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of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoe er! "ou may co#y it, gi e it away or re$use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg %icense included with this eBook or online at www!gutenberg!org Title& Beasts, Men and Gods 'uthor& Ferdinand Ossendowski Translator& %ewis (tanton Palen )elease *ate& May +,, -../ 0EBook 1-./23 %anguage& English 4haracter set encoding& '(455 666 (T')T OF T75( P)O8E4T G9TE:BE)G EBOO; BE'(T(, ME: ':* GO*( 666 Produced by *onald %ainson< *a id =idger

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 !he Robinson "rusoe of the !wentieth "entur#, he touched the feature of the narrative which is at once most attractive and most dangerous$ for the succession of tr#ing and thrilling e%periences recorded seems in places too highl# colored to be real or, sometimes, even possible in this da# and generation. I desire, therefore, to assure the reader at the outset that Dr. &ssendows'i is a man of long and diverse e%perience as a scientist and writer with a training for careful observation which should put the stamp of accurac# and reliabilit# on his chronicle. &nl# the e%traordinar# events of these e%traordinar# times could have thrown one with so man# talents bac' into the surroundings of the "ave (an and thus given to us this unusual account of personal 1

adventure, of great human m#steries and of the political and religious motives which are energizing the )eart of Asia. (# share in the wor' has been to induce Dr. &ssendows'i to write his stor# at this time and to assist him in rendering his e%periences into *nglish. +*WIS S!A,!&, PA+*,.

CONTENTS
*-P+A,A!&R. ,&!*

BEASTS, MEN AND GODS

Par !" DRA#!NG LOTS #!T$ DEAT$ ")AP!*R I ")AP!*R II ")AP!*R III ")AP!*R I/ ")AP!*R / ")AP!*R /I ")AP!*R /II ")AP!*R /III ")AP!*R I")AP!*R ")AP!*R -I ")AP!*R -II ")AP!*R -III ")AP!*R -I/ 2

")AP!*R -/ ")AP!*R -/I Par !!" T$E LAND OF DEMONS ")AP!*R -/II ")AP!*R -/III ")AP!*R -I")AP!*R -")AP!*R --I ")AP!*R --II ")AP!*R --III ")AP!*R --I/ ")AP!*R --/ ")AP!*R --/I ")AP!*R --/II ")AP!*R --/III Par !!!" T$E STRA!N!NG $EART OF AS!A ")AP!*R --I")AP!*R --")AP!*R ---I ")AP!*R ---II ")AP!*R ---III ")AP!*R ---I/ ")AP!*R ---/

")AP!*R ---/I ")AP!*R ---/II ")AP!*R ---/III ")AP!*R ---IPar !%" T$E L!%!NG B&DD$A ")AP!*R -+ ")AP!*R -+I ")AP!*R -+II ")AP!*R -+III ")AP!*R -+I/ ")AP!*R -+/ Par %" MYSTERY OF MYSTER!ES'T$E (!NG OF T$E #ORLD ")AP!*R -+/I ")AP!*R -+/II ")AP!*R -+/III ")AP!*R -+I-

GLOSSARY

!here are times, men and events about which )istor# alone can record the final 0udgments$ contemporaries and individual observers must onl# write what the# have seen and heard. !he ver# truth demands it.

!I!1S +I/I1S.

BEASTS, MEN AND GODS Par !

DRA#!NG LOTS #!T$ DEAT$

C$APTER !
!NTO T$E FORESTS
In the beginning of the #ear 2345 I happened to be living in the Siberian town of 6rasno#ars', situated on the shores of the River .enisei, that noble stream which is cradled in the sun7bathed mountains of (ongolia to pour its warming life into the Arctic &cean and to whose mouth ,ansen has twice come to open the shortest road for commerce from *urope to the heart of Asia. !here in the depths of the still Siberian winter I was suddenl# 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 b# the law. ,o one could tell the hour of his fate. !he people lived from da# to da# and left their homes not 'nowing whether the# should return to them or whether the# should be dragged from the streets and thrown into the dungeons of that travest# of courts, the Revolutionar# "ommittee, more terrible and more blood# than those of the (ediaeval In8uisition. We who were strangers in this distraught land were not saved from its persecutions and I personall# lived through them. &ne morning, when I had gone out to see a friend, I suddenl# received the news that twent# Red soldiers had surrounded m# house to arrest me and that I must escape. I 8uic'l# put on one of m# friend9s old hunting suits, too' some mone# and hurried awa# on foot along the bac' wa#s of the town till I struc' the open road, where I engaged a peasant, who in four hours had driven me twent# miles from the town and set me down in the midst of a deepl# forested region. &n the wa# I bought a rifle, three hundred cartridges, an a%, a 'nife, a sheeps'in overcoat, tea, salt, dr# bread and a 'ettle. I penetrated into the heart of the wood to an abandoned half7burned hut. :rom this da# I became a genuine trapper but I never dreamed that I should follow this role as long as I did. !he ne%t morning I went hunting and had the good fortune to 'ill two heathcoc'. I found deer trac's in plent# and felt sure that I should not want for food. )owever, m# so0ourn in this place was not for long. :ive da#s later when I returned from hunting I noticed smo'e curling up out of the chimne# of m# hut. I stealthil# crept along closer to the cabin and discovered two saddled horses with soldiers9 rifles slung to the saddles. !wo disarmed men were not dangerous for me with a weapon, so I 8uic'l# rushed across the open and entered the hut. :rom the bench two soldiers started up in fright. !he# were 5

;olshevi'i. &n their big Astra'han caps I made out the red stars of ;olshevism and on their blouses the dirt# red bands. We greeted each other and sat down. !he soldiers had alread# prepared tea and so we dran' this ever welcome hot beverage and chatted, suspiciousl# e#eing one another the while. !o 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 countr# for sables. !he# announced to me that the# were soldiers of a detachment sent from a town into the woods to pursue all suspicious people. Do #ou understand, 9"omrade,9 said one of them to me, we are loo'ing for counter7 revolutionists to shoot them< I 'new it without his e%planations. All m# forces were directed to assuring them b# m# conduct that I was a simple peasant hunter and that I had nothing in common with the counter7revolutionists. I was thin'ing also all the time of where I should go after the departure of m# unwelcome guests. It grew dar'. In the dar'ness their faces were even less attractive. !he# too' out bottles of vod'a and dran' and the alcohol began to act ver# noticeabl#. !he# tal'ed loudl# and constantl# interrupted each other, boasting how man# bourgeoisie the# had 'illed in 6rasno#ars' and how man# "ossac's the# had slid under the ice in the river. Afterwards the# began to 8uarrel but soon the# were tired and prepared to sleep. All of a sudden and without an# 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 li'e a genie, as the steam settled, the figure of a tall, gaunt peasant impressivel# crowned with the high Astra'han cap and wrapped in the great sheeps'in overcoat that added to the massiveness of his figure. )e stood with his rifle read# to fire. 1nder his girdle la# the sharp a% without which the Siberian peasant cannot e%ist. *#es, 8uic' and glimmering li'e those of a wild beast, fi%ed themselves alternatel# on each of us. In a moment he too' off his cap, made the sign of the cross on his breast and as'ed of us= Who is the master here< I answered him. (a# I stop the night< .es, I replied, places enough for all. !a'e a cup of tea. It is still hot. !he stranger, running his e#es constantl# over all of us and over ever#thing about the room, began to ta'e off his s'in coat after putting his rifle in the corner. )e was dressed in an old leather blouse with trousers of the same material tuc'ed in high felt boots. )is face was 8uite #oung, fine and tinged with something a'in to moc'er#. )is white, sharp teeth glimmered as his e#es penetrated ever#thing the# rested upon. I noticed the loc's of gre# in his shagg# head. +ines of bitterness circled his mouth. !he# showed his life had been ver# storm# and full of danger. )e too' a seat beside his rifle and laid his a% on the floor below. What< Is it #our wife< as'ed one of the drun'en soldiers, pointing to the a%.

!he tall peasant loo'ed calml# at him from the 8uiet e#es under their heav# brows and as calml# answered= &ne meets a different fol' these da#s and with an a% it is much safer. )e began to drin' tea ver# greedil#, while his e#es loo'ed at me man# times with sharp in8uir# in them and ran often round the whole cabin in search of the answer to his doubts. /er# slowl# and with a guarded drawl he answered all the 8uestions 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 remar'ed to the soldiers= I am going out to loo' after m# horse and will unsaddle #our horses for #ou also. All right, e%claimed the half7sleeping #oung soldier, bring in our rifles as well. !he soldiers were l#ing on the benches and thus left for us onl# the floor. !he stranger soon came bac', brought the rifles and set them in the dar' corner. )e dropped the saddle pads on the floor, sat down on them and began to ta'e off his boots. !he soldiers and m# guest soon were snoring but I did not sleep for thin'ing of what ne%t to do. :inall# as dawn was brea'ing, I dozed off onl# to awa'e in the broad da#light and find m# stranger gone. I went outside the hut and discovered him saddling a fine ba# stallion. Are #ou going awa#< I as'ed. .es, but I want to go together with these >> comrades,9 he whispered, and afterwards I shall come bac'. I did not as' him an#thing further and told him onl# that I would wait for him. )e too' off the bags that had been hanging on his saddle, put them awa# out of sight in the burned corner of the cabin, loo'ed over the stirrups and bridle and, as he finished saddling, smiled and said= I am read#. I9m going to awa'e m# 9comrades.9 )alf an hour after the morning drin' of tea, m# three guests too' their leave. I remained out of doors and was engaged in splitting wood for m# stove. Suddenl#, from a distance, rifle shots rang through the woods, first one, then a second. Afterwards all was still. :rom the place near the shots a frightened cove# of blac'coc' bro'e and came over me. At the top of a high pine a 0a# cried out. I listened for a long time to see if an#one was approaching m# hut but ever#thing was still. &n the lower .enisei it grows dar' ver# earl#. I built a fire in m# stove and began to coo' m# soup, constantl# listening for ever# noise that came from be#ond the cabin walls. "ertainl# I understood at all times ver# clearl# that death was ever beside me and might claim me b# means of either man, beast, cold, accident or disease. I 'new that nobod# was near me to assist and that all m# help was in the hands of ?od, in the power of m# hands and feet, in the accurac# of m# aim and in m# presence of mind. )owever, I listened in vain. I did not notice the return of m# stranger. +i'e #esterda# he appeared all

at once on the threshold. !hrough the steam I made out his laughing e#es and his fine face. )e stepped into the hut and dropped with a good deal of noise three rifles into the corner. !wo horses, two rifles, two saddles, two bo%es of dr# bread, half a bric' of tea, a small bag of salt, fift# cartridges, two overcoats, two pairs of boots, laughingl# he counted out. In truth toda# I had a ver# successful hunt. In astonishment I loo'ed at him. What are #ou surprised at< he laughed. 6omu nu0n# eti tovarischi< Who9s got an# use for these fellows< +et us have tea and go to sleep. !omorrow I will guide #ou to another safer place and then go on.

C$APTER !!
T$E SECRET OF MY FELLO# TRA%ELER
At the dawn of da# we started forth, leaving m# first place of refuge. Into the bags we pac'ed our personal estate and fastened them on one of the saddles. We must go four or five hundred versts, ver# calml# announced m# fellow traveler, who called himself Ivan, a name that meant nothing to m# mind or heart in this land where ever# second man bore the same. We shall travel then for a ver# long time, I remar'ed regretfull#. ,ot more than one wee', perhaps even less, he answered. !hat night we spent in the woods under the wide spreading branches of the fir trees. It was m# first night in the forest under the open s'#. )ow man# li'e this I was destined to spend in the #ear and a half of m# wanderings@ During the da# there was ver# sharp cold. 1nder the hoofs of the horses the frozen snow crunched and the balls that formed and bro'e from their hoofs rolled awa# over the crust with a sound li'e crac'ling glass. !he heathcoc' flew from the trees ver# idl#, hares loped slowl# 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 b# heav# 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 trun's, s8uared them on one side with his a%, laid one on the other with the s8uared faces together and then drove in a big wedge at the butt ends which separated them three or four inches. !hen we placed live coals in this opening and watched the fire run rapidl# the whole length of the s8uared faces vis7a7vis.

