voice carried his +thoughts round the whole circumference of Asian life. + +"Russia turned traitor to France, England and America, signed the +Brest-Litovsk Treaty and ushered in a reign of chaos. We then decided +to mobilize Asia against Germany. Our envoys penetrated Mongolia, Tibet, +Turkestan and China. At this time the Bolsheviki began to kill all the +Russian officers and we were forced to open civil war against them, +giving up our Pan-Asiatic plans; but we hope later to awake all Asia +and with their help to bring peace and God back to earth. I want to feel +that I have helped this idea by the liberation of Mongolia." + +He became silent and thought for a moment. + +"But some of my associates in the movement do not like me because of +my atrocities and severity," he remarked in a sad voice. "They cannot +understand as yet that we are not fighting a political party but a sect +of murderers of all contemporary spiritual culture. Why do the Italians +execute the 'Black Hand' gang? Why are the Americans electrocuting +anarchistic bomb throwers? and I am not allowed to rid the world of +those who would kill the soul of the people? I, a Teuton, descendant of +crusaders and privateers, I recognize only death for murderers! . . . +Return!" he commanded the chauffeur. + +An hour and a half later we saw the electric lights of Urga. + + +CHAPTER XXXVII + +THE CAMP OF MARTYRS + + +Near the entrance to the town, a motor car stood before a small house. + +"What does that mean?" exclaimed the Baron. "Go over there!" + +Our car drew up beside the other. The house door opened sharply, several +officers rushed out and tried to hide. + +"Stand!" commanded the General. "Go back inside." They obeyed and he +entered after them, leaning on his tashur. As the door remained open, I +could see and hear everything. + +"Woe to them!" whispered the chauffeur. "Our officers knew that the +Baron had gone out of the town with me, which means always a long +journey, and must have decided to have a good time. He will order them +beaten to death with sticks." + +I could see the end of the table covered with bottles and tinned things. +At the side two young women were seated, who sprang up at the +appearance of the General. I could hear the hoarse voice of Baron Ungern +pronouncing sharp, short, stern phrases. + +"Your native land is perishing. . . . The shame of it is upon all you +Russians . . . and you cannot understand it . . . nor feel it. . . . You +need wine and women. . . . Scoundrels! Brutes! . . . One hundred fifty +tashur for every man of you." + +The voice fell to a whisper. + +"And you, Mesdames, do you not realize the ruin of your people? No? For +you it is of no moment. And have you no feeling for your husbands at +the front who may even now be killed? You are not women. . . . I honor +woman, who feels more deeply and strongly than man; but you are not +women! . . . Listen to me, Mesdames. Once more and I will hang +you. . . ." + +He came back to the car and himself sounded the horn several times. +Immediately Mongol horsemen galloped up. + +"Take these men to the Commandant. I will send my orders later." + +On the way to the Baron's yurta we were silent. He was excited and +breathed heavily, lighting cigarette after cigarette and throwing them +aside after but a single puff or two. + +"Take supper with me," he proposed. + +He also invited his Chief of Staff, a very retiring, oppressed but +splendidly educated man. The servants spread a Chinese hot course for +us followed by cold meat and fruit compote from California with +the inevitable tea. We ate with chopsticks. The Baron was greatly +distraught. + +Very cautiously I began speaking of the offending officers and tried to +justify their actions by the extremely trying circumstances under which +they were living. + +"They are rotten through and through, demoralized, sunk into the +depths," murmured the General. + +The Chief of Staff helped me out and at last the Baron directed him to +telephone the Commandant to release these gentlemen. + +The following day I spent with my friends, walking a great deal about +the streets and watching their busy life. The great energy of the Baron +demanded constant nervous activity from himself and every one round him. +He was everywhere, seeing everything but never, interfering with the +work of his subordinate administrators. Every one was at work. + +In the evening I was invited by the Chief of Staff to his quarters, +where I met many intelligent officers. I related again the story of my +trip and we were all chatting along animatedly when suddenly Colonel +Sepailoff entered, singing to himself. All the others at once became +silent and one by one under various pretexts they slipped out. He handed +our host some papers and, turning to us, said: + +"I shall send you for supper a splendid fish pie and some hot tomato +soup." + +As he left, my host clasped his head in desperation and said: + +"With such scum of the earth are we now forced after this revolution to +work!" + +A few minutes later a soldier from Sepailoff brought us a tureen full +of soup and the fish pie. As the soldier bent over the table to set the +dishes down, the Chief motioned me with his eyes and slipped to me the +words: "Notice his face." + +When the man went out, my host sat attentively listening until the +sounds of the man's steps ceased. + +"He is Sepailoff's executioner who hangs and strangles the unfortunate +condemned ones." + +Then, to my amazement, he began to pour out the soup on the ground +beside the brazier and, going out of the yurta, threw the pie over the +fence. + +"It is Sepailoff's feast and, though it may be very tasty, it may +also be poison. In Sepailoff's house it is dangerous to eat or drink +anything." + +Distinctly oppressed by these doings, I returned to my house. My host +was not yet asleep and met me with a frightened look. My friends were +also there. + +"God be thanked!" they all exclaimed. "Has nothing happened to you?" + +"What is the matter?" I asked. + +"You see," began the host, "after your departure a soldier came from +Sepailoff and took your luggage, saying that you had sent him for +it; but we knew what it meant--that they would first search it and +afterwards. . . ." + +I at once understood the danger. Sepailoff could place anything he +wanted in my luggage and afterwards accuse me. My old friend, the +agronome, and I started at once for Sepailoff's, where I left him at the +door while I went in and was met by the same soldier who had brought the +supper to us. Sepailoff received me immediately. In answer to my protest +he said that it was a mistake and, asking me to wait for a moment, went +out. I waited five, ten, fifteen minutes but nobody came. I knocked on +the door but no one answered me. Then I decided to go to Baron Ungern +and started for the exit. The door was locked. Then I tried the other +door and found that also locked. I had been trapped! I wanted at once to +whistle to my friend but just then noticed a telephone on the wall +and called up Baron Ungern. In a few minutes he appeared together with +Sepailoff. + +"What is this?" he asked Sepailoff in a severe, threatening voice; and, +without waiting for an answer, struck him a blow with his tashur that +sent him to the floor. + +We went out and the General ordered my luggage produced. Then he brought +me to his own yurta. + +"Live here, now," he said. "I am very glad of this accident," he +remarked with a smile, "for now I can say all that I want to." + +This drew from me the question: + +"May I describe all that I have heard and seen here?" + +He thought a moment before replying: "Give me your notebook." + +I handed him the album with my sketches of the trip and he wrote +therein: "After my death, Baron Ungern." + +"But I am older than you and I shall die before you," I remarked. + +He shut his eyes, bowed his head and whispered: + +"Oh, no! One hundred thirty days yet and it is finished; then . . . +Nirvana! How wearied I am with sorrow, woe and hate!" + +We were silent for a long time. I felt that I had now a mortal enemy +in Colonel Sepailoff and that I should get out of Urga at the earliest +possible moment. It was two o'clock at night. Suddenly Baron Ungern +stood up. + +"Let us go to the great, good Buddha," he said with a countenance held +in deep thought and with eyes aflame, his whole face contracted by a +mournful, bitter smile. He ordered the car brought. + +Thus lived this camp of martyrs, refugees pursued by events to their +tryst with Death, driven on by the hate and contempt of this offspring +of Teutons and privateers! And he, martyring them, knew neither day nor +night of peace. Fired by impelling, poisonous thoughts, he tormented +himself with the pains of a Titan, knowing that every day in this +shortening chain of one hundred thirty links brought him nearer to the +precipice called "Death." + + +CHAPTER XXXVIII + +BEFORE THE FACE OF BUDDHA + + +As we came to the monastery we left the automobile and dipped into the +labyrinth of narrow alleyways until at last we were before the greatest +temple of Urga with the Tibetan walls and windows and its pretentious +Chinese roof. A single lantern burned at the entrance. The heavy gate +with the bronze and iron trimmings was shut. When the General struck the +big brass gong hanging by the gate, frightened monks began running up +from all directions and, seeing the "General Baron," fell to the earth +in fear of raising their heads. + +"Get up," said the Baron, "and let us into the Temple!" + +The inside was like that of all Lama temples, the same multi-colored +flags with the prayers, symbolic signs and the images of holy saints; +the big bands of silk cloth hanging from the ceiling; the images of the +gods and goddesses. On both sides of the approach to the altar were the +low red benches for the Lamas and choir. On the altar small lamps threw +their rays on the gold and silver vessels and candlesticks. Behind it +hung a heavy yellow silk curtain with Tibetan inscriptions. The Lamas +drew the curtain aside. Out of the dim light from the flickering lamps +gradually appeared the great gilded statue of Buddha seated in the +Golden Lotus. The face of the god was indifferent and calm with only a +soft gleam of light animating it. On either side he was guarded by many +thousands of lesser Buddhas brought by the faithful as offerings in +prayer. The Baron struck the gong to attract Great Buddha's attention to +his prayer and threw a handful of coins into the large bronze bowl. And +then this scion of crusaders who had read all the philosophers of the +West, closed his eyes, placed his hands together before his face and +prayed. I noticed a black rosary on his left wrist. He prayed about ten +minutes. Afterwards he led me to the other end of the monastery and, +during our passage, said to me: + +"I do not like this temple. It is new, erected by the Lamas when the +Living Buddha became blind. I do not find on the face of the golden +Buddha either tears, hopes, distress or thanks of the people. They have +not yet had time to leave these traces on the face of the god. We shall +go now to the old Shrine of Prophecies." + +This was a small building, blackened with age and resembling a tower +with a plain round roof. The doors stood open. At both sides of the door +were prayer wheels ready to be spun; over it a slab of copper with the +signs of the zodiac. Inside two monks, who were intoning the sacred +sutras, did not lift their eyes as we entered. The General approached +them and said: + +"Cast the dice for the number of my days!" + +The priests brought two bowls with many dice therein and rolled them +out on their low table. The Baron looked and reckoned with them the sum +before he spoke: + +"One hundred thirty! Again one hundred thirty!" + +Approaching the altar carrying an ancient stone statue of Buddha brought +all the way from India, he again prayed. As day dawned, we wandered out +through the monastery, visited all the temples and shrines, the museum +of the medical school, the astrological tower and