,ow there will be a fire in the morning, he announced. !his is the 9naida9 of the gold prospectors. We prospectors wandering in the woods summer and winter alwa#s sleep beside this 9naida.9 :ine@ .ou shall see for #ourself, he continued. )e 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. (ore branches were brought and spread on the snow under the roof, on these were placed the saddle cloths and together the# made a seat for Ivan to rest on and to ta'e 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 nec' on his sleeves. ,ow it is good and warm@ he e%claimed. In a short time I was also forced to ta'e off m# overcoat and soon la# down to sleep without an# covering at all, while through the branches of the fir trees and our roof glimmered the cold bright stars and 0ust be#ond the naida raged a stinging cold, from which we were cosil# defended. After this night I was no longer frightened b# the cold. :rozen during the da#s on horsebac', I was thoroughl# warmed through b# the genial naida at night and rested from m# heav# overcoat, sitting onl# in m# blouse under the roofs of pine and fir and sipping the ever welcome tea. During our dail# tre's Ivan related to me the stories of his wanderings through the mountains and woods of !ransbai'alia in the search for gold. !hese stories were ver# livel#, full of attractive adventure, danger and struggle. Ivan was a t#pe of these prospectors who have discovered in Russia, and perhaps in other countries, the richest gold mines, while the# themselves remain beggars. )e evaded telling me wh# he left !ransbai'alia to come to the .enisei. I understood from his manner that he wished to 'eep his own counsel and so did not press him. )owever, the blan'et of secrec# covering this part of his m#sterious life was one da# 8uite fortuitousl# lifted a bit. We were alread# at the ob0ective point of our trip. !he whole da# we had traveled with difficult# through a thic' growth of willow, approaching the shore of the big right branch of the .enisei, the (ana. *ver#where we saw runwa#s pac'ed hard b# the feet of the hares living in this bush. !hese small white denizens of the wood ran to and fro in front of us. Another time we saw the red tail of a fo% hiding behind a roc', watching us and the unsuspecting hares at the same time. Ivan had been silent for a long while. !hen he spo'e up and told me that not far from there was a small branch of the (ana, at the mouth of which was a hut. What do #ou sa#< Shall we push on there or spend the night b# 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 'nitted his brows but acceded. It was growing dar' when we approached a hut surrounded b# the dense wood and wild raspberr# 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 dran' from the bottle inherited from the soldiers and in a short time was ver# elo8uent, with brilliant e#es and with hands that coursed fre8uentl# and rapidl# through his long loc's. )e began relating to me the stor# of one of his adventures, but suddenl# stopped and, with fear in his e#es, s8uinted into a dar' corner. Is it a rat< he as'ed. I did not see an#thing, I replied. )e again became silent and reflected with 'nitted brow. &ften we were silent through long hours and conse8uentl# I was not astonished. Ivan leaned over near to me and began to whisper. I want to tell #ou an old stor#. I had a friend in !ransbai'alia. )e was a banished convict. )is name was ?avrons'#. !hrough man# woods and over man# mountains we traveled in search of gold and we had an agreement to divide all we got into even shares. ;ut ?avrons'# suddenl# went out to the 9!aiga9 on the .enisei and disappeared. After five #ears we heard that he had found a ver# 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= !his is their old hut. )ere he lived with his wife and somewhere on this river he too' out his gold. ;ut he told nobod# where. All the peasants around here 'now that he had a lot of mone# in the ban' and that he had been selling gold to the ?overnment. )ere the# were murdered. Ivan stepped to the stove, too' out a flaming stic' and, bending over, lighted a spot on the floor. Do #ou see these spots on the floor and on the wall< It is their blood, the blood of ?avrons'#. !he# died but the# did not disclose the whereabouts of the gold. It was ta'en out of a deep hole which the# had drifted into the ban' of the river and was hidden in the cellar under the shed. ;ut ?avrons'# gave nothing awa#. . . . A,D +&RD )&W I !&R!1R*D !)*(@ I burned them with fire$ I bent bac' their fingers$ I gouged out their e#es$ but ?avrons'# died in silence. )e thought for a moment, then 8uic'l# said to me= I have heard all this from the peasants. )e threw the log into the stove and flopped down on the bench. It9s 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 smo'ed his pipe.

10

In the morning we left this scene of so much suffering and crime and on the seventh da# of our 0ourne# we came to the dense cedar wood growing on the foothills of a long chain of mountains. :rom here, Ivan e%plained to me, it is eight# versts to the ne%t peasant settlement. !he people come to these woods to gather cedar nuts but onl# in the autumn. ;efore then #ou will not meet an#one. Also #ou will find man# birds and beasts and a plentiful suppl# of nuts, so that it will be possible for #ou to live here. Do #ou see this river< When #ou want to find the peasants, follow along this stream and it will guide #ou to them. Ivan helped me build m# mud hut. ;ut it was not the genuine mud hut. It was one formed b# the tearing out of the roots of a great cedar, that had probabl# fallen in some wild storm, which made for me the deep hole as the room for m# house and flan'ed this on one side with a wall of mud held fast among the upturned roots. &verhanging ones formed also the framewor' into which we interlaced the poles and branches to ma'e a roof, finished off with stones for stabilit# and snow for warmth. !he front of the hut was ever open but was constantl# protected b# the guardian naida. In that snow7covered den I spent two months li'e summer without seeing an# 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 m# trials and m# an%iet# about m# famil# as m# constant companions, and in the hard struggle for m# life. Ivan went off the second da#, leaving for me a bag of dr# bread and a little sugar. I never saw him again.

C$APTER !!!
T$E STR&GGLE FOR L!FE
!hen I was alone. Around me onl# the wood of eternall# green cedars covered with snow, the bare bushes, the frozen river and, as far as I could see out through the branches and the trun's of the trees, onl# the great ocean of cedars and snow. Siberian taiga@ )ow long shall I be forced to live here< Will the ;olshevi'i find me here or not< Will m# friends 'now where I am< What is happening to m# famil#< !hese 8uestions were constantl# as burning fires in m# brain. Soon I understood wh# Ivan guided me so long. We passed man# secluded places on the 0ourne#, far awa# from all people, where Ivan could have safel# left me but he alwa#s said that he would ta'e me to a place where it would be easier to live. And it was so. !he charm of m# lone refuge was in the cedar wood and in the mountains covered with these forests which stretched to ever# horizon. !he cedar is a splendid, powerful tree with wide7spreading branches, an eternall# green tent, attracting to its shelter ever# living being. Among the cedars was alwa#s effervescent life. !here the s8uirrels were continuall# 'ic'ing up a row, 0umping from tree to tree$ the nut70obbers cried shrill#$ a floc' of bullfinches with carmine breasts swept through the trees li'e a flame$ or a small arm# of goldfinches bro'e in and filled the amphitheatre of trees with their whistling$ a hare scooted from one tree trun' to 11

another and behind him stole up the hardl# visible shadow of a white ermine, crawling on the snow, and I watched for a long time the blac' spot which I 'new to be the tip of his tail$ carefull# treading the hard crusted snow approached a noble deer$ at last there visited me from the top of the mountain the 'ing of the Siberian forest, the brown bear. All this distracted me and carried awa# the blac' thoughts from m# brain, encouraging me to persevere. It was good for me also, though difficult, to climb to the top of m# mountain, which reached up out of the forest and from which I could loo' awa# to the range of red on the horizon. It was the red cliff on the farther ban' of the .enisei. !here la# the countr#, the towns, the enemies and the friends$ and there was even the point which I located as the place of m# famil#. It was the reason wh# Ivan had guided me here. And as the da#s in this solitude slipped b# I began to miss sorel# this companion who, though the murderer of ?avrons'#, had ta'en care of me li'e a father, alwa#s saddling m# horse for me, cutting the wood and doing ever#thing to ma'e me comfortable. )e had spent man# winters alone with nothing e%cept his thoughts, face to face with nature>I should sa#, before the face of ?od. )e had tried the horrors of solitude and had ac8uired facilit# in bearing them. I thought sometimes, if I had to meet m# end in this place, that I would spend m# last strength to drag m#self to the top of the mountain to die there, loo'ing awa# over the infinite sea of mountains and forest toward the point where m# loved ones were. )owever, the same life gave me much matter for reflection and #et more occupation for the ph#sical side. It was a continuous struggle for e%istence, hard and severe. !he hardest wor' was the preparation of the big logs for the naida. !he fallen trun's 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 stic' as a lever, to move them from their place. :or facilitating this wor' I chose the mountain for m# supplies, where, although difficult to climb, it was eas# to roll the logs down. Soon I made a splendid discover#. I found near m# den a great 8uantit# of larch, this beautiful #et sad forest giant, fallen during a big storm. !he trun's were covered with snow but remained attached to their stumps, where the# had bro'en off. When I cut into these stumps with the a%, the head buried itself and could with difficult# be drawn and, investigating the reason, I found them filled with pitch. "hips of this wood needed onl# a spar' to set them aflame and ever afterward I alwa#s had a stoc' of them to light up 8uic'l# for warming m# hands on returning from the hunt or for boiling m# tea. !he greater part of m# da#s was occupied with the hunt. I came to understand that I must distribute m# wor' over ever# da#, for it distracted me from m# sad and depressing thoughts. ?enerall#, after m# morning tea, I went into the forest to see' heathcoc' or blac'coc'. After 'illing one or two I began to prepare m# dinner, which never had an e%tensive menu. It was constantl# game soup with a handful of dried bread and afterwards endless cups of tea, this essential beverage of the woods. &nce, during m# search for birds, I heard a rustle in the dense shrubs and, carefull# peering about, I discovered the points of a deer9s horns. I crawled along toward the spot but the watchful animal heard m# approach. With a great noise he rushed from the bush and I saw him ver# clearl#, after he had run about three hundred steps, stop on the slope of the mountain. It was a splendid animal with dar' gre# coat, with almost a blac' spine and as

12

large as a small cow. I laid m# rifle across a branch and fired. !he animal made a great leap, ran several steps and fell. With all m# strength I ran to him but he got up again and half 0umped, half dragged himself up the mountain. !he second shot stopped him. I had won a warm carpet for m# den and a large stoc' of meat. !he horns I fastened up among the branches of m# wall, where the# made a fine hat rac'. I cannot forget one ver# interesting but wild picture, which was staged for me several 'ilometres from m# den. !here was a small swamp covered with grass and cranberries scattered through it, where the blac'coc' and sand partridges usuall# came to feed on the berries. I approached noiselessl# behind the bushes and saw a whole floc' of blac'coc' scratching in the snow and pic'ing out the berries. While I was surve#ing this scene, suddenl# one of the blac'coc' 0umped up and the rest of the frightened floc' immediatel# flew awa#. !o m# astonishment the first bird began going straight up in a spiral flight and afterwards dropped directl# down dead. When I approached there sprang from the bod# of the slain coc' a rapacious ermine that hid under the trun' of a fallen tree. !he bird9s nec' was badl# torn. I then understood that the ermine had charged the coc', fastened itself on his nec' and had been carried b# the bird into the air, as he suc'ed the blood from its throat, and had been the cause of the heav# fall bac' to the earth. !han's to his aeronautic abilit# I saved one cartridge. So I lived fighting for the morrow and more and more poisoned b# hard and bitter thoughts. !he da#s and wee's passed and soon I felt the breath of warmer winds. &n the open places the snow began to thaw. In spots the little rivulets of water appeared. Another da# I saw a fl# or a spider awa'ened after the hard winter. !he spring was coming. I realized that in spring it was impossible to go out from the forest. *ver# river overflowed its ban's$ the swamps became impassable$ all the runwa#s of the animals turned into beds for streams of running water. I understood that until summer I was condemned to a continuation of m# solitude. Spring ver# 8uic'l# came into her rights and soon m# mountain was free from snow and was covered onl# with stones, the trun's of birch and aspen trees and the high cones of ant hills$ the river in places bro'e its covering of ice and was coursing full with foam and bubbles.