then the court where +the Bandi and young Lamas have their daily morning wrestling exercises. +In other places the Lamas were practising with the bow and arrow. Some +of the higher Lamas feasted us with hot mutton, tea and wild onions. +After we returned to the yurta I tried to sleep but in vain. Too many +different questions were troubling me. "Where am I? In what epoch am +I living?" I knew not but I dimly felt the unseen touch of some great +idea, some enormous plan, some indescribable human woe. + +After our noon meal the General said he wanted to introduce me to the +Living Buddha. It is so difficult to secure audience with the Living +Buddha that I was very glad to have this opportunity offered me. +Our auto soon drew up at the gate of the red and white striped wall +surrounding the palace of the god. Two hundred Lamas in yellow and red +robes rushed to greet the arriving "Chiang Chun," General, with the +low-toned, respectful whisper "Khan! God of War!" As a regiment of +formal ushers they led us to a spacious great hall softened by its +semi-darkness. Heavy carved doors opened to the interior parts of the +palace. In the depths of the hall stood a dais with the throne covered +with yellow silk cushions. The back of the throne was red inside a +gold framing; at either side stood yellow silk screens set in highly +ornamented frames of black Chinese wood; while against the walls at +either side of the throne stood glass cases filled with varied objects +from China, Japan, India and Russia. I noticed also among them a pair of +exquisite Marquis and Marquises in the fine porcelain of Sevres. Before +the throne stood a long, low table at which eight noble Mongols were +seated, their chairman, a highly esteemed old man with a clever, +energetic face and with large penetrating eyes. His appearance reminded +me of the authentic wooden images of the Buddhist holymen with eyes +of precious stones which I saw at the Tokyo Imperial Museum in the +department devoted to Buddhism, where the Japanese show the ancient +statues of Amida, Daunichi-Buddha, the Goddess Kwannon and the jolly old +Hotei. + +This man was the Hutuktu Jahantsi, Chairman of the Mongolian Council of +Ministers, and honored and revered far beyond the bournes of Mongolia. +The others were the Ministers--Khans and the Highest Princes of Khalkha. +Jahantsi Hutuktu invited Baron Ungern to the place at his side, while +they brought in a European chair for me. Baron Ungern announced to the +Council of Ministers through an interpreter that he would leave Mongolia +in a few days and urged them to protect the freedom won for the lands +inhabited by the successors of Jenghiz Khan, whose soul still lives +and calls upon the Mongols to become anew a powerful people and reunite +again into one great Mid-Asiatic State all the Asian kingdoms he had +ruled. + +The General rose and all the others followed him. He took leave of each +one separately and sternly. Only before Jahantsi Lama he bent low while +the Hutuktu placed his hands on the Baron's head and blessed him. From +the Council Chamber we passed at once to the Russian style house which +is the personal dwelling of the Living Buddha. The house was wholly +surrounded by a crowd of red and yellow Lamas; servants, councilors of +Bogdo, officials, fortune tellers, doctors and favorites. From the front +entrance stretched a long red rope whose outer end was thrown over the +wall beside the gate. Crowds of pilgrims crawling up on their knees +touch this end of the rope outside the gate and hand the monk a silken +hatyk or a bit of silver. This touching of the rope whose inner end is +in the hand of the Bogdo establishes direct communication with the holy, +incarnated Living God. A current of blessing is supposed to flow through +this cable of camel's wool and horse hair. Any Mongol who has touched +the mystic rope receives and wears about his neck a red band as the sign +of his accomplished pilgrimage. + +I had heard very much about the Bogdo Khan before this opportunity +to see him. I had heard of his love of alcohol, which had brought on +blindness, about his leaning toward exterior western culture and about +his wife drinking deep with him and receiving in his name numerous +delegations and envoys. + +In the room which the Bogdo used as his private study, where two Lama +secretaries watched day and night over the chest that contained his +great seals, there was the severest simplicity. On a low, plain, Chinese +lacquered table lay his writing implements, a case of seals given by +the Chinese Government and by the Dalai Lama and wrapped in a cloth of +yellow silk. Nearby was a low easy chair, a bronze brazier with an +iron stovepipe leading up from it; on the walls were the signs of the +swastika, Tibetan and Mongolian inscriptions; behind the easy chair a +small altar with a golden statue of Buddha before which two tallow lamps +were burning; the floor was covered with a thick yellow carpet. + +When we entered, only the two Lama secretaries were there, for the +Living Buddha was in the small private shrine in an adjoining chamber, +where no one is allowed to enter save the Bogdo Khan himself and one +Lama, Kanpo-Gelong, who cares for the temple arrangements and assists +the Living Buddha during his prayers of solitude. The secretary told +us that the Bogdo had been greatly excited this morning. At noon he had +entered his shrine. For a long time the voice of the head of the Yellow +Faith was heard in earnest prayer and after his another unknown voice +came clearly forth. In the shrine had taken place a conversation between +the Buddha on earth and the Buddha of heaven--thus the Lamas phrased it +to us. + +"Let us wait a little," the Baron proposed. "Perhaps he will soon come +out." + +As we waited the General began telling me about Jahantsi Lama, saying +that, when Jahantsi is calm, he is an ordinary man but, when he is +disturbed and thinks very deeply, a nimbus appears about his head. + +After half an hour the Lama secretaries suddenly showed signs of deep +fear and began listening closely by the entrance to the shrine. Shortly +they fell on their faces on the ground. The door slowly opened and there +entered the Emperor of Mongolia, the Living Buddha, His Holiness Bogdo +Djebtsung Damba Hutuktu, Khan of Outer Mongolia. He was a stout old man +with a heavy shaven face resembling those of the Cardinals of Rome. He +was dressed in the yellow silken Mongolian coat with a black binding. +The eyes of the blind man stood widely open. Fear and amazement were +pictured in them. He lowered himself heavily into the easy chair and +whispered: "Write!" + +A secretary immediately took paper and a Chinese pen as the Bogdo began +to dictate his vision, very complicated and far from clear. He finished +with the following words: + +"This I, Bogdo Hutuktu Khan, saw, speaking with the great wise Buddha, +surrounded by the good and evil spirits. Wise Lamas, Hutuktus, Kanpos, +Marambas and Holy Gheghens, give the answer to my vision!" + +As he finished, he wiped the perspiration from his head and asked who +were present. + +"Khan Chiang Chin Baron Ungern and a stranger," one of the secretaries +answered on his knees. + +The General presented me to the Bogdo, who bowed his head as a sign of +greeting. They began speaking together in low tones. Through the open +door I saw a part of the shrine. I made out a big table with a heap of +books on it, some open and others lying on the floor below; a brazier +with the red charcoal in it; a basket containing the shoulder blades and +entrails of sheep for telling fortunes. Soon the Baron rose and bowed +before the Bogdo. The Tibetan placed his hands on the Baron's head and +whispered a prayer. Then he took from his own neck a heavy ikon and hung +it around that of the Baron. + +"You will not die but you will be incarnated in the highest form of +being. Remember that, Incarnated God of War, Khan of grateful Mongolia!" +I understood that the Living Buddha blessed the "Bloody General" before +death. + + +During the next two days I had the opportunity to visit the Living +Buddha three times together with a friend of the Bogdo, the Buriat +Prince Djam Bolon. I shall describe these visits in Part IV. + +Baron Ungern organized the trip for me and my party to the shore of the +Pacific. We were to go on camels to northern Manchuria, because there +it was easy to avoid cavilling with the Chinese authorities so badly +oriented in the international relationship with Poland. Having sent a +letter from Uliassutai to the French Legation at Peking and bearing with +me a letter from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, expressing thanks +for the saving of Uliassutai from a pogrom, I intended to make for the +nearest station on the Chinese Eastern Railway and from there proceed to +Peking. The Danish merchant E. V. Olufsen was to have traveled out with +me and also a learned Lama Turgut, who was headed for China. + +Never shall I forget the night of May 19th to 20th of 1921! After dinner +Baron Ungern proposed that we go to the yurta of Djam Bolon, whose +acquaintance I had made on the first day after my arrival in Urga. +His yurta was placed on a raised wooden platform in a compound located +behind the Russian settlement. Two Buriat officers met us and took us +in. Djam Bolon was a man of middle age, tall and thin with an unusually +long face. Before the Great War he had been a simple shepherd but had +fought together with Baron Ungern on the German front and afterwards +against the Bolsheviki. He was a Grand Duke of the Buriats, the +successor of former Buriat kings who had been dethroned by the Russian +Government after their attempt to establish the Independence of the +Buriat people. The servants brought us dishes with nuts, raisins, dates +and cheese and served us tea. + +"This is the last night, Djam Bolon!" said Baron Ungern. "You promised +me . . ." + +"I remember," answered the Buriat, "all is ready." + +For a long time I listened to their reminiscences about former battles +and friends who had been lost. The clock pointed to midnight when Djam +Bolon got up and went out of the yurta. + +"I want to have my fortune told once more," said Baron Ungern, as though +he were justifying himself. "For the good of our cause it is too early +for me to die. . . ." + +Djam Bolon came back with a little woman of middle years, who squatted +down eastern style before the brazier, bowed low and began to stare at +Baron Ungern. Her face was whiter, narrower and thinner than that of a +Mongol woman. Her eyes were black and sharp. Her dress resembled that of +a gypsy woman. Afterwards I learned that she was a famous fortune teller +and prophet among the Buriats, the daughter of a gypsy woman and a +Buriat. She drew a small bag very slowly from her girdle, took from it +some small bird bones and a handful of dry grass. She began whispering +at intervals unintelligible words, as she threw occasional handfuls of +the grass into the fire, which gradually filled the tent with a soft +fragrance. I felt a distinct palpitation of my heart and a swimming in +my head. After the fortune teller had burned all her grass, she placed +the bird bones on the charcoal and turned them over again and again with +a small pair of bronze pincers. As the bones blackened, she began to +examine them and then suddenly her face took on an expression of fear +and pain. She nervously tore off the kerchief which bound her head and, +contracted with convulsions, began snapping out short, sharp phrases. + +"I see . . . I see the God of War. . . . His life runs out . . . +horribly. . . . After it a shadow . . . black like the night. . . . +Shadow. . . . One hundred thirty steps remain. . . . Beyond darkness. +. . . Nothing . . . I see nothing. . . . The God of War has +disappeared. . . ." + +Baron Ungern dropped his head. The woman fell over on her back with her +arms stretched out. She had fainted, but it seemed to me that I noticed +once a bright pupil of one of her eyes showing from under the closed +lashes. Two Buriats