C$APTER !%
A F!S$ERMAN
&ne da# during the hunt, I approached the ban' of the river and noticed man# ver# large fish with red bac's, as though filled with blood. !he# were swimming on the surface en0o#ing the ra#s of the sun. When the river was entirel# free from ice, these fish appeared in enormous 8uantities. Soon I realized that the# were wor'ing up7stream for the spawning season in the smaller rivers. I thought to use a plundering method of catching, forbidden b# the law of all countries$ but all the law#ers and legislators should be lenient to one who lives in a den under the roots of a fallen tree and dares to brea' their rational laws.

13

?athering man# 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 tr#ing to 0ump over it. ,ear the ban' I left a hole in m# barrier about eighteen inches below the surface and fastened on the up7stream side a high bas'et plaited from soft willow twigs, into which the fish came as the# passed the hole. !hen I stood cruell# b# and hit them on the head with a strong stic'. All m# catch were over thirt# pounds, some more than eight#. !his variet# of fish is called the taimen, is of the trout famil# and is the best in the .enisei. After two wee's the fish had passed and m# bas'et gave me no more treasure, so I began anew the hunt.

C$APTER %
A DANGERO&S NE!G$BOR
!he hunt became more and more profitable and en0o#able, as spring animated ever#thing. In the morning at the brea' of da# the forest was full of voices, strange and undiscernible to the inhabitant of the town. !here the heathcoc' cluc'ed and sang his song of love, as he sat on the top branches of the cedar and admired the gre# hen scratching in the fallen leaves below. It was ver# eas# to approach this full7feathered "aruso and with a shot to bring him down from his more poetic to his more utilitarian duties. )is going out was an euthanasia, for he was in love and heard nothing. &ut in the clearing the blac'coc's with their wide7spread spotted tails were fighting, while the hens strutting near, craning and chattering, probabl# some gossip about their fighting swains, watched and were delighted with them. :rom the distance flowed in a stern and deep roar, #et full of tenderness and love, the mating call of the deer$ while from the crags above came down the short and bro'en voice of the mountain buc'. Among the bushes frolic'ed the hares and often near them a red fo% la# flattened to the ground watching his chance. I never heard an# wolves and the# are usuall# not found in the Siberian regions covered with mountains and forest. ;ut there was another beast, who was m# neighbor, and one of us had to go awa#. &ne da#, coming bac' from the hunt with a big heathcoc', I suddenl# noticed among the trees a blac', moving mass. I stopped and, loo'ing ver# attentivel#, saw a bear, digging awa# at an ant7hill. Smelling me, he snorted violentl#, and ver# 8uic'l# shuffled awa#, astonishing me with the speed of his clums# gait. !he following morning, while still l#ing under m# overcoat, I was attracted b# a noise behind m# den. I peered out ver# carefull# and discovered the bear. )e stood on his hind legs and was noisil# sniffing, investigating the 8uestion as to what living creature had adopted the custom of the bears of housing during the winter under the trun's of fallen trees. I shouted and struc' m# 'ettle with the a%. (# earl# visitor made off with all his energ#$ but his visit did not please me. It was ver# earl# in the spring that this occurred and the bear should not #et have left his hibernating place. )e was the so7called ant7eater, an abnormal t#pe of bear lac'ing in all the eti8uette of the first families of the bear clan.

14

I 'new that the ant7eaters were ver# irritable and audacious and 8uic'l# I prepared m#self for both the defence and the charge. (# preparations were short. I rubbed off the ends of five of m# cartridges, thus ma'ing dum7dums out of them, a sufficientl# intelligible argument for so unwelcome a guest. Putting on m# coat I went to the place where I had first met the bear and where there were man# ant7hills. I made a detour of the whole mountain, loo'ed in all the ravines but nowhere found m# caller. Disappointed and tired, I was approaching m# shelter 8uite off m# guard when I suddenl# discovered the 'ing of the forest himself 0ust coming out of m# lowl# dwelling and sniffing all around the entrance to it. I shot. !he bullet pierced his side. )e roared with pain and anger and stood up on his hind legs. As the second bullet bro'e one of these, he s8uatted down but immediatel#, dragging the leg and endeavoring to stand upright, moved to attac' me. &nl# the third bullet in his breast stopped him. )e weighed about two hundred to two hundred fift# pounds, as near as I could guess, and was ver# tast#. )e appeared at his best in cutlets but onl# a little less wonderful in the )amburg stea's 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 (edved in Petrograd. &n this welcome addition to m# 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 countr# whither Ivan had directed me. *ver traveling with the greatest precautions I made the 0ourne# down along the river on foot, carr#ing from m# winter 8uarters all m# household furniture and goods, wrapped up in the deers'in bag which I formed b# t#ing the legs together in an aw'ward 'not$ and thus laden fording the small streams and wading through the swamps that la# across m# path. After fift# odd miles of this I came to the countr# called Sif'ova, where I found the cabin of a peasant named !ropoff, located closest to the forest that came to be m# natural environment. With him I lived for a time.

,ow in these unimaginable surroundings of safet# and peace, summing up the total of m# e%perience in the Siberian taiga, I ma'e the following deductions. In ever# health# spiritual individual of our times, occasions of necessit# 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 carr# him through. ;ut the price that the cultured man must pa# is that for him there e%ists nothing more awful than absolute solitude and the 'nowledge of complete isolation from human societ# and the life of moral and aesthetic culture. &ne step, one moment of wea'ness and dar' madness will seize a man and carr# him to inevitable destruction. I spent awful da#s of struggle with the cold and hunger but I passed more terrible da#s in the struggle of the will to 'ill wea'ening destructive thoughts. !he memories of these da#s freeze m# heart and mind and even now, as I revive them so clearl# b# writing of m# e%periences, the# throw me bac' into a state of fear and apprehension. (oreover, I am compelled to observe that the people in highl# 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 e%istence. It

15

is the single normal wa# to develop a new generation of strong, health#, iron men, with at the same time sensitive souls. ,ature destro#s the wea' but helps the strong, awa'ening in the soul emotions which remain dormant under the urban conditions of modern life.

C$APTER %!
A R!%ER !N TRA%A!L
(# presence in the Sif'ova countr# was not for long but I used it in full measure. :irst, I sent a man in whom I had confidence and whom I considered trustworth# to m# friends in the town that I had left and received from them linen, boots, mone# 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 ;olshevi'i. Secondl#, in these more or less favorable conditions I reflected upon the plan for m# future actions. Soon in Sif'ova the people heard that the ;olshevi' commissar would come for the re8uisition of cattle for the Red Arm#. It was dangerous to remain longer. I waited onl# until the .enisei should lose its massive loc' of ice, which 'ept it sealed long after the small rivulets had opened and the trees had ta'en on their spring foliage. :or one thousand roubles I engaged a fisherman who agreed to ta'e me fift#7five miles up the river to an abandoned gold mine as soon as the river, which had then onl# opened in places, should be entirel# clear of ice. At last one morning I heard a deafening roar li'e a tremendous cannonade and ran out to find the river had lifted its great bul' of ice and then given wa# to brea' it up. I rushed on down to the ban', where I witnessed an awe7inspiring but magnificent scene. !he river had brought down the great volume of ice that had been dislodged in the south and was carr#ing it northward under the thic' la#er which still covered parts of the stream until finall# its weight had bro'en the winter dam to the north and released the whole grand mass in one last rush for the Arctic. !he .enisei, :ather .enisei, )ero .enisei, is one of the longest rivers in Asia, deep and magnificent, especiall# through the middle range of its course, where it is flan'ed and held in can#on7li'e b# great towering ranges. !he huge stream had brought down whole miles of ice fields, brea'ing them up on the rapids and on isolated roc's, twisting them with angr# swirls, throwing up sections of the blac' winter roads, carr#ing down the tepees built for the use of passing caravans which in the Winter alwa#s go from (innusins' to 6rasno#ars' on the frozen river. :rom time to time the stream stopped in its flow, the roar began and the great fields of ice were s8ueezed and piled upward, sometimes as high as thirt# feet, damming up the water behind, so that it rapidl# rose and ran out over the low places, casting on the shore great masses of ice. !hen the power of the reinforced waters con8uered the towering dam of ice and carried it downward with a sound li'e brea'ing glass. At the bends in the river and round the great roc's developed terrif#ing chaos. )uge bloc's of ice 0ammed and 0ostled until some were thrown clear into the air, crashing against others alread# there, or were hurled against the curving cliffs and ban's, tearing out boulders, earth and trees high up the sides. All along the low emban'ments this giant of nature flung upward with a suddenness that leaves man but a pigm# in force a great wall of ice fifteen to twent# feet high, which the 16

peasants call Aaberega and through which the# cannot get to the river without cutting out a road. &ne incredible feat I saw the giant perform, when a bloc' man# feet thic' and man# #ards s8uare was hurled through the air and dropped to crush saplings and little trees more than a half hundred feet from the ban'. Watching this glorious withdrawal of the ice, I was filled with terror and revolt at seeing the awful spoils which the .enisei bore awa# in this annual retreat. !hese were the bodies of the e%ecuted counter7revolutionaries>officers, soldiers and "ossac's of the former arm# of the Superior ?overnor of all anti7;olshevi' Russia, Admiral 6olcha'. !he# were the results of the blood# wor' of the "he'a at (innusins'. )undreds of these bodies with heads and hands cut off, with mutilated faces and bodies half burned, with bro'en s'ulls, floated and mingled with the bloc's of ice, loo'ing for their graves$ or, turning in the furious whirlpools among the 0agged bloc's, the# were ground and torn to pieces into shapeless masses, which the river, nauseated with its tas', vomited out upon the islands and pro0ecting sand bars. I passed the whole length of the middle .enisei and constantl# came across these putrif#ing and terrif#ing reminders of the wor' of the ;olshevi'i. In one place at a turn of the river I saw a great heap of horses, which had been cast up b# the ice and current, in number not less than three hundred. A verst below there I was sic'ened be#ond endurance b# the discover# of a grove of willows along the ban' which had ra'ed from the polluted stream and held in their finger7li'e drooping branches human bodies in all shapes and attitudes with a semblance of naturalness which made an everlasting picture on m# distraught mind. &f this pitiful gruesome compan# I counted sevent#. At last the mountain of ice passed b#, followed b# the mudd# freshets that carried down the trun's of fallen trees, logs and bodies, bodies, bodies. !he fisherman and his son put me and m# luggage into their dugout made from an aspen tree and poled upstream along the ban'. Poling in a swift current is ver# hard wor'. At the sharp curves we were compelled to row, struggling against the force of the stream and even in places hugging the cliffs and ma'ing headwa# onl# b# clutching the roc's with our hands and dragging along slowl#. Sometimes it too' us a long while to do five or si% metres through these rapid holes. In two da#s we reached the goal of our 0ourne#. I spent several da#s in this gold mine, where the watchman and his famil# were living. As the# were short of food, the# had nothing to spare for me and conse8uentl# m# rifle again served to nourish me, as well as contributing something to m# hosts. &ne da# there appeared here a trained agriculturalist. I did not hide because during m# winter in the woods I had raised a heav# beard, so that probabl# m# own mother could not have recognized me. )owever, our guest was ver# shrewd and at once deciphered me. I did not fear him because I saw that he was not a ;olshevi' and later had confirmation of this. We found common ac8uaintances and a common viewpoint on current events. )e lived close to the gold mine in a small village where he superintended public wor's. We determined to escape together from Russia. :or a long time I had puzzled over this matter and now m# plan was read#. 6nowing the position in Siberia and its geograph#, I decided that the best wa# to safet# was through 1rianhai, the northern part of (ongolia on the head waters of the .enisei, then through (ongolia and out to the :ar *ast and the Pacific. ;efore the overthrow of the 6olcha' ?overnment I had received a commission to investigate

17

1rianhai and Western (ongolia and then, with great accurac#, I studied all the maps and literature I could get on this 8uestion. !o accomplish this audacious plan I had the great incentive of m# own safet#.

C$APTER %!!
T$RO&G$ SO%!ET S!BER!A
After several da#s we started through the forest on the left ban' of the .enisei toward the south, avoiding the villages as much as possible in fear of leaving some trail b# 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 the# hated the ;olshevi'i, who had destro#ed man# of their villages. In one place we were told that a detachment of Red troops had been sent out from (innusins' to chase the Whites. We were forced to wor' far bac' from the shore of the .enisei and to hide in the woods and mountains. )ere we remained nearl# a fortnight, because all this time the Red soldiers were traversing the countr# and capturing in the woods half7dressed unarmed officers who were in hiding from the atrocious vengeance of the ;olshevi'i. Afterwards b# accident we passed a meadow where we found the bodies of twent#7eight officers hung to the trees, with their faces and bodies mutilated. !here we determined never to allow ourselves to come alive into the hands of the ;oishevi'i. !o prevent this we had our weapons and a suppl# of c#anide of potassium. Passing across one branch of the .enisei, once we saw a narrow, mir# pass, the entrance to which was strewn with the bodies of men and horses. A little farther along we found a bro'en sleigh with rifled bo%es and papers scattered about. ,ear them were also torn garments and bodies. Who were these pitiful ones< What traged# was staged in this wild wood< We tried to guess this enigma and we began to investigate the documents and papers. !hese were official papers addressed to the Staff of ?eneral Pepelaieff. Probabl# one part of the Staff during the retreat of 6olcha'9s arm# went through this wood, striving to hide from the enem# approaching from all sides$ but here the# were caught b# the Reds and 'illed. ,ot far from here we found the bod# of a poor unfortunate woman, whose condition proved clearl# what had happened before relief came through the beneficent bullet. !he bod# la# 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. !he further we went to the south, the more pronouncedl# hospitable the people became toward us and the more hostile to the ;olshevi'i. At last we emerged from the forests and entered the spacious vastness of the (innusins' steppes, crossed b# the high red mountain range called the 6izill76ai#a and dotted here and there with salt la'es. It is a countr# of tombs, thousands of large and small dolmens, the tombs of the earliest proprietors of this land= p#ramids of stone ten metres high, the mar's set b# Benghiz 6han along his road of con8uest and afterwards b# the cripple !amerlane7!emur. !housands of these dolmens and stone p#ramids stretch in endless rows to the north. In these plains the 18

!artars now live. !he# were robbed b# the ;olshevi'i and therefore hated them ardentl#. We openl# told them that we were escaping. !he# 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 da#s we loo'ed down from the high ban' of the .enisei upon the first steamer, the &riol, from 6rasno#ars' to (innusins', laden with Red soldiers. Soon we came to the mouth of the river !uba, which we were to follow straight east to the Sa#an mountains, where 1rianhai begins. We thought the stage along the !uba and its branch, the Am#l, the most dangerous part of our course, because the valle#s of these two rivers had a dense population which had contributed large numbers of soldiers to the celebrated "ommunist Partisans, Schetin'in and 6rafcheno. A !artar ferried us and our horses over to the right ban' of the .enisei and afterwards sent us some "ossac's at da#brea' who guided us to the mouth of the !uba, where we spent the whole da# in rest, gratif#ing ourselves with a feast of wild blac' currants and cherries.

C$APTER %!!!
T$REE DAYS ON T$E EDGE OF A PREC!P!CE
Armed with our false passports, we moved along up the valle# of the !uba. *ver# ten or fifteen versts we came across large villages of from one to si% hundred houses, where all administration was in the hands of Soviets and where spies scrutinized all passers7b#. We could not avoid these villages for two reasons. :irst, our attempts to avoid them when we were constantl# meeting the peasants in the countr# would have aroused suspicion and would have caused an# Soviet to arrest us and send us to the "he'a in (innusins', where we should have sung our last song. Secondl#, in his documents m# fellow traveler was granted permission to use the government post rela#s for forwarding him on his 0ourne#. !herefore, we were forced to visit the village Soviets and change our horses. &ur own mounts we had given to the !artar and "ossac' who helped us at the mouth of the !uba, and the "ossac' brought us in his wagon to the first village, where we received the post horses. All e%cept a small minorit# of the peasants were against the ;olshevi'i and voluntaril# assisted us. I paid them for their help b# treating their sic' and m# fellow traveler gave them practical advice in the management of their agriculture. !hose who helped us chiefl# were the old dissenters and the "ossac's. Sometimes we came across villages entirel# "ommunistic but ver# soon we learned to distinguish them. When we entered a village with our horse bells tin'ling and found the peasants who happened to be sitting in front of their houses read# to get up with a frown and a grumble that here were more new devils coming, we 'new that this was a village opposed to the "ommunists and that here we could stop in safet#. ;ut, if the peasants approached and greeted us with pleasure, calling us "omrades, we 'new at once that we were among the enem# and too' great precautions. Such villages were inhabited b# people who were not the Siberian libert#7loving peasants but b# emigrants from the 19

1'raine, idle and drun', living in poor dirt# huts, though their village were surrounded with the blac' and fertile soil of the steppes. /er# dangerous and pleasant moments we spent in the large village of 6aratuz. It is rather a town. In the #ear 2324 two colleges were opened here and the population reached 2C,555 people. It is the capital of the South .enisei "ossac's. ;ut b# now it is ver# difficult to recognize this town. !he peasant emigrants and Red arm# murdered all the "ossac' population and destro#ed and burned most of the houses$ and it is at present the center of ;olshevism and "ommunism in the eastern part of the (innusins' district. In the building of the Soviet, where we came to e%change our horses, there was being held a meeting of the "he'a. We were immediatel# surrounded and 8uestioned about our documents. We were not an# too calm about the impression which might be made b# our papers and attempted to avoid this e%amination. (# fellow traveler afterwards often said to me= It is great good fortune that among the ;olshevi'i the good7for7nothing shoema'er of #esterda# is the ?overnor of toda# and scientists sweep the streets or clean the stables of the Red cavalr#. I can tal' with the ;olshevi'i because the# do not 'now the difference between 9disinfection9 and 9diphtheria,9 9anthracite9 and 9appendicitis9 and can tal' them round in all things, even up to persuading them not to put a bullet into me. And so we tal'ed the members of the "he'a round to ever#thing 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 e%port the wood from 1rianhai, iron and gold from the Sa#an (ountains, cattle and furs from (ongolia. What a triumph of creative wor' for the Soviet ?overnment@ &ur ode occupied about an hour and afterwards the members of the "he'a, forgetting about our documents, personall# 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 valle# of the river Am#l, )appiness smiled on us. ,ear the ferr# we met a member of the militia from 6aratuz. )e had on his wagon several rifles and automatic pistols, mostl# (ausers, for outfitting an e%pedition through 1rianhai in 8uest of some "ossac' officers who had been greatl# troubling the ;olshevi'i. We stood upon our guard. We could ver# easil# have met this e%pedition and we were not 8uite assured that the soldiers would be so appreciative of our high7sounding phrases as were the members of the "he'a. "arefull# 8uestioning the militiaman, we ferreted out the route their e%pedition was to ta'e. In the ne%t village we sta#ed in the same house with him. I had to open m# luggage and suddenl# I noticed his admiring glance fi%ed upon m# bag. What pleases #ou so much< I as'ed. )e whispered= !rousers . . . !rousers. I had received from m# townsmen 8uite new trousers of blac' thic' cloth for riding. !hose trousers attracted the rapt attention of the militiaman.

20

If #ou have no other trousers. . . . I remar'ed, reflecting upon m# plan of attac' against m# new friend. ,o, he e%plained with sadness, the Soviet does not furnish trousers. !he# tell me the# also go without trousers. And m# trousers are absolutel# worn out. +oo' at them. With these words he threw bac' the corner of his overcoat and I was astonished how he could 'eep himself inside these trousers, for the# had such large holes that the# were more of a net than trousers, a net through which a small shar' could have slipped. Sell me, he whispered, with a 8uestion in his voice. I cannot, for I need them m#self, I answered decisivel#. )e reflected for a few minutes and afterward, approaching me, said= +et us go out doors and tal'. )ere it is inconvenient. We went outside. ,ow, what about it< he began. .ou are going into 1rianhai. !here the Soviet ban'7notes have no value and #ou will not be able to bu# an#thing, where there are plent# of sables, fo%7s'ins, ermine and gold dust to be purchased, which the# ver# willingl# e%change for rifles and cartridges. .ou have each of #ou a rifle and I will give #ou one more rifle with a hundred cartridges if #ou give me the trousers. We do not need weapons. We are protected b# our documents, I answered, as though I did not understand. ;ut no, he interrupted, #ou can change that rifle there into furs and gold. I shall give #ou that rifle outright. Ah, that9s it, is it< ;ut it9s ver# little for those trousers. ,owhere in Russia can #ou now find trousers. All Russia goes without trousers and for #our rifle I should receive a sable and what use to me is one s'in< Word b# word I attained to m# desire. !he militia7man got m# trousers and I received a rifle with one hundred cartridges and two automatic pistols with fort# cartridges each. We were armed now so that we could defend ourselves. (oreover, I persuaded the happ# possessor of m# trousers to give us a permit to carr# the weapons. !hen the law and force were both on our side. In a distant village we bought three horses, two for riding and one for pac'ing, engaged a guide, purchased dried bread, meat, salt and butter and, after resting twent#7four hours, began our trip up the Am#l toward the Sa#an (ountains on the border of 1rianhai. !here we hoped not to meet ;olshevi'i, either sl# or sill#. In three da#s from the mouth of the !uba we passed the last Russian village near the (ongolian71rianhai border, three da#s of constant contact with a lawless population, of continuous danger and of the ever present possibilit# of fortuitous death. &nl# iron will power, presence of mind and

21

dogged tenacit# brought us through all the dangers and saved us from rolling bac' down our precipice of adventure, at whose foot la# so man# others who had failed to ma'e this same climb to freedom which we had 0ust accomplished. Perhaps the# lac'ed the persistence or the presence of mind, perhaps the# had not the poetic abilit# to sing odes about roads, bridges and gold mines or perhaps the# simpl# had no spare trousers.

C$APTER !X
TO T$E SAYANS AND SAFETY
Dense virgin wood surrounded us. In the high, alread# #ellow grass the trail wound hardl# noticeable in among bushes and trees 0ust beginning to drop their man# colored leaves. It is the old, alread# forgotten Am#l pass road. !went#7five #ears ago it carried the provisions, machiner# and wor'ers for the numerous, now abandoned, gold mines of the Am#l valle#. !he road now wound along the wide and rapid Am#l, then penetrated into the deep forest, guiding us round the swamp# ground filled with those dangerous Siberian 8uagmires, through the dense bushes, across mountains and wide meadows. &ur guide probabl# did not surmise our real intention and sometimes, apprehensivel# loo'ing down at the ground, would sa#= !hree riders on horses with shoes on have passed here. Perhaps the# were soldiers. )is an%iet# was terminated when he discovered that the trac's led off to one side and then returned to the trail. !he# did not proceed farther, he remar'ed, sl#l# smiling. !hat9s too bad, we answered. It would have been more livel# to travel in compan#. ;ut the peasant onl# stro'ed his beard and laughed. *videntl# he was not ta'en in b# our statement. We passed on the wa# a gold mine that had been formerl# planned and e8uipped on splendid lines but was now abandoned and the buildings all destro#ed. !he ;olshevi'i had ta'en awa# the machiner#, supplies and also some parts of the buildings. ,earb# stood a dar' and gloom# church with windows bro'en, the crucifi% torn off and the tower burned, a pitifull# t#pical emblem of the Russia of toda#. !he starving famil# of the watchman lived at the mine in continuing danger and privation. !he# told us that in this forest region were wandering about a band of Reds who were robbing an#thing that remained on the propert# of the gold mine, were wor'ing the pa# dirt in the richest part of the mine and, with a little gold washed, were going to drin' and gamble it awa# in some distant villages where the peasants were ma'ing the forbidden vod'a out of berries and potatoes and selling it for its weight in gold. A meeting with this band meant death. After three da#s we crossed the northern ridge of the Sa#an chain, passed the border river Algia' and, after this da#, were abroad in the territor# of 1rianhai. 22