carried out the lifeless form, after which a long +silence reigned in the yurta of the Buriat Prince. Baron Ungern finally +got up and began to walk around the brazier, whispering to himself. +Afterwards he stopped and began speaking rapidly: + +"I shall die! I shall die! . . . but no matter, no matter. . . . The +cause has been launched and will not die. . . . I know the roads this +cause will travel. The tribes of Jenghiz Khan's successors are awakened. +Nobody shall extinguish the fire in the heart of the Mongols! In Asia +there will be a great State from the Pacific and Indian Oceans to the +shore of the Volga. The wise religion of Buddha shall run to the north +and the west. It will be the victory of the spirit. A conqueror and +leader will appear stronger and more stalwart than Jenghiz Khan and +Ugadai. He will be more clever and more merciful than Sultan Baber +and he will keep power in his hands until the happy day when, from his +subterranean capital, shall emerge the King of the World. Why, why shall +I not be in the first ranks of the warriors of Buddhism? Why has Karma +decided so? But so it must be! And Russia must first wash herself from +the insult of revolution, purifying herself with blood and death; and +all people accepting Communism must perish with their families in order +that all their offspring may be rooted out!" + +The Baron raised his hand above his head and shook it, as though he were +giving his orders and bequests to some invisible person. + +Day was dawning. + +"My time has come!" said the General. "In a little while I shall leave +Urga." + +He quickly and firmly shook hands with us and said: + +"Good-bye for all time! I shall die a horrible death but the world has +never seen such a terror and such a sea of blood as it shall now +see. . . ." + +The door of the yurta slammed shut and he was gone. I never saw him +again. + +"I must go also, for I am likewise leaving Urga today." + +"I know it," answered the Prince, "the Baron has left you with me for +some purpose. I will give you a fourth companion, the Mongol Minister of +War. You will accompany him to your yurta. It is necessary for you. . . +." + +Djam Bolon pronounced this last with an accent on every word. I did +not question him about it, as I was accustomed to the mystery of this +country of the mysteries of good and evil spirits. + + +CHAPTER XXXIX + +"THE MAN WITH A HEAD LIKE A SADDLE" + + +After drinking tea at Djam Bolon's yurta I rode back to my quarters and +packed my few belongings. The Lama Turgut was already there. + +"The Minister of War will travel with us," he whispered. "It is +necessary." + +"All right," I answered, and rode off to Olufsen to summon him. But +Olufsen unexpectedly announced that he was forced to spend some few +days more in Urga--a fatal decision for him, for a month later he was +reported killed by Sepailoff who remained as Commandant of the city +after Baron Ungern's departure. The War Minister, a stout, young Mongol, +joined our caravan. When we had gone about six miles from the city, we +saw an automobile coming up behind us. The Lama shrunk up inside his +coat and looked at me with fear. I felt the now familiar atmosphere of +danger and so opened my holster and threw over the safety catch of +my revolver. Soon the motor stopped alongside our caravan. In it sat +Sepailoff with a smiling face and beside him his two executioners, +Chestiakoff and Jdanoff. Sepailoff greeted us very warmly and asked: + +"You are changing your horses in Khazahuduk? Does the road cross that +pass ahead? I don't know the way and must overtake an envoy who went +there." + +The Minister of War answered that we would be in Khazahuduk that evening +and gave Sepailoff directions as to the road. The motor rushed away and, +when it had topped the pass, he ordered one of the Mongols to gallop +forward to see whether it had not stopped somewhere near the other side. +The Mongol whipped his steed and sped away. We followed slowly. + +"What is the matter?" I asked. "Please explain!" + +The Minister told me that Djam Bolon yesterday received information +that Sepailoff planned to overtake me on the way and kill me. Sepailoff +suspected that I had stirred up the Baron against him. Djam Bolon +reported the matter to the Baron, who organized this column for my +safety. The returning Mongol reported that the motor car had gone on out +of sight. + +"Now," said the Minister, "we shall take quite another route so that the +Colonel will wait in vain for us at Khazahuduk." + +We turned north at Undur Dobo and at night were in the camp of a local +prince. Here we took leave of our Minister, received splendid fresh +horses and quickly continued our trip to the east, leaving behind us +"the man with the head like a saddle" against whom I had been warned by +the old fortune teller in the vicinity of Van Kure. + +After twelve days without further adventures we reached the first +railway station on the Chinese Eastern Railway, from where I traveled in +unbelievable luxury to Peking. + +* * * * * + +Surrounded by the comforts and conveniences of the splendid hotel +at Peking, while shedding all the attributes of traveler, hunter and +warrior, I could not, however, throw off the spell of those nine days +spent in Urga, where I had daily met Baron Ungern, "Incarnated God of +War." The newspapers carrying accounts of the bloody march of the Baron +through Transbaikalia brought the pictures ever fresh to my mind. Even +now, although more than seven months have elapsed, I cannot forget those +nights of madness, inspiration and hate. + +The predictions are fulfilled. Approximately one hundred thirty days +afterwards Baron Ungern was captured by the Bolsheviki through the +treachery of his officers and, it is reported, was executed at the end +of September. + +Baron R. F. Ungern von Sternberg. . . . Like a bloody storm of avenging +Karma he spread over Central Asia. What did he leave behind him? The +severe order to his soldiers closing with the words of the Revelations +of St. John: + +"Let no one check the revenge against the corrupter and slayer of the +soul of the Russian people. Revolution must be eradicated from the +World. Against it the Revelations of St. John have warned us thus: 'And +the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and +precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of +abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication, and upon her +forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF +THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman +drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs +of Jesus.'" + +It is a human document, a document of Russian and, perhaps, of world +tragedy. + +But there remained another and more important trace. In the Mongol +yurtas and at the fires of Buriat, Mongol, Djungar, Kirkhiz, Kalmuck and +Tibetan shepherds still speak the legend born of this son of crusaders +and privateers: + +"From the north a white warrior came and called on the Mongols to break +their chains of slavery, which fell upon our freed soil. This white +warrior was the Incarnated Jenghiz Khan and he predicted the coming of +the greatest of all Mongols who will spread the fair faith of Buddha and +the glory and power of the offspring of Jenghiz, Ugadai and Kublai Khan. +So it shall be!" + +Asia is awakened and her sons utter bold words. + +It were well for the peace of the world if they go forth as disciples of +the wise creators, Ugadai and Sultan Baber, rather than under the spell +of the "bad demons" of the destructive Tamerlane. + + + + +Part IV + +THE LIVING BUDDHA + + +CHAPTER XL + +IN THE BLISSFUL GARDEN OF A THOUSAND JOYS + + +In Mongolia, the country of miracles and mysteries, lives the custodian +of all the mysterious and unknown, the Living Buddha, His Holiness +Djebtsung Damba Hutuktu Khan or Bogdo Gheghen, Pontiff of Ta Kure. He +is the incarnation of the never-dying Buddha, the representative of the +unbroken, mysteriously continued line of spiritual emperors ruling +since 1670, concealing in themselves the ever refining spirit of Buddha +Amitabha joined with Chan-ra-zi or the "Compassionate Spirit of the +Mountains." In him is everything, even the Sun Myth and the fascination +of the mysterious peaks of the Himalayas, tales of the Indian pagoda, +the stern majesty of the Mongolian Conquerors--Emperors of All Asia--and +the ancient, hazy legends of the Chinese sages; immersion in the +thoughts of the Brahmans; the severities of life of the monks of the +"Virtuous Order"; the vengeance of the eternally wandering warriors, the +Olets, with their Khans, Batur Hun Taigi and Gushi; the proud bequests +of Jenghiz and Kublai Khan; the clerical reactionary psychology of the +Lamas; the mystery of Tibetan kings beginning from Srong-Tsang Gampo; +and the mercilessness of the Yellow Sect of Paspa. All the hazy history +of Asia, of Mongolia, Pamir, Himalayas, Mesopotamia, Persia and China, +surrounds the Living God of Urga. It is little wonder that his name +is honored along the Volga, in Siberia, Arabia, between the Tigris and +Euphrates, in Indo-China and on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. + +During my stay in Urga I visited the abode of the Living Buddha several +times, spoke with him and observed his life. His favorite learned +Marambas gave me long accounts of him. I saw him reading horoscopes, I +heard his predictions, I looked over his archives of ancient books and +the manuscripts containing the lives and predictions of all the Bogdo +Khans. The Lamas were very frank and open with me, because the letter of +the Hutuktu of Narabanchi won for me their confidence. + +The personality of the Living Buddha is double, just as everything in +Lamaism is double. Clever, penetrating, energetic, he at the same time +indulges in the drunkenness which has brought on blindness. When he +became blind, the Lamas were thrown into a state of desperation. Some of +them maintained that Bogdo Khan must be poisoned and another Incarnate +Buddha set in his place; while the others pointed out the great merits +of the Pontiff in the eyes of Mongolians and the followers of the Yellow +Faith. They finally decided to propitiate the gods by building a great +temple with a gigantic statue of Buddha. However, this did not help +the Bogdo's sight but the whole incident gave him the opportunity of +hurrying on to their higher life those among the Lamas who had shown too +much radicalism in their proposed method of solving his problem. + +He never ceases to ponder upon the cause of the church and of Mongolia +and at the same time likes to indulge himself with useless trifles. He +amuses himself with artillery. A retired Russian officer presented him +with two old guns, for which the donor received the title of Tumbaiir +Hun, that is, "Prince Dear-to-my-Heart." On holidays these cannon were +fired to the great amusement of the blind man. Motorcars, gramophones, +telephones, crystals, porcelains, pictures, perfumes, musical +instruments, rare animals and birds; elephants, Himalayan bears, +monkeys, Indian snakes and parrots--all these were in the palace of "the +god" but all were soon cast aside and forgotten. + +To Urga come pilgrims and presents from all the Lamaite and Buddhist +world. Once the treasurer of the palace, the Honorable Balma Dorji, +took me into the great hall where the presents were kept. It was a most +unique museum of precious articles. Here were gathered together rare +objects unknown to the museums of Europe. The treasurer, as he opened a +case with a silver lock, said to me: + +"These are pure gold nuggets from Bei Kem; here are black sables from +Kemchick; these the miraculous deer horns; this a box sent by the +Orochons and filled with precious ginseng roots and fragrant musk; this +a bit of amber from the coast of the 'frozen sea' and it weighs 124 lans +(about ten pounds); these are precious stones from India, fragrant zebet +and carved ivory from China." + +He showed the exhibits and talked of them for a long time and evidently +enjoyed the telling. And