!his wonderful land, rich in most diverse forms of natural wealth, is inhabited b# a branch of the (ongols, which is now onl# si%t# thousand and which is graduall# d#ing off, spea'ing a language 8uite different from an# of the other dialects of this fol' and holding as their life ideal the tenet of *ternal Peace. 1rianhai long ago became the scene of administrative attempts b# Russians, (ongols and "hinese, all of whom claimed sovereignt# over the region whose unfortunate inhabitants, the So#ots, had to pa# tribute to all three of these overlords. It was due to this that the land was not an entirel# safe refuge for us. We had heard alread# from our militiaman about the e%pedition preparing to go into 1rianhai and from the peasants we learned that the villages along the +ittle .enisei and farther south had formed Red detachments, who were robbing and 'illing ever#one who fell into their hands. Recentl# the# had 'illed si%t#7two officers attempting to pass 1rianhai into (ongolia$ robbed and 'illed a caravan of "hinese merchants$ and 'illed some ?erman war prisoners who escaped from the Soviet paradise. &n the fourth da# we reached a swamp# valle# where, among open forests, stood a single Russian house. )ere we too' leave of our guide, who hastened awa# to get bac' before the snows should bloc' his road over the Sa#ans. !he master of the establishment agreed to guide us to the Se#bi River for ten thousand roubles in Soviet notes. &ur horses were tired and we were forced to give them a rest, so we decided to spend twent#7four hours here. We were drin'ing tea when the daughter of our host cried= !he So#ots are coming@ Into the room with their rifles and pointed hats came suddenl# four of them. (ende, the# grunted to us and then, without ceremon#, began e%amining us criticall#. ,ot a button or a seam in our entire outfit escaped their penetrating gaze. Afterwards one of them, who appeared to be the local (erin or governor, began to investigate our political views. +istening to our criticisms of the ;olshevi'i, he was evidentl# pleased and began tal'ing freel#. .ou are good people. .ou do not li'e ;olshevi'i. We will help #ou. I than'ed him and presented him with the thic' sil' cord which I was wearing as a girdle. ;efore night the# left us sa#ing that the# would return in the morning. It grew dar'. We went to the meadow to loo' after our e%hausted horses grazing there and came bac' to the house. We were gail# chatting with the hospitable host when suddenl# we heard horses9 hoofs in the court and raucous voices, followed b# the immediate entr# of five Red soldiers armed with rifles and swords. Something unpleasant and cold rolled up into m# throat and m# heart hammered. We 'new the Reds as our enemies. !hese men had the red stars on their Astra'han caps and red triangles on their sleeves. !he# were members of the detachment that was out to loo' for "ossac' officers. Scowling at us the# too' off their overcoats and sat down. We first opened the conversation, e%plaining the purpose of our 0ourne# in e%ploring for bridges, roads and gold mines. :rom them we then learned that their commander would arrive in a little while with seven more men and that the# would ta'e our host at once as a guide to the Se#bi River, where the# thought the "ossac' officers must be hidden. Immediatel# I remar'ed that our affairs were

23

moving fortunatel# and that we must travel along together. &ne of the soldiers replied that that would depend upon the "omrade7officer. During our conversation the So#ot ?overnor entered. /er# attentivel# he studied again the new arrivals and then as'ed= Wh# did #ou ta'e from the So#ots the good horses and leave bad ones< !he soldiers laughed at him. Remember that #ou are in a foreign countr#@ answered the So#ot, with a threat in his voice. ?od and the Devil@ cried one of the soldiers. ;ut the So#ot ver# calml# too' a seat at the table and accepted the cup of tea the hostess was preparing for him. !he conversation ceased. !he So#ot finished the tea, smo'ed his long pipe and, standing up, said= If tomorrow morning the horses are not bac' at the owner9s, we shall come and ta'e them. And with these words he turned and went out. I noticed an e%pression of apprehension on the faces of the soldiers. Shortl# one was sent out as a messenger while the others sat silent with bowed heads. +ate in the night the officer arrived with his other seven men. As he received the report about the So#ot, he 'nitted his brows and said= It9s a bad mess. We must travel through the swamp where a So#ot will be behind ever# mound watching us. )e seemed reall# ver# an%ious and his trouble fortunatel# prevented him from pa#ing much attention to us. I began to calm him and promised on the morrow to arrange this matter with the So#ots. !he officer was a coarse brute and a sill# man, desiring strongl# to be promoted for the capture of the "ossac' officers, and feared that the So#ot could prevent him from reaching the Se#bi. At da#brea' we started together with the Red detachment. When we had made about fifteen 'ilometers, we discovered behind the bushes two riders. !he# were So#ots. &n their bac's were their flint rifles. Wait for me@ I said to the officer. I shall go for a parle# with them. I went forward with all the speed of m# horse. &ne of the horsemen was the So#ot ?overnor, who said to me= Remain behind the detachment and help us.

24

All right, I answered, but let us tal' a little, in order that the# ma# thin' we are parle#ing. After a moment I shoo' the hand of the So#ot and returned to the soldiers. All right, I e%claimed, we can continue our 0ourne#. ,o hindrance will come from the So#ots. We moved forward and, when we were crossing a large meadow, we espied at a long distance two So#ots riding at full gallop right up the side of a mountain. Step b# step I accomplished the necessar# manoeuvre to bring me and m# fellow traveler somewhat behind the detachment. ;ehind our bac's remained onl# one soldier, ver# brutish in appearance and apparentl# ver# hostile to us. I had time to whisper to m# companion onl# one word= (auser, and saw that he ver# carefull# unbuttoned the saddle bag and drew out a little the handle of his pistol. Soon I understood wh# these soldiers, e%cellent woodsmen as the# were, would not attempt to go to the Se#bi without a guide. All the countr# between the Algia' and the Se#bi is formed b# high and narrow mountain ridges separated b# deep swamp# valle#s. It is a cursed and dangerous place. At first our horses mired to the 'nees, lunging about and catching their feet in the roots of bushes in the 8uagmires, then falling and pinning us under their sides, brea'ing parts of their saddles and bridles. !hen we would go in up to the riders9 'nees. (# horse went down once with his whole breast and head under the red fluid mud and we 0ust saved it and no more. Afterwards the officer9s horse fell with him so that he bruised his head on a stone. (# companion in0ured one 'nee against a tree. Some of the men also fell and were in0ured. !he horses breathed heavil#. Somewhere diml# and gloomil# a crow cawed. +ater the road became worse still. !he trail followed through the same mir# swamp but ever#where the road was bloc'ed with fallen tree trun's. !he horses, 0umping over the trun's, would land in an une%pectedl# deep hole and flounder. We and all the soldiers were covered with blood and mud and were in great fear of e%hausting our mounts. :or a long distance we had to get down and lead them. At last we entered a broad meadow covered with bushes and bordered with roc's. ,ot onl# horses but riders also began to sin' to their middle in a 8uagmire with apparentl# no bottom. !he whole surface of the meadow was but a thin la#er of turf, covering a la'e with blac' putref#ing water. When we finall# learned to open our column and proceed at big intervals, we found we could 'eep on this surface that undulated li'e rubber ice and swa#ed the bushes up and down. In places the earth buc'led up and bro'e. Suddenl#, three shots sounded. !he# were hardl# more than the report of a :lobert rifle$ but the# were genuine shots, because the officer and two soldiers fell to the ground. !he other soldiers grabbed their rifles and, with fear, loo'ed about for the enem#. :our more were soon unseated and suddenl# I noticed our rearguard brute raise his rifle and aim right at me. )owever, m# (auser outstrode his rifle and I was allowed to continue m# stor#.

25

;egin@ I cried to m# friend and we too' part in the shooting. Soon the meadow began to swarm with So#ots, stripping the fallen, dividing the spoils and recapturing their horses. In some forms of warfare it is never safe to leave an# of the enem# to renew hostilities later with overwhelming forces. After an hour of ver# difficult road we began to ascend the mountain and soon arrived on a high plateau covered with trees. After all, So#ots are not a too peaceful people, I remar'ed, approaching the ?overnor. )e loo'ed at me ver# sharpl# and replied= It was not So#ots who did the 'illing. )e was right. It was the Aba'an !artars in So#ot clothes who 'illed the ;olshevi'i. !hese !artars were running their herds of cattle and horses down out of Russia through 1rianhai to (ongolia. !he# had as their guide and negotiator a 6almuc' +amaite. !he following morning we were approaching a small settlement of Russian colonists and noticed some horsemen loo'ing out from the woods. &ne of our #oung and brave !artars galloped off at full speed toward these men in the wood but soon wheeled and returned with a reassuring smile. All right, he e%claimed, laughing, 'eep 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 !ibetan and "hinese medicine dealers. !hese horns, when boiled and dried, are called panti and are sold to the "hinese at ver# high prices. We were received with great fear b# the settlers. !han' ?od@ e%claimed the hostess, we thought . . . and she bro'e off, loo'ing at her husband.

C$APTER X
T$E BATTLE ON T$E SEYB!
"onstant dangers develop one9s watchfulness and 'eenness of perception. We did not ta'e off our clothes nor unsaddle our horses, tired as we were. I put m# (auser inside m# coat and began to loo' about and scrutinize the people. !he first thing I discovered was the butt end of a rifle under the pile of pillows alwa#s found on the peasants9 large beds. +ater I noticed the emplo#ees of our host constantl# coming into the room for orders from him. !he# did not loo' li'e simple peasants, although the# had long beards and 26

were dressed ver# dirtil#. !he# e%amined me with ver# attentive e#es and did not leave me and m# friend alone with the host. We could not, however, ma'e out an#thing. ;ut then the So#ot ?overnor came in and, noticing our strained relations, began e%plaining in the So#ot language to the host all about us. I beg #our pardon, the colonist said, but #ou 'now #ourself that now for one honest man we have ten thousand murderers and robbers. With this we began chatting more freel#. It appeared that our host 'new that a band of ;olshevi'i would attac' him in the search for the band of "ossac' officers who were living in his house on and off. )e had heard also about the total loss of one detachment. )owever, it did not entirel# 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 1sins'# District in pursuit of the !artars who were escaping with their cattle south to (ongolia. :rom one minute to another we are awaiting them with fear, said our host to me. (# So#ot has come in and announced that the Reds are alread# crossing the Se#bi and the !artars are prepared for the fight. We immediatel# went out to loo' over our saddles and pac's and then too' the horses and hid them in the bushes not far off. We made read# our rifles and pistols and too' posts in the enclosure to wait for our common enem#. An hour of tr#ing impatience passed, when one of the wor'men came running in from the wood and whispered= !he# are crossing our swamp. . . . !he fight is on. In fact, li'e an answer to his words, came through the woods the sound of a single rifle7 shot, followed closel# b# the increasing rat7tat7tat of the mingled guns. ,earer to the house the sounds graduall# came. Soon we heard the beating of the horses9 hoofs and the brutish cries of the soldiers. In a moment three of them burst into the house, from off the road where the# were being ra'ed now b# the !artars from both directions, cursing violentl#. &ne of them shot at our host. )e stumbled along and fell on his 'nee, as his hand reached out toward the rifle under his pillows. Who are .&1< brutall# blurted out one of the soldiers, turning to us and raising his rifle. We answered with (ausers and successfull#, for onl# one soldier in the rear b# the door escaped, and that merel# to fall into the hands of a wor'man in the court#ard who strangled him. !he fight had begun. !he soldiers called on their comrades for help. !he 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 !artars. Several soldiers ran to the house to help their comrades but this time we heard the regular volle# of the wor'men of our host. !he# fired as though in a manoeuvre calml# and accuratel#. :ive Red soldiers la# on the road, while the rest now 'ept to their ditch. ;efore long we discovered that the# began crouching and crawling out toward the end of the ditch nearest the wood where the# had left their horses. !he sounds of shots became more and more distant and soon we saw fift# or si%t# !artars pursuing the Reds across the meadow.

27

!wo da#s we rested here on the Se#bi. !he wor'men of our host, eight in number, turned out to be officers hiding from the ;olshevi's. !he# as'ed permission to go on with us, to which we agreed. When m# friend and I continued our trip we had a guard of eight armed officers and three horses with pac's. We crossed a beautiful valle# between the Rivers Se#bi and 1t. *ver#where we saw splendid grazing lands with numerous herds upon them, but in two or three houses along the road we did not find an#one living. All had hidden awa# in fear after hearing the sounds of the fight with the Reds. !he following da# we went up over the high chain of mountains called Daban and, traversing a great area of burned timber where our trail la# among the fallen trees, we began to descend into a valle# hidden from us b# the intervening foothills. !here behind these hills flowed the +ittle .enisei, the last large river before reaching (ongolia proper. About ten 'ilometers from the river we spied a column of smo'e rising up out of the wood. !wo of the officers slipped awa# to ma'e an investigation. :or a long time the# did not return and we, fearful lest something had happened, moved off carefull# in the direction of the smo'e, all read# for a fight if necessar#. We finall# came near enough to hear the voices of man# 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 fift# or si%t# men. When we bro'e out of the forest all of them rushed forward with a 0o#ful 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 1rianhai. What are #ou doing here< we as'ed with surprise. &h, ho, #ou 'now nothing at all about what has been going on< replied a fairl# old man who called himself "olonel &strovs'#. In 1rianhai an order has been issued from the (ilitar# "ommissioner to mobilize all men over twent#7eight #ears of age and ever#where toward the town of ;elotzars' are moving detachments of these Partisans. !he# are robbing the colonists and peasants and 'illing ever#one that falls into their hands. We are hiding here from them. !he whole camp counted onl# si%teen rifles and three bombs, belonging to a !artar who was traveling with his 6almuc' guide to his herds in Western (ongolia. We e%plained the aim of our 0ourne# and our intention to pass through (ongolia to the nearest port on the Pacific. !he officers as'ed me to bring them out with us. I agreed. &ur reconnaissance proved to us that there were no Partisans near the house of the peasant who was to ferr# us over the +ittle .enisei. We moved off at once in order to pass as 8uic'l# as possible this dangerous zone of the .enisei and to sin' ourselves into the forest be#ond. It snowed but immediatel# thawed. ;efore evening a cold north wind sprang up, bringing with it a small blizzard. +ate in the night our part# reached the river. &ur colonist welcomed us and offered at once to ferr# us over and swim the horses, although there was ice still floating which had come down from the head7waters of the stream. During this conversation there was present one of the peasant9s wor'men, red7

28

haired and s8uint7e#ed. )e 'ept moving around all the time and suddenl# disappeared. &ur host noticed it and, with fear in his voice, said= )e has run to the village and will guide the Partisans here. We must cross immediatel#. !hen began the most terrible night of m# whole 0ourne#. We proposed to the colonist that he ta'e onl# our food and ammunition in the boat, while we would swim our horses across, in order to save the time of the man# trips. !he width of the .enisei in this place is about three hundred metres. !he stream is ver# rapid and the shore brea's awa# abruptl# to the full depth of the stream. !he night was absolutel# dar' with not a star in the s'#. !he wind in whistling swirls drove the snow and sleet sharpl# against our faces. ;efore us flowed the stream of blac', rapid water, carr#ing down thin, 0agged bloc's of ice, twisting and grinding in the whirls and eddies. :or a long time m# horse refused to ta'e the plunge down the steep ban', snorted and braced himself. With all m# strength I lashed him with m# whip across his nec' until, with a pitiful groan, he threw himself into the cold stream. We both went all the wa# under and I hardl# 'ept m# seat in the saddle. Soon I was some metres from the shore with m# horse stretching his head and nec' far forward in his efforts and snorting and blowing incessantl#. I felt the ever# motion of his feet churning the water and the 8uivering of his whole bod# under me in this trial. At last we reached the middle of the river, where the current became e%ceedingl# rapid and began to carr# us down with it. &ut of the ominous dar'ness I heard the shoutings of m# companions and the dull cries of fear and suffering from the horses. I was chest deep in the ic# water. Sometimes the floating bloc's struc' me$ sometimes the waves bro'e up over m# head and face. I had no time to loo' about or to feel the cold. !he animal wish to live too' possession of me$ I became filled with the thought that, if m# horse9s strength failed in his struggle with the stream, I must perish. All m# attention was turned to his efforts and to his 8uivering fear. Suddenl# he groaned loudl# and I noticed he was sin'ing. !he water evidentl# was over his nostrils, because the intervals of his frightened snorts through the nostrils became longer. A big bloc' of ice struc' his head and turned him so that he was swimming right downstream. With difficult# I reined him around toward the shore but felt now that his force was gone. )is head several times disappeared under the swirling surface. I had no choice. I slipped from the saddle and, holding this b# m# left hand, swam with m# right beside m# mount, encouraging him with m# shouts. :or a time he floated with lips apart and his teeth set firm. In his widel# opened e#es was indescribable fear. As soon as I was out of the saddle, he had at once risen in the water and swam more calml# and rapidl#. At last under the hoofs of m# e%hausted animal I heard the stones. &ne after another m# companions came up on the shore. !he well7 trained horses had brought all their burdens over. (uch farther down our colonist landed with the supplies. Without a moment9s loss we pac'ed our things on the horses and continued our 0ourne#. !he wind was growing stronger and colder. At the dawn of da# the cold was intense. &ur soa'ed clothes froze and became hard as leather$ our teeth chattered$ and in our e#es 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 'ilometres through the forest we emerged into an open valle#, from which we could see the opposite ban' of the .enisei. It was about eight o9cloc'. Along the road on the other shore wound the blac' serpent7li'e line of riders and wagons which we made out to be a

29

column of Red soldiers with their transport. We dismounted and hid in the bushes in order to avoid attracting their attention. All the da# with the thermometer at zero and below we continued our 0ourne#, onl# at night reaching the mountains covered with larch forests, where we made big fires, dried our clothes and warmed ourselves thoroughl#. !he hungr# horses did not leave the fires but stood right behind us with drooped heads and slept. /er# earl# in the morning several So#ots came to our camp. 1lan< DRed<E as'ed one of them. ,o@ ,o@ e%claimed all our compan#. !zagan< DWhite<E followed the new 8uestion. .es, #es, said the !artar, all are Whites. (ende@ (ende@ the# grunted and, after starting their cups of tea, began to relate ver# interesting and important news. It appeared that the Red Partisans, moving from the mountains !annu &la, occupied with their outposts all the border of (ongolia to stop and seize the peasants and So#ots driving out their cattle. !o pass the !annu &la now would be impossible. I saw onl# one wa#>to turn sharp to the southeast, pass the swamp# valle# of the ;uret )ei and reach the south shore of +a'e 6osogol, which is alread# in the territor# of (ongolia proper. It was ver# unpleasant news. !o the first (ongol post in Samgaltai was not more than si%t# miles from our camp, while to 6osogol b# the shortest line not less than two hundred sevent#7five. !he horses m# friend and I were riding, after having traveled more than si% hundred miles over hard roads and without proper food or rest, could scarcel# ma'e such an additional distance. ;ut, reflecting upon the situation and stud#ing m# new fellow travelers, I determined not to attempt to pass the !annu &la. !he# were nervous, morall# wear# men, badl# dressed and armed and most of them were without weapons. I 'new that during a fight there is no danger so great as that of disarmed men. !he# are easil# caught b# panic, lose their heads and infect all the others. !herefore, I consulted with m# friends and decided to go to 6osogol. &ur compan# agreed to follow us. After luncheon, consisting of soup with big lumps of meat, dr# bread and tea, we moved out. About two o9cloc' the mountains began to rise up before us. !he# were the northeast outspurs of the !annu &la, behind which la# the /alle# of ;uret )ei.

C$APTER X!
T$E BARR!ER OF RED PART!SANS
In a valle# between two sharp ridges we discovered a herd of #a's and cattle being rapidl# driven off to the north b# ten mounted So#ots. Approaching us waril# the# finall# revealed that ,o#on DPrinceE of !od0i had ordered them to drive the herds along the ;uret )ei into (ongolia, apprehending the pillaging of the Red Partisans. !he# proceeded but 30

were informed b# some So#ot hunters that this part of the !annu &la was occupied b# the Partisans from the village of /ladimirov'a. "onse8uentl# the# were forced to return. We in8uired from them the whereabouts of these outposts and how man# Partisans were holding the mountain pass over into (ongolia. We sent out the !artar and the 6almuc' for a reconnaissance while all of us prepared for the further advance b# wrapping the feet of our horses in our shirts and b# muzzling their noses with straps and bits of rope so that the# could not neigh. It was dar' when our investigators returned and reported to us that about thirt# Partisans had a camp some ten 'ilometers from us, occup#ing the #urtas of the So#ots. At the pass were two outposts, one of two soldiers and the other of three. :rom the outposts to the camp was a little over a mile. &ur trail la# between the two outposts. :rom the top of the mountain one could plainl# see the two posts and could shoot them all. When we had come near to the top of this mountain, I left our part# and, ta'ing with me m# friend, the !artar, the 6almuc' and two of the #oung officers, advanced. :rom the mountain I saw about five hundred #ards 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 awa# with these outposts and that without firing or we never should get through the pass. I did not believe the Partisans could afterwards trac' us because the whole trail was thic'l# mar'ed with the spoors of horses and cattle. I shall ta'e for m# share these two, whispered m# friend, pointing to the left outpost. !he rest of us were to ta'e care of the second post. I crept along through the bushes behind m# 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. )e was about seven feet tall and so strong that, when a horse used to refuse sometimes to ta'e the bit, he would wrap his arm around its nec', 'ic' its forefeet out from under it and throw it so that he could easil# bridle it on the ground. When onl# a hundred paces remained, I stood behind the bushes and watched. I could see ver# distinctl# the fire and the dozing sentinel. )e sat with his rifle on his 'nees. )is companion, asleep beside him, did not move. !heir white felt boots were plainl# visible to me. :or a long time I did not remar' m# friend. At the fire all was 8uiet. Suddenl# from the other outpost floated over a few dim shouts and all was still. &ur sentinel slowl# raised his head. ;ut 0ust at this moment the huge bod# of m# friend rose up and blan'eted the fire from me and in a twin'ling the feet of the sentinel flashed through the air, as m# companion had seized him b# the throat and swung him clear into the bushes, where both figures disappeared. In a second he re7appeared, flourished the rifle of the Partisan over his head and I heard the dull blow which was followed b# an absolute calm. )e came bac' toward me and, confusedl# smiling, said= It is done. ?od and the Devil@ When I was a bo#, m# mother wanted to ma'e a priest out of me. When I grew up, I became a trained agronome in order . . . to strangle the people and smash their s'ulls. Revolution is a ver# stupid thing@ And with anger and disgust he spit and began to smo'e his pipe. At the other outpost also all was finished. During this night we reached the top of the !annu &la and descended again into a valle# covered with dense bushes and twined with

31

a whole networ' of small rivers and streams. It was the headwaters of the ;uret )ei. About one o9cloc' we stopped and began to feed our horses, as the grass 0ust there was ver# good. )ere we thought ourselves in safet#. We saw man# calming indications. &n the mountains were seen the grazing herds of reindeers and #a's and approaching So#ots confirmed our supposition. )ere behind the !annu &la the So#ots had not seen the Red soldiers. We presented to these So#ots a bric' of tea and saw them depart happ# and sure that we were !zagan, a good people. While our horses rested and grazed on the well7preserved grass, we sat b# the fire and deliberated upon our further progress. !here developed a sharp controvers# between two sections of our compan#, one led b# a "olonel who with four officers were so impressed b# the absence of Reds south of the !annu &la that the# determined to wor' westward to 6obdo and then on to the camp on the *mil River where the "hinese authorities had interned si% thousand of the forces of ?eneral ;a'itch, which had come over into (ongolian territor#. (# friend and I with si%teen of the officers chose to carr# through our old plan to stri'e for the shores of +a'e 6osogol and thence out to the :ar *ast. As neither side could persuade the other to abandon its ideas, our compan# was divided and the ne%t da# at noon we too' leave of one another. It turned out that our own wing of eighteen had man# fights and difficulties on the wa#, which cost us the lives of si% of our comrades, but that the remainder of us came through to the goal of our 0ourne# so closel# 'nit b# the ties of devotion which fighting and struggling for our ver# lives entailed that we have ever preserved for one another the warmest feelings of friendship. !he other group under "olonel Bu'off perished. )e met a big detachment of Red cavalr# and was defeated b# them in two fights. &nl# two officers escaped. !he# related to me this sad news and the details of the fights when we met four months later in 1rga. &ur band of eighteen riders with five pac'horses moved up the valle# of the ;uret )ei. We floundered in the swamps, passed innumerable mir# streams, were frozen b# the cold winds and were soa'ed through b# the snow and sleet$ but we persisted indefatigabl# toward the south end of 6osogol. As a guide our !artar led us confidentl# over these trails well mar'ed b# the feet of man# cattle being run out of 1rianhai to (ongolia.