really it was wonderful! Before my eyes lay the +bundles of rare furs; white beaver, black sables, white, blue and black +fox and black panthers; small beautifully carved tortoise shell boxes +containing hatyks ten or fifteen yards long, woven from Indian silk as +fine as the webs of the spider; small bags made of golden thread +filled with pearls, the presents of Indian Rajahs; precious rings with +sapphires and rubies from China and India; big pieces of jade, rough +diamonds; ivory tusks ornamented with gold, pearls and precious stones; +bright clothes sewn with gold and silver thread; walrus tusks carved in +bas-relief by the primitive artists on the shores of the Behring Sea; +and much more that one cannot recall or recount. In a separate room +stood the cases with the statues of Buddha, made of gold, silver, +bronze, ivory, coral, mother of pearl and from a rare colored and +fragrant species of wood. + +"You know when conquerors come into a country where the gods are +honored, they break the images and throw them down. So it was more than +three hundred years ago when the Kalmucks went into Tibet and the same +was repeated in Peking when the European troops looted the place in +1900. But do you know why this is done? Take one of the statues and +examine it." + +I picked up one nearest the edge, a wooden Buddha, and began examining +it. Inside something was loose and rattled. + +"Do you hear it?" the Lama asked. "These are precious stones and bits of +gold, the entrails of the god. This is the reason why the conquerors at +once break up the statues of the gods. Many famous precious stones have +appeared from the interior of the statues of the gods in India, Babylon +and China." + +Some rooms were devoted to the library, where manuscripts and volumes +of different epochs in different languages and with many diverse themes +fill the shelves. Some of them are mouldering or pulverizing away and +the Lamas cover these now with a solution which partially solidifies +like a jelly to protect what remains from the ravages of the air. There +also we saw tablets of clay with the cuneiform inscriptions, evidently +from Babylonia; Chinese, Indian and Tibetan books shelved beside those +of Mongolia; tomes of the ancient pure Buddhism; books of the "Red Caps" +or corrupt Buddhism; books of the "Yellow" or Lamaite Buddhism; books +of traditions, legends and parables. Groups of Lamas were perusing, +studying and copying these books, preserving and spreading the ancient +wisdom for their successors. + +One department is devoted to the mysterious books on magic, the +historical lives and works of all the thirty-one Living Buddhas, with +the bulls of the Dalai Lama, of the Pontiff from Tashi Lumpo, of the +Hutuktu of Utai in China, of the Pandita Gheghen of Dolo Nor in Inner +Mongolia and of the Hundred Chinese Wise Men. Only the Bogdo Hutuktu and +Maramba Ta-Rimpo-Cha can enter this room of mysterious lore. The keys to +it rest with the seals of the Living Buddha and the ruby ring of Jenghiz +Khan ornamented with the sign of the swastika in the chest in the +private study of the Bogdo. + +The person of His Holiness is surrounded by five thousand Lamas. They +are divided into many ranks from simple servants to the "Councillors of +God," of which latter the Government consists. Among these Councillors +are all the four Khans of Mongolia and the five highest Princes. + +Of all the Lamas there are three classes of peculiar interest, about +which the Living Buddha himself told me when I visited him with Djam +Bolon. + +"The God" sorrowfully mourned over the demoralized and sumptuous life +led by the Lamas which decreased rapidly the number of fortune tellers +and clairvoyants among their ranks, saying of it: + +"If the Jahantsi and Narabanchi monasteries had not preserved their +strict regime and rules, Ta Kure would have been left without prophets +and fortune tellers. Barun Abaga Nar, Dorchiul-Jurdok and the other holy +Lamas who had the power of seeing that which is hidden from the sight of +the common people have gone with the blessing of the gods." + +This class of Lamas is a very important one, because every important +personage visiting the monasteries at Urga is shown to the Lama Tzuren +or fortune teller without the knowledge of the visitor for the study of +his destiny and fate, which are then communicated to the Bogdo Hutuktu, +so that with these facts in his possession the Bogdo knows in what way +to treat his guest and what policy to follow toward him. The Tzurens are +mostly old men, skinny, exhausted and severe ascetics. But I have met +some who were young, almost boys. They were the Hubilgan, "incarnate +gods," the future Hutuktus and Gheghens of the various Mongolian +monasteries. + +The second class is the doctors or "Ta Lama." They observe the actions +of plants and certain products from animals upon people, preserve +Tibetan medicines and cures, and study anatomy very carefully but +without making use of vivisection and the scalpel. They are skilful +bone setters, masseurs and great connoisseurs of hypnotism and animal +magnetism. + +The third class is the highest rank of doctors, consisting chiefly of +Tibetans and Kalmucks--poisoners. They may be said to be "doctors of +political medicine." They live by themselves, apart from any associates, +and are the great silent weapon in the hands of the Living Buddha. I +was informed that a large portion of them are dumb. I saw one such +doctor,--the very person who poisoned the Chinese physician sent by the +Chinese Emperor from Peking to "liquidate" the Living Buddha,--a small +white old fellow with a deeply wrinkled face, a curl of white hairs on +his chin and with vivacious eyes that were ever shifting inquiringly +about him. Whenever he comes to a monastery, the local "god" ceases to +eat and drink in fear of the activities of this Mongolian Locusta. But +even this cannot save the condemned, for a poisoned cap or shirt or +boots, or a rosary, a bridle, books or religious articles soaked in a +poisonous solution will surely accomplish the object of the Bogdo-Khan. + +The deepest esteem and religious faithfulness surround the blind +Pontiff. Before him all fall on their faces. Khans and Hutuktus approach +him on their knees. Everything about him is dark, full of Oriental +antiquity. The drunken blind man, listening to the banal arias of the +gramophone or shaking his servants with an electric current from his +dynamo, the ferocious old fellow poisoning his political enemies, +the Lama keeping his people in darkness and deceiving them with his +prophecies and fortune telling,--he is, however, not an entirely +ordinary man. + +One day we sat in the room of the Bogdo and Prince Djam Bolon translated +to him my story of the Great War. The old fellow was listening very +carefully but suddenly opened his eyes widely and began to give +attention to some sounds coming in from outside the room. His face +became reverent, supplicant and frightened. + +"The Gods call me," he whispered and slowly moved into his private +shrine, where he prayed loudly about two hours, kneeling immobile as a +statue. His prayer consists of conversation with the invisible gods, to +whose questions he himself gave the answers. He came out of the shrine +pale and exhausted but pleased and happy. It was his personal prayer. +During the regular temple service he did not participate in the prayers, +for then he is "God." Sitting on his throne, he is carried and placed +on the altar and there prayed to by the Lamas and the people. He only +receives the prayers, hopes, tears, woe and desperation of the people, +immobilely gazing into space with his sharp and bright but blind +eyes. At various times in the service the Lamas robe him in different +vestments, combinations of yellow and red, and change his caps. The +service always finishes at the solemn moment when the Living Buddha +with the tiara on his head pronounces the pontifical blessing upon +the congregation, turning his face to all four cardinal points of the +compass and finally stretching out his hands toward the northwest, that +is, to Europe, whither in the belief of the Yellow Faith must travel the +teachings of the wise Buddha. + +After earnest prayers or long temple services the Pontiff seems very +deeply shaken and often calls his secretaries and dictates his visions +and prophecies, always very complicated and unaccompanied by his +deductions. + +Sometimes with the words "Their souls are communicating," he puts on his +white robes and goes to pray in his shrine. Then all the gates of the +palace are shut and all the Lamas are sunk in solemn, mystic fear; all +are praying, telling their rosaries and whispering the orison: "Om! +Mani padme Hung!" or turning the prayer wheels with their prayers or +exorcisings; the fortune tellers read their horoscopes; the clairvoyants +write out their visions; while Marambas search the ancient books for +explanations of the words of the Living Buddha. + + +CHAPTER XLI + +THE DUST OF CENTURIES + + +Have you ever seen the dusty cobwebs and the mould in the cellars of +some ancient castle in Italy, France or England? This is the dust of +centuries. Perhaps it touched the faces, helmets and swords of a Roman +Augustus, St. Louis, the Inquisitor, Galileo or King Richard. Your heart +is involuntarily contracted and you feel a respect for these witnesses +of elapsed ages. This same impression came to me in Ta Kure, perhaps +more deep, more realistic. Here life flows on almost as it flowed eight +centuries ago; here man lives only in the past; and the contemporary +only complicates and prevents the normal life. + +"Today is a great day," the Living Buddha once said to me, "the day of +the victory of Buddhism over all other religions. It was a long time +ago--on this day Kublai Khan called to him the Lamas of all religions +and ordered them to state to him how and what they believed. They +praised their Gods and their Hutuktus. Discussions and quarrels began. +Only one Lama remained silent. At last he mockingly smiled and said: + +"'Great Emperor! Order each to prove the power of his Gods by the +performance of a miracle and afterwards judge and choose.' + +"Kublai Khan so ordered all the Lamas to show him a miracle but all were +silent, confused and powerless before him. + +"'Now,' said the Emperor, addressing the Lama who had tendered this +suggestion, 'now you must prove the power of your Gods!' + +"The Lama looked long and silently at the Emperor, turned and gazed at +the whole assembly and then quietly stretched out his hand toward them. +At this instant the golden goblet of the Emperor raised itself from +the table and tipped before the lips of the Khan without a visible hand +supporting it. The Emperor felt the delight of a fragrant wine. All were +struck with astonishment and the Emperor spoke: + +"'I elect to pray to your Gods and to them all people subject to me must +pray. What is your faith? Who are you and from where do you come?' + +"'My faith is the teaching of the wise Buddha. I am Pandita Lama, Turjo +Gamba, from the distant and glorious monastery of Sakkia in Tibet, where +dwells incarnate in a human body the Spirit of Buddha, his Wisdom and +his Power. Remember, Emperor, that the peoples who hold our faith shall +possess all the Western Universe and during eight hundred and eleven +years shall spread their faith throughout the whole world.' + +"Thus it happened on this same day many centuries ago! Lama Turjo Gamba +did not return to Tibet but lived here in Ta Kure, where there was then +only a small temple. From here he traveled to the Emperor at Karakorum +and afterwards with him to the capital of China to fortify him in +the Faith, to predict the fate of state affairs and to enlighten him +according to the will of God." + +The Living Buddha was silent for a time, whispered a prayer and then +continued: + +"Urga, the ancient nest of Buddhism. . . . With Jenghiz Khan on his +European conquest went out the Olets or Kalmucks. They remained there +almost four hundred years, living on