C$APTER X!!
!N T$E CO&NTRY OF ETERNAL PEACE
!he inhabitants of 1rianhai, the So#ots, are proud of being the genuine ;uddhists and of retaining the pure doctrine of hol# Rama and the deep wisdom of Sa''ia7(ouni. !he# are the eternal enemies of war and of the shedding of blood. Awa# bac' in the thirteenth centur# the# preferred to move out from their native land and ta'e refuge in the north rather than fight or become a part of the empire of the blood# con8ueror Benghiz 6han, who wanted to add to his forces these wonderful horsemen and s'illed archers. !hree times in their histor# the# have thus tre''ed northward to avoid struggle and now no one can sa# that on the hands of the So#ots there has ever been seen human blood. With their love of peace the# struggled against the evils of war. *ven the severe "hinese 32

administrators could not appl# here in this countr# of peace the full measure of their implacable laws. In the same manner the So#ots conducted themselves when the Russian people, mad with blood and crime, brought this infection into their land. !he# avoided persistentl# meetings and encounters with the Red troops and Partisans, tre''ing off with their families and cattle southward into the distant principalities of 6emchi' and Sold0a'. !he eastern branch of this stream of emigration passed through the valle# of the ;uret )ei, where we constantl# outstrode groups of them with their cattle and herds. We traveled 8uic'l# along the winding trail of the ;uret )ei and in two da#s began to ma'e the elevations of the mountain pass between the valle#s of the ;uret )ei and 6harga. !he trail was not onl# ver# steep but was also littered with fallen larch trees and fre8uentl# intercepted, incredible as it ma# seem, with swamp# places where the horses mired badl#. !hen again we pic'ed our dangerous road over cobbles and small stones that rolled awa# under our horses9 feet and bumped off over the precipice nearb#. &ur horses fatigued easil# in passing this moraine that had been strewn b# 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, ta'ing the bridles in our hands, to trot for a mile or more over these sliding beds, sometimes sin'ing in up to our 'nees and going down the mountain side with them toward the precipices below. &ne imprudent move at times would have sent us over the brin'. !his destin# met one of our horses. ;ell# down in the moving trap, he could not wor' 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 onl# the crac'ling of brea'ing trees along his road to death. !hen with great difficult# we wor'ed down to salvage the saddle and bags. :urther along we had to abandon one of our pac' horses which had come all the wa# from the northern border of 1rianhai with us. We first unburdened it but this did not help$ no more did our shouting and threats. )e onl# stood with his head down and loo'ed so e%hausted that we realized he had reached the further bourne of his land of toil. Some So#ots with us e%amined him, felt of his muscles on the fore and hind legs, too' his head in their hands and moved it from side to side, e%amined his head carefull# after that and then said= !hat horse will not go further. )is brain is dried out. So we had to leave him. !hat evening we came to a beautiful change in scene when we topped a rise and found ourselves on a broad plateau covered with larch. &n it we discovered the #urtas of some So#ot hunters, covered with bar' instead of the usual felt. &ut of these ten men with rifles rushed toward us as we approached. !he# informed us that the Prince of Sold0a' did not allow an#one to pass this wa#, as he feared the coming of murderers and robbers into his dominions. ?o bac' to the place from which #ou came, the# advised us with fear in their e#es. I did not answer but I stopped the beginnings of a 8uarrel between an old So#ot and one of m# officers. I pointed to the small stream in the valle# ahead of us and as'ed him its name.

33

&#na, replied the So#ot. It is the border of the principalit# and the passage of it is forbidden. All right, I said, but #ou will allow us to warm and rest ourselves a little. .es, #es@ e%claimed the hospitable So#ots, and led us into their tepees. &n our wa# there I too' the opportunit# to hand to the old So#ot a cigarette and to another a bo% of matches. We were all wal'ing along together save one So#ot who limped slowl# in the rear and was holding his hand up over his nose. Is he ill< I as'ed. .es, sadl# answered the old So#ot. !hat is m# son. )e has been losing blood from the nose for two da#s and is now 8uite wea'. I stopped and called the #oung man to me. 1nbutton #our outer coat, I ordered, bare #our nec' and chest and turn #our face up as far as #ou can. I pressed the 0ugular vein on both sides of his head for some minutes and said to him= !he blood will not flow from #our nose an# more. ?o into #our tepee and lie down for some time. !he m#sterious action of m# fingers created on the So#ots a strong impression. !he old So#ot with fear and reverence whispered= !a +ama, !a +ama@ D?reat DoctorE. In the #urta we were given tea while the old So#ot sat thin'ing deepl# about something. Afterwards he too' counsel with his companions and finall# announced= !he wife of our Prince is sic' in her e#es and I thin' the Prince will be ver# glad if I lead the 9!a +ama9 to him. )e will not punish me, for he ordered that no 9bad people9 should be allowed to pass$ but that should not stop the 9good people9 from coming to us. Do as #ou thin' best, I replied rather indifferentl#. As a matter of fact, I 'now how to treat e#e diseases but I would go bac' if #ou sa# so. ,o, no@ the old man e%claimed with fear. I shall guide #ou m#self. Sitting b# the fire, he lighted his pipe with a flint, wiped the mouthpiece on his sleeve and offered it to me in true native hospitalit#. I was comme il faut and smo'ed. Afterwards he offered his pipe to each one of our compan# and received from each a cigarette, a little tobacco or some matches. It was the seal on our friendship. Soon in our #urta man#

34

persons piled up around us, men, women, children and dogs. It was impossible to move. :rom among them emerged a +ama with shaved face and close cropped hair, dressed in the flowing red garment of his caste. )is clothes and his e%pression were ver# different from the common mass of dirt# So#ots with their 8ueues and felt caps finished off with s8uirrel tails on the top. !he +ama was ver# 'indl# disposed towards us but loo'ed ever greedil# at our gold rings and watches. I decided to e%ploit this avidit# of the Servant of ;uddha. Suppl#ing him with tea and dried bread, I made 'nown to him that I was in need of horses. I have a horse. Will #ou bu# it from me< he as'ed. ;ut I do not accept Russian ban' notes. +et us e%change something. :or a long time I bargained with him and at last for m# gold wedding ring, a raincoat and a leather saddle bag I received a fine So#ot horse>to replace one of the pac' animals we had lost>and a #oung goat. We spent the night here and were feasted with fat mutton. In the morning we moved off under the guidance of the old So#ot along the trail that followed the valle# of the &#na, free from both mountains and swamps. ;ut we 'new that the mounts of m# friend and m#self, together with three others, were too worn down to ma'e 6osogol and determined to tr# to bu# others in Sold0a'. Soon we began to meet little groups of So#ot #urtas with their cattle and horses round about. :inall# we approached the shifting capital of the Prince. &ur guide rode on ahead for the parle# with him after assuring us that the Prince would be glad to welcome the !a +ama, though at the time I remar'ed great an%iet# and fear in his features as he spo'e. ;efore long we emerged on to a large plain well covered with small bushes. Down b# the shore of the river we made out big #urtas with #ellow and blue flags floating over them and easil# guessed that this was the seat of government. Soon our guide returned to us. )is face was wreathed with smiles. )e flourished his hands and cried= ,o#on Dthe PrinceE as's #ou to come@ )e is ver# glad@ :rom a warrior I was forced to change m#self into a diplomat. As we approached the #urta of the Prince, we were met b# two officials, wearing the pea'ed (ongol caps with peacoc' feathers rampants behind. With low obeisances the# begged the foreign ,o#on to enter the #urta. (# friend the !artar and I entered. In the rich #urta draped with e%pensive sil' we discovered a feeble, wizen7faced little old man with shaven face and cropped hair, wearing also a high pointed beaver cap with red sil' ape% topped off with a dar' red button with the long peacoc' feathers streaming out behind. &n his nose were big "hinese spectacles. )e was sitting on a low divan, nervousl# clic'ing the beads of his rosar#. !his was !a +ama, Prince of Sold0a' and )igh Priest of the ;uddhist !emple. )e welcomed us ver# cordiall# and invited us to sit down before the fire burning in the copper brazier. )is surprisingl# beautiful Princess served us with tea and "hinese confections and ca'es. We smo'ed our pipes, though the Prince as a +ama did not indulge, fulfilling, however, his dut# as a host b# raising to his lips the pipes we offered him and handing us in return the green nephrite bottle of snuff. !hus with the eti8uette accomplished we awaited the words of the Prince. )e in8uired whether our travels had been felicitous and what were our further plans. I tal'ed with him 8uite fran'l# and

35

re8uested his hospitalit# for the rest of our compan# and for the horses. )e agreed immediatel# and ordered four #urtas set up for us. I hear that the foreign ,o#on, the Prince said, is a good doctor. .es, I 'now some diseases and have with me some medicines, I answered, but I am not a doctor. I am a scientist in other branches. ;ut the Prince did not understand this. In his simple directness a man who 'nows how to treat disease is a doctor. (# wife has had constant trouble for two months with her e#es, he announced. )elp her. I as'ed the Princess to show me her e#es and I found the t#pical con0unctivitis from the continual smo'e of the #urta and the general uncleanliness. !he !artar brought me m# medicine case. I washed her e#es with boric acid and dropped a little cocaine and a feeble solution of sulphurate of zinc into them. I beg #ou to cure me, pleaded the Princess. Do not go awa# until #ou have cured me. We shall give #ou sheep, mil' and flour for all #our compan#. I weep now ver# often because I had ver# nice e#es and m# husband used to tell me the# shone li'e the stars and now the# are red. I cannot bear it, I cannot@ She ver# capriciousl# stamped her foot and, co8uettishl# smiling at me, as'ed= Do #ou want to cure me< .es< !he character and manners of lovel# woman are the same ever#where= on bright ;roadwa#, along the statel# !hames, on the vivacious boulevards of ga# Paris and in the sil'7draped #urta of the So#ot Princess behind the larch covered !annu &la. I shall certainl# tr#, assuringl# answered the new oculist. We spent here ten da#s, surrounded b# the 'indness and friendship of the whole famil# of the Prince. !he e#es of the Princess, which eight #ears ago had seduced the alread# old Prince +ama, were now recovered. She was beside herself with 0o# and seldom left her loo'ing7glass. !he Prince gave me five fairl# good horses, ten sheep and a bag of flour, which was immediatel# transformed into dr# bread. (# friend presented him with a Romanoff five7 hundred7rouble note with a picture of Peter the ?reat upon it, while I gave to him a small nugget of gold which I had pic'ed up in the bed of a stream. !he Prince ordered one of the So#ots to guide us to the 6osogol. !he whole famil# of the Prince conducted us to the monaster# ten 'ilometres from the capital. We did not visit the monaster# but we stopped at the Dugun, a "hinese trading establishment. !he "hinese merchants loo'ed

36

at us in a ver# hostile manner though the# simultaneousl# offered us all sorts of goods, thin'ing especiall# to catch us with their round bottles DlanhonE of ma#golo or sweet brand# made from aniseed. As we had neither lump silver nor "hinese dollars, we could onl# loo' with longing at these attractive bottles, till the Prince came to the rescue and ordered the "hinese to put five of them in our saddle bags.