the plains of Russia. Then they +returned to Mongolia because the Yellow Lamas called them to light +against the Kings of Tibet, Lamas of the 'red caps,' who were oppressing +the people. The Kalmucks helped the Yellow Faith but they realized that +Lhasa was too distant from the whole world and could not spread our +Faith throughout the earth. Consequently the Kalmuck Gushi Khan brought +up from Tibet a holy Lama, Undur Gheghen, who had visited the 'King of +the World.' From that day the Bogdo Gheghen has continuously lived in +Urga, a protector of the freedom of Mongolia and of the Chinese Emperors +of Mongolian origin. Undur Gheghen was the first Living Buddha in the +land of the Mongols. He left to us, his successors, the ring of Jenghiz +Khan, which was sent by Kublai Khan to Dalai Lama in return for the +miracle shown by the Lama Turjo Gamba; also the top of the skull of +a black, mysterious miracle worker from India, using which as a bowl, +Strongtsan, King of Tibet, drank during the temple ceremonies one +thousand six hundred years ago; as well as an ancient stone statue of +Buddha brought from Delhi by the founder of the Yellow Faith, Paspa." + +The Bogdo clapped his hands and one of the secretaries took from a red +kerchief a big silver key with which he unlocked the chest with the +seals. The Living Buddha slipped his hand into the chest and drew forth +a small box of carved ivory, from which he took out and showed to me a +large gold ring set with a magnificent ruby carved with the sign of the +swastika. + +"This ring was always worn on the right hand of the Khans Jenghiz and +Kublai," said the Bogdo. + +When the secretary had closed the chest, the Bogdo ordered him to +summon his favorite Maramba, whom he directed to read some pages from an +ancient book lying on the table. The Lama began to read monotonously. + +"When Gushi Khan, the Chief of all the Olets or Kalmucks, finished the +war with the 'Red Caps' in Tibet, he carried out with him the miraculous +'black stone' sent to the Dalai Lama by the 'King of the World.' Gushi +Khan wanted to create in Western Mongolia the capital of the Yellow +Faith; but the Olets at that time were at war with the Manchu Emperors +for the throne of China and suffered one defeat after another. The last +Khan of the Olets, Amursana, ran away into Russia but before his escape +sent to Urga the sacred 'black stone.' While it remained in Urga so that +the Living Buddha could bless the people with it, disease and misfortune +never touched the Mongolians and their cattle. About one hundred years +ago, however, some one stole the sacred stone and since then Buddhists +have vainly sought it throughout the whole world. With its disappearance +the Mongol people began gradually to die." + +"Enough!" ordered Bogdo Gheghen. "Our neighbors hold us in contempt. +They forget that we were their sovereigns but we preserve our holy +traditions and we know that the day of triumph of the Mongolian tribes +and the Yellow Faith will come. We have the Protectors of the Faith, the +Buriats. They are the truest guardians of the bequests of Jenghiz Khan." + +So spoke the Living Buddha and so have spoken the ancient books! + + +CHAPTER XLII + +THE BOOKS OF MIRACLES + + +Prince Djam Bolon asked a Maramba to show us the library of the Living +Buddha. It is a big room occupied by scores of writers who prepare the +works dealing with the miracles of all the Living Buddhas, beginning +with Undur Gheghen and ending with those of the Gheghens and Hutuktus of +the different Mongol monasteries. These books are afterwards distributed +through all the Lama Monasteries, temples and schools of Bandi. A +Maramba read two selections: + +". . . The beatific Bogdo Gheghen breathed on a mirror. Immediately +as through a haze there appeared the picture of a valley in which many +thousands of thousands of warriors fought one against another. . . ." + +"The wise and favored-of-the-gods Living Buddha burned incense in a +brazier and prayed to the Gods to reveal the lot of the Princes. In the +blue smoke all saw a dark prison and the pallid, tortured bodies of the +dead Princes. . . ." + +A special book, already done into thousands of copies, dwelt upon the +miracles of the present Living Buddha. Prince Djam Bolon described to me +some of the contents of this volume. + +"There exists an ancient wooden Buddha with open eyes. He was brought +here from India and Bogdo Gheghen placed him on the altar and began to +pray. When he returned from the shrine, he ordered the statue of Buddha +brought out. All were struck with amazement, for the eyes of the God +were shut and tears were falling from them; from the wooden body green +sprouts appeared; and the Bogdo said: + +"'Woe and joy are awaiting me. I shall become blind but Mongolia will be +free.' + +"The prophecy is fulfilled. At another time, on a day when the Living +Buddha was very much excited, he ordered a basin of water brought and +set before the altar. He called the Lamas and began to pray. Suddenly +the altar candles and lamps lighted themselves and the water in the +basin became iridescent." + +Afterwards the Prince described to me how the Bogdo Khan tells fortunes +with fresh blood, upon whose surface appear words and pictures; with the +entrails of sheep and goats, according to whose distribution the Bogdo +reads the fate of the Princes and knows their thoughts; with stones and +bones from which the Living Buddha with great accuracy reads the lot of +all men; and by the stars, in accordance with whose positions the Bogdo +prepares amulets against bullets and disease. + +"The former Bogdo Khans told fortunes only by the use of the 'black +stone,'" said the Maramba. "On the surface of the stone appeared Tibetan +inscriptions which the Bogdo read and thus learned the lot of whole +nations." + +When the Maramba spoke of the black stone with the Tibetan legends +appearing on it, I at once recalled that it was possible. In +southeastern Urianhai, in Ulan Taiga, I came across a place where black +slate was decomposing. All the pieces of this slate were covered with a +special white lichen, which formed very complicated designs, reminding +me of a Venetian lace pattern or whole pages of mysterious runes. When +the slate was wet, these designs disappeared; and then, as they were +dried, the patterns came out again. + +Nobody has the right or dares to ask the Living Buddha to tell his +fortune. He predicts only when he feels the inspiration or when a +special delegate comes to him bearing a request for it from the Dalai +Lama or the Tashi Lama. When the Russian Czar, Alexander I, fell under +the influence of Baroness Kzudener and of her extreme mysticism, +he despatched a special envoy to the Living Buddha to ask about his +destiny. The then Bogdo Khan, quite a young man, told his fortune +according to the "black stone" and predicted that the White Czar would +finish his life in very painful wanderings unknown to all and everywhere +pursued. In Russia today there exists a popular belief that Alexander +I spent the last days of his life as a wanderer throughout Russia and +Siberia under the pseudonym of Feodor Kusmitch, helping and consoling +prisoners, beggars and other suffering people, often pursued and +imprisoned by the police and finally dying at Tomsk in Siberia, where +even until now they have preserved the house where he spent his +last days and have kept his grave sacred, a place of pilgrimages and +miracles. The former dynasty of Romanoff was deeply interested in the +biography of Feodor Kusmitch and this interest fixed the opinion that +Kusmitch was really the Czar Alexander I, who had voluntarily taken upon +himself this severe penance. + + +CHAPTER XLIII + +THE BIRTH OF THE LIVING BUDDHA + + +The Living Buddha does not die. His soul sometimes passes into that of +a child born on the day of his death and sometimes transfers itself to +another being during the life of the Buddha. This new mortal dwelling +of the sacred spirit of the Buddha almost always appears in the yurta +of some poor Tibetan or Mongol family. There is a reason of policy for +this. If the Buddha appears in the family of a rich prince, it could +result in the elevation of a family that would not yield obedience to +the clergy (and such has happened in the past), while on the other +hand any poor, unknown family that becomes the heritor of the throne +of Jenghiz Khan acquires riches and is readily submissive to the Lamas. +Only three or four Living Buddhas were of purely Mongolian origin; the +remainder were Tibetans. + +One of the Councillors of the Living Buddha, Lama-Khan Jassaktu, told me +the following: + +"In the monasteries at Lhasa and Tashi Lumpo they are kept constantly +informed through letters from Urga about the health of the Living +Buddha. When his human body becomes old and the Spirit of Buddha strives +to extricate itself, special solemn services begin in the Tibetan +temples together with the telling of fortunes by astrology. These rites +indicate the specially pious Lamas who must discover where the Spirit +of the Buddha will be re-incarnated. For this purpose they travel +throughout the whole land and observe. Often God himself gives them +signs and indications. Sometimes the white wolf appears near the yurta +of a poor shepherd or a lamb with two heads is born or a meteor falls +from the sky. Some Lamas take fish from the sacred lake Tangri Nor and +read on the scales thereof the name of the new Bogdo Khan; others pick +out stones whose cracks indicate to them where they must search and +whom they must find; while others secrete themselves in narrow mountain +ravines to listen to the voices of the spirits of the mountains, +pronouncing the name of the new choice of the Gods. When he is found, +all the possible information about his family is secretly collected and +presented to the Most Learned Tashi Lama, having the name of Erdeni, +"The Great Gem of Learning," who, according to the runes of Rama, +verifies the selection. If he is in agreement with it, he sends a secret +letter to the Dalai Lama, who holds a special sacrifice in the Temple of +the 'Spirit of the Mountains' and confirms the election by putting his +great seal on this letter of the Tashi Lama. + +"If the old Living Buddha be still alive, the name of his successor is +kept a deep secret; if the Spirit of Buddha has already gone out from +the body of Bogdo Khan, a special legation appears from Tibet with the +new Living Buddha. The same process accompanies the election of the +Gheghen and Hutuktus in all the Lamaite monasteries in Mongolia; but +confirmation of the election resides with the Living Buddha and is only +announced to Lhasa after the event." + + +CHAPTER XLIV + +A PAGE IN THE HISTORY OF THE PRESENT LIVING BUDDHA + + +The present Bogdo Khan of Outer Mongolia is a Tibetan. He sprang from a +poor family living in the neighborhood of Sakkia Kure in western Tibet. +From earliest youth he had a stormy, quite unaesthetic nature. He was +fired with the idea of the independence and glorification of Mongolia +and the successors of Jenghiz Khan. This gave him at once a great +influence among the Lamas, Princes and Khans of Mongolia and also with +the Russian Government which always tried to attract him to their side. +He did not fear to arraign himself against the Manchu dynasty in China +and always had the help of Russia, Tibet, the Buriats and Kirghiz, +furnishing him with money, weapons, warriors and diplomatic aid. The +Chinese Emperors avoided open war with the Living God, because it might +arouse the protests of the Chinese Buddhists. At one time they sent to +the Bogdo Khan a skilful doctor-poisoner. The Living Buddha, however, at +once understood the meaning of this medical attention and, knowing the +power of Asiatic poisons, decided to make a journey through the Mongol +monasteries and through Tibet. As his substitute he left a Hubilgan who +made friends with the Chinese doctor and inquired from him the purposes +and details of his arrival. Very soon the Chinese died from some unknown +cause and the Living Buddha returned to his comfortable capital. + +On another occasion danger threatened the Living God. It was when Lhasa +decided that the Bogdo Khan was carrying out a policy too independent of +Tibet. The Dalai Lama began negotiations with several Khans and Princes +with the Sain Noion Khan and Jassaktu Khan leading the movement and +persuaded them to accelerate the immigration of the Spirit of Buddha +into another human form. They came to Urga where the Bogdo Khan met +them with honors and rejoicings. A great feast was made for them and the +conspirators already felt themselves the accomplishers of the orders +of the Dalai Lama. However, at the end of the feast, they had different +feelings and died with them during the night. The Living Buddha ordered +their bodies sent with full honors to their families. + +The Bogdo Khan knows every thought, every movement of the Princes and +Khans, the slightest conspiracy against himself, and the offender is +usually kindly invited to Urga, from where he does not return alive. + +The Chinese Government decided to terminate the line of the Living +Buddhas. Ceasing to fight with the Pontiff of Urga, the Government +contrived the following scheme for accomplishing its ends. + +Peking invited the Pandita Gheghen from Dolo Nor and the head of the +Chinese Lamaites, the Hutuktu of Utai, both of whom do not recognize the +supremacy of the Living Buddha, to come to the capital. They decided, +after consulting the old Buddhistic books, that the present Bogdo Khan +was to be the last Living Buddha, because that part of the Spirit of +Buddha which dwells in the Bogdo Khans can abide only thirty-one times +in the human body. Bogdo Khan is the thirty-first Incarnated Buddha from +the time of Undur Gheghen and with him, therefore, the dynasty of +the Urga Pontiffs must cease. However, on hearing this the Bogdo Khan +himself did some research work and found in the old Tibetan manuscripts +that one of the Tibetan Pontiffs was married and his son was a natural +Incarnated Buddha. So the Bogdo Khan married and now has a son, a +very capable and energetic young man, and thus the religious throne of +Jenghiz Khan will not be left empty. The dynasty of the Chinese emperors +disappeared from the stage of political events but the Living Buddha +continues to be a center for the Pan-Asiatic idea. + +The new Chinese Government in 1920 held the Living Buddha under arrest +in his palace but at the beginning of 1921 Baron Ungern crossed the +sacred Bogdo-Ol and approached the palace from the rear. Tibetan riders +shot the Chinese sentries with bow and arrow and afterwards the Mongols +penetrated into the palace and stole their "God," who immediately +stirred up all Mongolia and awakened the hopes of the Asiatic peoples +and tribes. + +In the great palace of the Bogdo a Lama showed me a special casket +covered with a precious carpet, wherein they keep the bulls of the Dalai +and Tashi Lamas, the decrees of the Russian and Chinese Emperors and the +Treaties between Mongolia, Russia, China and Tibet. In this same casket +is the copper plate bearing the mysterious sign of the "King of the +World" and the chronicle of the last vision of the Living Buddha. + + +CHAPTER XLV + +THE VISION OF THE LIVING BUDDHA OF MAY 17, 1921 + + +"I prayed and saw that which is hidden from the eyes of the people. A +vast plain was spread before me surrounded by distant mountains. An old +Lama carried a basket filled with heavy stones. He hardly moved. From +the north a rider appeared in white robes and mounted on a white horse. +He approached the Lama and said to him: + +"'Give me your basket. I shall help you to carry them to the Kure.' + +"The Lama handed his heavy burden up to him but the rider could not +raise it to his saddle so that the old Lama had to place it back on his +shoulder and continue on his way, bent under its heavy weight. Then from +the north came another rider in black robes and on a black horse, who +also approached the Lama and said: + +"'Stupid! Why do you carry these stones when they are everywhere about +the ground?' + +"With these words he pushed the Lama over with the breast of his horse +and scattered the stones about the ground. When the stones touched the +earth, they became diamonds. All three rushed to raise them but not +one of them could break them loose from the ground. Then the old Lama +exclaimed: + +"'Oh Gods! All my life I have carried this heavy burden and now, when +there was left so little to go, I have lost it. Help me, great, good +Gods!' + +"Suddenly a tottering old man appeared. He collected all the diamonds +into the basket without trouble, cleaned the dust from them, raised the +burden to his shoulder and started out, speaking with the Lama: + +"'Rest a while, I have just carried my burden to the goal and I am glad +to help you with yours.' + +"They went on and were soon out of sight, while the riders began to +fight. They fought one whole day and then the whole night and, when the +sun rose over the plain, neither was there, either alive or dead, and no +trace of either remained. This I saw, Bogdo Hutuktu Khan, speaking with +the Great and Wise Buddha, surrounded by the good and bad demons! Wise +Lamas, Hutuktus, Kampos, Marambas and Holy Gheghens, give the answer to +my vision!" + +This was written in my presence on May 17th, 1921, from the words of the +Living Buddha just as he came out of his private shrine to his study. +I do not know what the Hutuktu and Gheghens, the fortune tellers, +sorcerers and clairvoyants replied to him; but does not the answer seem +clear, if one realizes the present situation in Asia? + +Awakened Asia is full of enigmas but it is also full of answers to +the questions set by the destiny of humankind. This great continent of +mysterious Pontiffs, Living Gods, Mahatmas and readers of the terrible +book of Karma is awakening and the ocean of hundreds of millions of +human lives is lashed with monstrous waves. + + + + +Part V + +MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES--THE KING OF THE WORLD + + +CHAPTER XLVI + +THE SUBTERRANEAN KINGDOM + + +"Stop!" whispered my old Mongol guide, as we were one day crossing the +plain near Tzagan Luk. "Stop!" + +He slipped from his camel which lay down without his bidding. The Mongol +raised his hands in prayer before his face and began to repeat the +sacred phrase: "Om! Mani padme Hung!" The other Mongols immediately +stopped their camels and began to pray. + +"What has happened?" I thought, as I gazed round over the tender green +grass, up to the cloudless sky and out toward the dreamy soft rays of +the evening sun. + +The Mongols prayed for some time, whispered among themselves and, after +tightening up the packs on the camels, moved on. + +"Did you see," asked the Mongol, "how our camels moved their ears in +fear? How the herd of horses on the plain stood fixed in attention and +how the herds of sheep and cattle lay crouched close to the ground? Did +you notice that the birds did not fly, the marmots did not run and the +dogs did not bark? The air trembled softly and bore from afar the music +of a song which penetrated to the hearts of men, animals and birds +alike. Earth and sky ceased breathing. The wind did not blow and the sun +did not move. At such a moment the wolf that is stealing up on the sheep +arrests his stealthy crawl; the frightened herd of antelopes suddenly +checks its wild course; the knife of the shepherd cutting the sheep's +throat falls from his hand; the rapacious ermine ceases to stalk the +unsuspecting salga. All living beings in fear are involuntarily thrown +into prayer and waiting for their fate. So it was just now. Thus it has +always been whenever the King of the World in his subterranean palace +prays and searches out the destiny of all peoples on the earth." + +In this wise the old Mongol, a simple, coarse shepherd and hunter, spoke +to me. + +Mongolia with her nude and terrible mountains, her limitless plains, +covered with the widely strewn bones of the forefathers, gave birth +to Mystery. Her people, frightened by the stormy passions of Nature or +lulled by her deathlike peace, feel her mystery. Her "Red" and "Yellow +Lamas" preserve and poetize her mystery. The Pontiffs of Lhasa and Urga +know and possess her mystery. + +On my journey into Central Asia I came to know for the first time about +"the Mystery of Mysteries," which I can call by no other name. At the +outset I did not pay much attention to it and did not attach to it such +importance as I afterwards realized belonged to it, when I had analyzed +and connoted many sporadic, hazy and often controversial bits of +evidence. + +The old people on the shore of the River Amyl related to me an ancient +legend to the effect that a certain Mongolian tribe in their escape from +the demands of Jenghiz Khan hid themselves in a subterranean country. +Afterwards a Soyot from near the Lake of Nogan Kul showed me the smoking +gate that serves as the entrance to the "Kingdom of Agharti." Through +this gate a hunter formerly entered into the Kingdom and, after his +return, began to relate what he had seen there. The Lamas cut out +his tongue in order to prevent him from telling about the Mystery of +Mysteries. When he arrived at old age, he came back to the entrance of +this cave and disappeared into the subterranean kingdom, the memory of +which had ornamented and lightened his nomad heart. + +I received more realistic information about this from Hutuktu Jelyb +Djamsrap in Narabanchi Kure. He told me the story of the semi-realistic +arrival of the powerful King of the World from the subterranean kingdom, +of his appearance, of his miracles and of his prophecies; and only then +did I begin to understand that in that legend, hypnosis or mass vision, +whichever it may be, is hidden not only mystery but a realistic and +powerful force capable of influencing the course of the political life +of Asia. From that moment I began making some investigations. + +The favorite Gelong Lama of Prince Chultun Beyli and the Prince himself +gave me an account of the subterranean kingdom. + +"Everything in the world," said the Gelong, "is constantly in a state of +change and transition--peoples science, religions, laws and customs. How +many great empires and brilliant cultures have perished! And that alone +which remains unchanged is Evil, the tool of Bad Spirits. More than +sixty thousand years ago a Holyman disappeared with a whole tribe of +people under the ground and never appeared again on the surface of the +earth. Many people, however, have since visited this kingdom, Sakkia +Mouni, Undur Gheghen, Paspa, Khan Baber and others. No one knows where +this place is. One says Afghanistan, others India. All the people there +are protected against Evil and crimes do not exist within its bournes. +Science has there developed calmly and nothing is threatened with +destruction. The subterranean people have reached the highest knowledge. +Now it is a large kingdom, millions of men with the King of the World +as their ruler. He knows all the forces of the world and reads all the +souls of humankind and the great book of their destiny. Invisibly he +rules eight hundred million men on the surface of the earth and they +will accomplish his every order." + +Prince Chultun Beyli added: "This kingdom is Agharti. It extends +throughout all the subterranean passages of the whole world. I heard a +learned Lama of China relating to Bogdo Khan that all the subterranean +caves of America are inhabited by the ancient people who have +disappeared underground. Traces of them are still found on the surface +of the land. These subterranean peoples and spaces are governed by +rulers owing allegiance to the King of the World. In it there is not +much of the wonderful. You know that in the two greatest oceans of the +east and the west there were formerly two continents. They disappeared +under the water but their people went into the subterranean kingdom. In +underground caves there exists a peculiar light which affords growth to +the grains and vegetables and long life without disease to the people. +There are many different peoples and many different tribes. An old +Buddhist Brahman in Nepal was carrying out the will of the Gods in +making a visit to the ancient kingdom of Jenghiz,--Siam,--where he met a +fisherman who ordered him to take a place in his boat and sail with him +upon the sea. On the third day they reached an island where he met a +people having two tongues which could speak separately in different +languages. They showed to him peculiar, unfamiliar animals, tortoises +with sixteen feet and one eye, huge snakes with a very tasty flesh and +birds with teeth which caught fish for their masters in the sea. These +people told him that they had come up out of the subterranean kingdom +and described to him certain parts of the underground country." + +The Lama Turgut traveling with me from Urga to Peking gave me further +details. + +"The capital of Agharti is surrounded with towns of high priests and +scientists. It reminds one of Lhasa where the palace of the Dalai +Lama, the Potala, is the top of a mountain covered with monasteries and +temples. The throne of the King of the World is surrounded by millions +of incarnated Gods. They are the Holy Panditas. The palace itself is +encircled by the palaces of the Goro, who possess all the visible and +invisible forces of the earth, of inferno and of the sky and who can do +everything for the life and death of man. If our mad humankind should +begin a war against them, they would be able to explode the whole +surface of our planet and transform it into deserts. They can dry up +the seas, transform lands into oceans and scatter the mountains into the +sands of the deserts. By his order trees, grasses and bushes can be made +to grow; old and feeble men can become young and stalwart; and the dead +can be resurrected. In cars strange and unknown to us they rush through +the narrow cleavages inside our planet. Some Indian Brahmans and Tibetan +Dalai Lamas during their laborious struggles to the peaks of mountains +which no other human feet had trod have found there inscriptions carved +on the rocks, footprints in the snow and the tracks of wheels. The +blissful Sakkia Mouni found on one mountain top tablets of stone +carrying words which he only understood in his old age and afterwards +penetrated into the Kingdom of Agharti, from which he brought back +crumbs of the sacred learning preserved in his memory. There in palaces +of wonderful crystal live the invisible rulers of all pious people, the +King of the World or Brahytma, who can speak with God as I speak with +you, and his two assistants, Mahytma, knowing the purposes of future +events, and Mahynga, ruling the causes of these events." + +"The Holy Panditas study the world and all its forces. Sometimes the +most learned among them collect together and send envoys to that place +where the human eyes have never penetrated. This is described by +the Tashi Lama living eight hundred and fifty years ago. The highest +Panditas place their hands on their eyes and at the base of the brain of +younger ones and force them into a deep sleep, wash their bodies with an +infusion of grass and make them immune to pain and harder than stones, +wrap them in magic cloths, bind them and then pray to the Great God. The +petrified youths lie with eyes and ears open and alert, seeing, hearing +and remembering everything. Afterwards a Goro approaches and fastens a +long, steady gaze upon them. Very slowly the bodies lift themselves from +the earth and disappear. The Goro sits and stares with fixed eyes to the +place whither he has sent them. Invisible threads join them to his will. +Some of them course among the stars, observe their events, their unknown +peoples, their life and their laws. They listen to their talk, read +their books, understand their fortunes and woes, their holiness and +sins, their piety and evil. Some are mingled with flame and see the +creature of fire, quick and ferocious, eternally fighting, melting and +hammering metals in the depths of planets, boiling the water for geysers +and springs, melting the rocks and pushing out molten streams over the +surface of the earth through the holes in the mountains. Others rush +together with the ever elusive, infinitesimally small, transparent +creatures of the air and penetrate into the mysteries of their existence +and into the purposes of their life. Others slip into the depths of the +seas and observe the kingdom of the wise creatures of the water, who +transport and spread genial warmth all over the earth, ruling the winds, +waves and storms. . . . In Erdeni Dzu formerly lived Pandita Hutuktu, +who had come from Agharti. As he was dying, he told about the time when +he lived according to the will of the Goro on a red star in the east, +floated in the ice-covered ocean and flew among the stormy fires in the +depths of the earth." + +These are the tales which I heard in the Mongolian yurtas of Princes and +in the Lamaite monasteries. These stories were all related in a solemn +tone which forbade challenge and doubt. + +Mystery. . . . + + +CHAPTER XLVII + +THE KING OF THE WORLD BEFORE THE FACE OF GOD + + +During my stay in Urga I tried to find an explanation of this legend +about the King of the World. Of course, the Living Buddha could tell +me most of all and so I endeavored to get the story from him. In a +conversation with him I mentioned the name of the King of the World. +The old Pontiff sharply turned his head toward me and fixed upon me his +immobile, blind eyes. Unwillingly I became silent. Our silence was a +long one and after it the Pontiff continued the conversation in such +a way that I understood he did not wish to accept the suggestion of my +reference. On the faces of the others present I noticed expressions of +astonishment and fear produced by my words, and especially was this +true of the custodian of the library of the Bogdo Khan. One can readily +understand that all this only made me the more anxious to press the +pursuit. + +As I was leaving the study of the Bogdo Hutuktu, I met the librarian +who had stepped out ahead of me and asked him if he would show me the +library of the Living Buddha and used a very simple, sly trick with him. + +"Do you know, my dear Lama," I said, "once I rode in the plain at the +hour when the King of the World spoke with God and I felt the impressive +majesty of this moment." + +To my astonishment the old Lama very quietly answered me: "It is not +right that the Buddhist and our Yellow Faith should conceal it. The +acknowledgment of the existence of the most holy and most powerful man, +of the blissful kingdom, of the great temple of sacred science is such +a consolation to our sinful hearts and our corrupt lives that to +conceal it from humankind is a sin. . . . Well, listen," he continued, +"throughout the whole year the King of the World guides the work of the +Panditas and Goros of Agharti. Only at times he goes to the temple cave +where the embalmed body of his predecessor lies in a black stone coffin. +This cave is always dark, but when the King of the World enters it +the walls are striped with fire and from the lid of the coffin appear +tongues of flame. The eldest Goro stands before him with covered head +and face and with hands folded across his chest. This Goro never removes +the covering from his face, for his head is a nude skull with living +eyes and a tongue that speaks. He is in communion with the souls of all +who have gone before. + +"The King of the World prays for a long time and afterwards approaches +the coffin and stretches out his hand. The flames thereon burn brighter; +the stripes of fire on the walls disappear and revive, interlace and +form mysterious signs from the alphabet vatannan. From the coffin +transparent bands of scarcely noticeable light begin to flow forth. +These are the thoughts of his predecessor. Soon the King of the World +stands surrounded by an auriole of this light and fiery letters write +and write upon the walls the wishes and orders of God. At this moment +the King of the World is in contact with the thoughts of all the men who +influence the lot and life of all humankind: with Kings, Czars, Khans, +warlike leaders, High Priests, scientists and other strong men. He +realizes all their thoughts and plans. If these be pleasing before God, +the King of the World will invisibly help them; if they are unpleasant +in the sight of God, the King will bring them to destruction. This power +is given to Agharti by the mysterious science of 'Om,' with which we +begin all our prayers. 'Om' is the name of an ancient Holyman, the first +Goro, who lived three hundred thirty thousand years ago. He was the +first man to know God and who taught humankind to believe, hope and +struggle with Evil. Then God gave him power over all forces ruling the +visible world. + +"After his conversation with his predecessor the King of the World +assembles the 'Great Council of God,' judges the actions and thoughts +of great men, helps them or destroys them. Mahytma and Mahynga find the +place for these actions and thoughts in the causes ruling the world. +Afterwards the King of the World enters the great temple and prays in +solitude. Fire appears on the altar, gradually spreading to all the +altars near, and through the burning flame gradually appears the face of +God. The King of the World reverently announces to God the decisions and +awards of the 'Council of God' and receives in turn the Divine orders of +the Almighty. As he comes forth from the temple, the King of the World +radiates with Divine Light." + + +CHAPTER XLVIII + +REALITY OR RELIGIOUS FANTASY? + + +"Has anybody seen the King of the World?" I asked. + +"Oh, yes!" answered the Lama. "During the solemn holidays of the ancient +Buddhism in Siam and India the King of the World appeared five times. +He rode in a splendid car drawn by white elephants and ornamented with +gold, precious stones and finest fabrics; he was robed in a white mantle +and red tiara with strings of diamonds masking his face. He blessed the +people with a golden apple with the figure of a Lamb above it. The +blind received their sight, the dumb spoke, the deaf heard, the crippled +freely moved and the dead arose, wherever the eyes of the King of the +World rested. He also appeared five hundred and forty years ago in +Erdeni Dzu, he was in the ancient Sakkai Monastery and in the Narabanchi +Kure. + +"One of our Living Buddhas and one of the Tashi Lamas received a message +from him, written with unknown signs on golden tablets. No one could +read these signs. The Tashi Lama entered the temple, placed the golden +tablet on his head and began to pray. With this the thoughts of the +King of the World penetrated his brain and, without having read the +enigmatical signs, he understood and accomplished the message of the +King." + +"How many persons have ever been to Agharti?" I questioned him. + +"Very many," answered the Lama, "but all these people have kept secret +that which they saw there. When the Olets destroyed Lhasa, one of their +detachments in the southwestern mountains penetrated to the outskirts +of Agharti. Here they learned some of the lesser mysterious sciences +and brought them to the surface of our earth. This is why the Olets +and Kalmucks are artful sorcerers and prophets. Also from the eastern +country some tribes of black people penetrated to Agharti and lived +there many centuries. Afterwards they were thrust out from the kingdom +and returned to the earth, bringing with them the mystery of predictions +according to cards, grasses and the lines of the palm. They are the +Gypsies. . . . Somewhere in the north of Asia a tribe exists which is +now dying and which came from the cave of Agharti, skilled in calling +back the spirits of the dead as they float through the air." + +The Lama was silent and afterwards, as though answering my thoughts, +continued. + +"In Agharti the learned Panditas write on tablets of stone all the +science of our planet and of the other worlds. The Chinese learned +Buddhists know this. Their science is the highest and purest. Every +century one hundred sages of China collect in a secret place on +the shores of the sea, where from its depths come out one hundred +eternally-living tortoises. On their shells the Chinese write all the +developments of the divine science of the century." + +As I write I am involuntarily reminded of a tale of an old Chinese bonze +in the Temple of Heaven at Peking. He told me that tortoises live more +than three thousand years without food and air and that this is the +reason why all the columns of the blue Temple of Heaven were set on live +tortoises to preserve the wood from decay. + +"Several times the Pontiffs of Lhasa and Urga have sent envoys to the +King of the World," said the Lama librarian, "but they could not find +him. Only a certain Tibetan leader after a battle with the Olets found +the cave with the inscription: 'This is the gate to Agharti.' From the +cave a fine appearing man came forth, presented him with a gold tablet +bearing the mysterious signs and said: + +"'The King of the World will appear before all people when the time +shall have arrived for him to lead all the good people of the world +against all the bad; but this time has not yet come. The most evil among +mankind have not yet been born. + +"Chiang Chun Baron Ungern sent the young Prince Pounzig to seek out the +King of the World but he returned with a letter from the Dalai Lama from +Lhasa. When the Baron sent him a second time, he did not come back." + + +CHAPTER XLIX + +THE PROPHECY OF THE KING OF THE WORLD IN 1890 + + +The Hutuktu of Narabanchi related the following to me, when I visited +him in his monastery in the beginning of 1921: + +"When the King of the World appeared before the Lamas, favored of God, +in this monastery thirty years ago he made a prophecy for the coming +half century. It was as follows: + +"'More and more the people will forget their souls and care about their +bodies. The greatest sin and corruption will reign on the earth. People +will become as ferocious animals, thirsting for the blood and death +of their brothers. The 'Crescent' will grow dim and its followers will +descend into beggary and ceaseless war. Its conquerors will be stricken +by the sun but will not progress upward and twice they will be visited +with the heaviest misfortune, which will end in insult before the eye of +the other peoples. The crowns of kings, great and small, will fall . . . +one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. . . . There will be +a terrible battle among all the peoples. The seas will become red . . . +the earth and the bottom of the seas will be strewn with bones . . . +kingdoms will be scattered . . . whole peoples will die . . . hunger, +disease, crimes unknown to the law, never before seen in the world. The +enemies of God and of the Divine Spirit in man will come. Those who take +the hand of another shall also perish. The forgotten and pursued shall +rise and hold the attention of the whole world. There will be fogs +and storms. Bare mountains shall suddenly be covered with forests. +Earthquakes will come. . . . Millions will change the fetters of slavery +and humiliation for hunger, disease and death. The ancient roads will +be covered with crowds wandering from one place to another. The greatest +and most beautiful cities shall perish in fire . . . one, two, three. +. . . Father shall rise against son, brother against brother and mother +against daughter. . . . Vice, crime and the destruction of body and soul +shall follow. . . . Families shall be scattered. . . . Truth and love +shall disappear. . . . From ten thousand men one shall remain; he shall +be nude and mad and without force and the knowledge to build him a house +and find his food. . . . He will howl as the raging wolf, devour dead +bodies, bite his own flesh and challenge God to fight. . . . All the +earth will be emptied. God will turn away from it and over it there will +be only night and death. Then I shall send a people, now unknown, which +shall tear out the weeds of madness and vice with a strong hand and will +lead those who still remain faithful to the spirit of man in the fight +against Evil. They will found a new life on the earth purified by the +death of nations. In the fiftieth year only three great kingdoms will +appear, which will exist happily seventy-one years. Afterwards there +will be eighteen years of war and destruction. Then the peoples of +Agharti will come up from their subterranean caverns to the surface of +the earth.'" + +* * * * * + +Afterwards, as I traveled farther through Eastern Mongolia and to +Peking, I often thought: + +"And what if . . . ? What if whole peoples of different colors, faiths +and tribes should begin their migration toward the West?" + +And now, as I write these final lines, my eyes involuntarily turn to +this limitless Heart of Asia over which the trails of my wanderings +twine. Through whirling snow and driving clouds of sand of the Gobi they +travel back to the face of the Narabanchi Hutuktu as, with quiet voice +and a slender hand pointing to the horizon, he opened to me the doors of +his innermost thoughts: + +"Near Karakorum and on the shores of Ubsa Nor I see the huge, +multi-colored camps, the herds of horses and cattle and the blue yurtas +of the leaders. Above them I see the old banners of Jenghiz Khan, of +the Kings of Tibet, Siam, Afghanistan and of Indian Princes; the sacred +signs of all the Lamaite Pontiffs; the coats of arms of the Khans of the +Olets; and the simple signs of the north Mongolian tribes. I do not hear +the noise of the animated crowd. The singers do not sing the mournful +songs of mountain, plain and desert. The young riders are not delighting +themselves with the races on their fleet steeds. . . . There are +innumerable crowds of old men, women and children and beyond in the +north and west, as far as the eye can reach, the sky is red as a flame, +there is the roar and crackling of fire and the ferocious sound of +battle. Who is leading these warriors who there beneath the reddened sky +are shedding their own and others' blood? Who is leading these crowds +of unarmed old men and women? I see severe order, deep religious +understanding of purposes, patience and tenacity . . . a new great +migration of peoples, the last march of the Mongols. . . ." + +Karma may have opened a new page of history! + +And what if the King of the World be with them? + +But this greatest Mystery of Mysteries keeps its own deep silence. + + +GLOSSARY + + +Agronome.--Russian for trained agriculturalist. + +Amour sayn.--Good-bye. + +Ataman.--Headman or chief of the Cossacks. + +Bandi.--Pupil or student of theological school in the Buddhist faith. + +Buriat.--The most civilized Mongol tribe, living in the valley of the +Selenga in Transbaikalia. + +Chahars.--A warlike Mongolian tribe living along the Great Wall of China +in Inner Mongolia. + +Chaidje.--A high Lamaite priest, but not an incarnate god. + +Cheka.--The Bolshevik Counter-Revolutionary Committee, the most +relentless establishment of the Bolsheviki, organized for the +persecution of the enemies of the Communistic government in Russia. + +Chiang Chun.--Chinese for "General"--Chief of all Chinese troops in +Mongolia. + +Dalai Lama.--The first and highest Pontiff of the Lamaite or "Yellow +Faith," living at Lhasa in Tibet. + +Djungar.--A West Mongolian tribe. + +Dugun.--Chinese commercial and military post. + +Dzuk.--Lie down! + +Fang-tzu.--Chinese for "house." + +Fatil.--A very rare and precious root much prized in Chinese and Tibetan +medicines. + +Felcher.--Assistant of a doctor (surgeon). + +Gelong.--Lamaite priest having the right to offer sacrifices to God. + +Getul.--The third rank in the Lamaite monks. + +Goro.--The high priest of the King of the World. + +Hatyk.--An oblong piece of blue (or yellow) silk cloth, presented to +honored guests, chiefs, Lamas and gods. Also a kind of coin, worth from +25 to 50 cents. + +Hong.--A Chinese mercantile establishment. + +Hun.--The lowest rank of princes. + +Hunghutze.--Chinese brigand. + +Hushun.--A fenced enclosure, containing the houses, paddocks, stores, +stables, etc., of Russian Cossacks in Mongolia. + +Hutuktu.--The highest rank of Lamaite monks; the form of any incarnated +god; holy. + +Imouran.--A small rodent like a gopher. + +Izubr.--The American elk. + +Kabarga.--The musk antelope. + +Kalmuck.--A Mongolian tribe, which migrated from Mongolia under Jenghiz +Khan (where they were known as the Olets or Eleuths), and now live in +the Urals and on the shores of the Volga in Russia. + +Kanpo.--The abbot of a Lamaite monastery, a monk; also the first rank of +"white" clergy (not monks). + +Kanpo-Gelong.--The highest rank of Gelongs (q.v.); an honorary title. + +Karma.--The Buddhist materialization of the idea of Fate, a parallel +with the Greek and Roman Nemesis (Justice). + +Khan.--A king. + +Khayrus.--A kind of trout. + +Khirghiz.--The great Mongol nation living between the river Irtish in +western Siberia, Lake Balhash and the Volga in Russia. + +Kuropatka.--A partridge. + +Lama.--The common name for a Lamaite priest. + +Lan.--A weight of silver or gold equivalent to about one-eleventh of a +Russian pound, or 9/110ths of a pound avoirdupois. + +Lanhon.--A round bottle of clay. + +Maramba.--A doctor of theology. + +Merin.--The civil chief of police in every district of the Soyot country +in Urianhai. + +"Om! Mani padme Hung!".--"Om" has two meanings. It is the name of the +first Goro and also means: "Hail!" In this connection: "Hail! Great Lama +in the Lotus Flower!" + +Mende.--Soyot greeting--"Good Day." + +Nagan-hushun.--A Chinese vegetable garden or enclosure in Mongolia. + +Naida.--A form of fire used by Siberian woodsmen. + +Noyon.--A Prince or Khan. In polite address: "Chief," "Excellency." + +Obo.--The sacred and propitiatory signs in all the dangerous places in +Urianhai and Mongolia. + +Olets.--Vid: Kalmuck. + +Om.--The name of the first Goro (q.v.) and also of the mysterious, magic +science of the Subterranean State. It means, also: "Hail!" + +Orochons.--A Mongolian tribe, living near the shores of the Amur River +in Siberia. + +Oulatchen.--The guard for the post horses; official guide. + +Ourton.--A post station, where the travelers change horses and +oulatchens. + +Pandita.--The high rank of Buddhist monks. + +Panti.--Deer horns in the velvet, highly prized as a Tibetan and Chinese +medicine. + +Pogrom.--A wholesale slaughter of unarmed people; a massacre. + +Paspa.--The founder of the Yellow Sect, predominating now in the Lamaite +faith. + +Sait.--A Mongolian governor. + +Salga.--A sand partridge. + +Sayn.--"Good day!" "Good morning!" "Good evening!" All right; good. + +Taiga.--A Siberian word for forest. + +Taimen.--A species of big trout, reaching 120 pounds. + +Ta Lama.--Literally: "the great priest," but it means now "a doctor of +medicine." + +Tashur.--A strong bamboo stick. + +Turpan.--The red wild goose or Lama-goose. + +Tzagan.--White. + +Tzara.--A document, giving the right to receive horses and oulatchens at +the post stations. + +Tsirik.--Mongolian soldiers mobilized by levy. + +Tzuren.--A doctor-poisoner. + +Ulan.--Red. + +Urga.--The name of the capital of Mongolia; (2) a kind of Mongolian +lasso. + +Vatannen.--The language of the Subterranean State of the King of the +World. + +Wapiti.--The American elk. + +Yurta.--The common Mongolian tent or house, made of felt. + +Zahachine.--A West Mongolian wandering tribe. + +Zaberega.--The ice-mountains formed along the shores of a river in +spring. + +Zikkurat.--A high tower of Babylonish style. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Beasts, Men and Gods, by Ferdinand Ossendowski + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEASTS, MEN AND GODS *** + +***** This file should be named 2067.txt or 2067.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/0/6/2067/ + +Produced by Donald Lainson + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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