C$APTER X!!!
MYSTER!ES, M!RACLES AND A NE# F!G$T
In the evening of the same da# we arrived at the Sacred +a'e of !eri ,oor, a sheet of water eight 'ilometres across, mudd# and #ellow, with low unattractive shores studded with large holes. In the middle of the la'e la# what was left of a disappearing island. &n this were a few trees and some old ruins. &ur guide e%plained to us that two centuries ago the la'e did not e%ist and that a ver# strong "hinese fortress stood here on the plain. A "hinese chief in command of the fortress gave offence to an old +ama who cursed the place and prophesied that it would all be destro#ed. !he ver# ne%t da# the water began rushing up from the ground, destro#ed the fortress and engulfed all the "hinese soldiers. *ven to this da# when storms rage over the la'e the waters cast up on the shores the bones of men and horses who perished in it. !his !eri ,oor increases its size ever# #ear, approaching nearer and nearer to the mountains. S'irting the eastern shore of the la'e, we began to climb a snow7capped ridge. !he road was eas# at first but the guide warned us that the most difficult bit was there ahead. We reached this point two da#s later and found there a steep mountain side thic'l# set with forest and covered with snow. ;e#ond it la# the lines of eternal snow>ridges studded with dar' roc's set in great ban's of the white mantle that gleamed bright under the clear sunshine. !hese were the eastern and highest branches of the !annu &la s#stem. We spent the night beneath this wood and began the passage of it in the morning. At noon the guide began leading us b# zigzags in and out but ever#where our trail was bloc'ed b# deep ravines, great 0ams of fallen trees and walls of roc' 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 ver# evident our So#ot had lost his wa#$ and on his face I noticed mar'ed fear. !he old devils of the cursed forest will not allow us to pass, he whispered with trembling lips. It is a ver# ominous sign. We must return to 6harga to the ,o#on. ;ut I threatened him and he too' the lead again evidentl# without hope or effort to find the wa#. :ortunatel#, one of our part#, an 1rianhai hunter, noticed the blazes on the trees, the signs of the road which our guide had lost. :ollowing these, we made our wa# through the wood, came into and crossed a belt of burned larch timber and be#ond this dipped again into a small live forest bordering the bottom of the mountains crowned with the eternal snows. It grew dar' so that we had to camp for the night. !he wind rose high and carried in its grasp a great white sheet of snow that shut us off from the horizon on ever# side and buried our camp deep in its folds. &ur horses stood round li'e white 37

ghosts, refusing to eat or to leave the circle round our fire. !he wind combed their manes and tails. !hrough the niches in the mountains it roared and whistled. :rom somewhere in the distance came the low rumble of a pac' of wolves, punctuated at intervals b# the sharp individual bar'ing that a favorable gust of wind threw up into high staccato. As we la# b# the fire, the So#ot came over to me and said= ,o#on, come with me to the obo. I want to show #ou something. We went there and began to ascend the mountain. At the bottom of a ver# steep slope was laid up a large pile of stones and tree trun's, ma'ing a cone of some three metres in height. !hese obo are the +amaite sacred signs set up at dangerous places, the altars to the bad demons, rulers of these places. Passing So#ots and (ongols pa# tribute to the spirits b# hanging on the branches of the trees in the obo hat#', long streamers of blue sil', shreds torn from the lining of their coats or simpl# tufts of hair cut from their horses9 manes$ or b# placing on the stones lumps of meat or cups of tea and salt. +oo' at it, said the So#ot. !he hat#'s are torn off. !he demons are angr#, the# will not allow us to pass, ,o#on. . . . )e caught m# hand and with supplicating voice whispered= +et us go bac', ,o#on$ let us@ !he demons do not wish us to pass their mountains. :or twent# #ears no one has dared to pass these mountains and all bold men who have tried have perished here. !he demons fell upon them with snowstorm and cold. +oo'@ It is beginning alread#. . . . ?o bac' to our ,o#on, wait for the warmer da#s and then. . . . I did not listen further to the So#ot but turned bac' to the fire, which I could hardl# see through the blinding snow. :earing our guide might run awa#, I ordered a sentr# to be stationed for the night to watch him. +ater in the night I was awa'ened b# the sentr#, who said to me= (a#be I am mista'en, but I thin' I heard a rifle. What could I sa# to it< (a#be some stragglers li'e ourselves were giving a sign of their whereabouts to their lost companions, or perhaps the sentr# had mista'en for a rifle shot the sound of some falling roc' or frozen ice and snow. Soon I fell asleep again and suddenl# saw in a dream a ver# clear vision. &ut on the plain, blan'eted deep with snow, was moving a line of riders. !he# were our pac' horses, our 6almuc' and the funn# pied horse with the Roman nose. I saw us descending from this snow# plateau into a fold in the mountains. )ere some larch trees were growing, close to which gurgled a small, open broo'. Afterwards I noticed a fire burning among the trees and then wo'e up. It grew light. I shoo' up the others and as'ed them to prepare 8uic'l# so as not to lose time in getting under wa#. !he storm was raging. !he snow blinded us and blotted out all traces of the road. !he cold also became more intense. At last we were in the saddles. !he So#ot went ahead tr#ing to ma'e out the trail. As we wor'ed higher the guide less seldom lost the wa#. :re8uentl# we fell into deep holes covered with snow$ we scrambled up over slipper# roc's. At last the So#ot swung his horse round and, coming up to me, announced ver# positivel#= I do not want to die with #ou and I will not go further.

38

(# first motion was the swing of m# whip bac' over m# head. I was so close to the Promised +and of (ongolia that this So#ot, standing in the wa# of fulfilment of m# wishes, seemed to me m# worst enem#. ;ut I lowered m# flourishing hand. Into m# head flashed a 8uite wild thought. +isten, I said. If #ou move #our horses, #ou will receive a bullet in the bac' and #ou will perish not at the top of the mountain but at the bottom. And now I will tell #ou what will happen to us. When we shall have reached these roc's above, the wind will have ceased and the snowstorm will have subsided. !he sun will shine as we cross the snow# plain above and afterwards we shall descend into a small valle# where there are larches growing and a stream of open running water. !here we shall light our fires and spend the night. !he So#ot began to tremble with fright. ,o#on has alread# passed these mountains of Dar'hat &la< he as'ed in amazement. ,o, I answered, but last night I had a vision and I 'now that we shall fortunatel# win over this ridge. I will guide #ou@ e%claimed the So#ot, and, whipping his horse, led the wa# 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 So#ot stopped and attentivel# e%amined the trail. !oda# man# shod horses have passed here@ he cried through the roar of the storm. .onder on the snow the lash of a whip has been dragged. !hese are not So#ots. !he solution of this enigma appeared instantl#. A volle# rang out. &ne of m# companions cried out, as he caught hold of his right shoulder$ one pac' horse fell dead with a bullet behind his ear. We 8uic'l# tumbled out of our saddles, la# down behind the roc's and began to stud# the situation. We were separated from a parallel spur of the mountain b# a small valle# about one thousand paces across. !here we made out about thirt# riders alread# dismounted and firing at us. I had never allowed an# fighting to be done until the initiative had been ta'en b# the other side. &ur enem# fell upon us unawares and I ordered m# compan# to answer. Aim at the horses@ cried "olonel &strovs'#. !hen he ordered the !artar and So#ot to throw our own animals. We 'illed si% of theirs and probabl# wounded others, as the# got out of control. Also our rifles too' toll of an# bold man who showed his head from behind his roc'. We heard the angr# shouting and maledictions of Red soldiers who shot up our position more and more animatedl#. Suddenl# I saw our So#ot 'ic' up three of the horses and spring into the saddle of one with the others in leash behind. ;ehind him sprang up the !artar and the 6almuc'. I had

39

alread# drawn m# rifle on the So#ot but, as soon as I saw the !artar and 6almuc' on their lovel# horses behind him, I dropped m# gun and 'new all was well. !he Reds let off a volle# at the trio but the# made good their escape behind the roc's and disappeared. !he firing continued more and more livel# and I did not 'now what to do. :rom our side we shot rarel#, saving our cartridges. Watching carefull# the enem#, I noticed two blac' points on the snow high above the Reds. !he# slowl# approached our antagonists and finall# were hidden from view behind some sharp hilloc's. When the# emerged from these, the# were right on the edge of some overhanging roc's at the foot of which the Reds la# concealed from us. ;# this time I had no doubt that these were the heads of two men. Suddenl# these men rose up and I watched them flourish and throw something that was followed b# two deafening roars which re7echoed across the mountain valle#. Immediatel# a third e%plosion was followed b# wild shouts and disorderl# firing among the Reds. Some of the horses rolled down the slope into the snow below and the soldiers, chased b# our shots, made off as fast as the# could down into the valle# out of which we had come. Afterward the !artar told me the So#ot 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 ta'en the pac' off the 'illed animal, we continued our 0ourne#. &ur position was complicated. We had no doubt that the Red detachment came up from (ongolia. !herefore, were there Red troops in (ongolia< What was their strength< Where might we meet them< "onse8uentl#, (ongolia was no more the Promised +and< /er# sad thoughts too' possession of us. ;ut ,ature pleased us. !he wind graduall# fell. !he storm ceased. !he sun more and more fre8uentl# bro'e through the scudding clouds. We were traveling upon a high, snow7covered 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 the# could hardl# e%tricate 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 dran' the tea boiled in the water carried from the open mountain broo'. In various places we came across the trac's of our recent antagonists. *ver#thing, even ,ature herself and the angr# demons of Dar'hat &la, had helped us= but we were not ga#, because again before us la# the dread uncertaint# that threatened us with new and possibl# destructive dangers.

C$APTER X!%
T$E R!%ER OF T$E DE%!L
1lan !aiga with Dar'hat &la la# behind us. We went forward ver# rapidl# because the (ongol plains began here, free from the impediments of mountains. *ver#where 40

splendid grazing lands stretched awa#. In places there were groves of larch. We crossed some ver# rapid streams but the# were not deep and the# had hard beds. After two da#s of travel over the Dar'hat plain we began meeting So#ots driving their cattle rapidl# toward the northwest into &rgar'ha &la. !he# communicated to us ver# unpleasant news. !he ;olshevi'i from the Ir'uts' district had crossed the (ongolian border, captured the Russian colon# at 6hath#l on the southern shore of +a'e 6osogol and turned, off south toward (uren 6ure, a Russian settlement beside a big +amaite monaster# si%t# miles south of 6osogol. !he (ongols told us there were no Russian troops between 6hath#l and (uren 6ure, so we decided to pass between these two points to reach /an 6ure farther to the east. We too' leave of our So#ot guide and, after having sent three scouts in advance, moved forward. :rom the mountains around the 6osogol we admired the splendid view of this broad Alpine la'e. It was set li'e a sapphire in the old gold of the surrounding hills, chased with lovel# bits of rich dar' forestr#. At night we approached 6hath#l with great precaution and stopped on the shore of the river that flows from 6osogol, the .aga or *gingol. We found a (ongol who agreed to transport us to the other ban' of the frozen stream and to lead us b# a safe road between 6hath#l and (uren 6ure. *ver#where along the shore of the river were found large obo and small shrines to the demons of the stream. Wh# are there so man# obo< we as'ed the (ongol. It is the River of the Devil, dangerous and craft#, replied the (ongol. !wo da#s ago a train of carts went through the ice and three of them with five soldiers were lost. We started to cross. !he surface of the river resembled a thic' piece of loo'ing7glass, being clear and without snow. &ur horses wal'ed ver# carefull# but some fell and floundered before the# could regain their feet. We were leading them b# the bridle. With bowed heads and trembling all over the# 'ept their frightened e#es ever on the ice at their feet. I loo'ed down and understood their fear. !hrough the cover of one foot of transparent ice one could clearl# see the bottom of the river. 1nder the lighting of the moon all the stones, the holes and even some of the grasses were distinctl# visible, even though the depth was ten metres and more. !he .aga rushed under the ice with a furious speed, swirling and mar'ing its course with long bands of foam and bubbles. Suddenl# I 0umped and stopped as though fastened to the spot. Along the surface of the river ran the boom of a cannon, followed b# a second and a third. Fuic'er, 8uic'er@ cried our (ongol, waving us forward with his hand. Another cannon boom and a crac' ran right close to us. !he horses swung bac' on their haunches in protest, reared and fell, man# of them stri'ing their heads severel# on the ice. In a second it opened up two feet wide, so that I could follow its 0agged course along the surface. Immediatel# up out of the opening the water spread over the ice with a rush. )urr#, hurr#@ shouted the guide.

41

With great difficult# we forced our horses to 0ump over this cleavage and to continue on further. !he# trembled and disobe#ed and onl# the strong lash forced them to forget this panic of fear and go on. When we were safe on the farther ban' and well into the woods, our (ongol guide recounted to us how the river at times opens in this m#sterious wa# and leaves great areas of clear water. All the men and animals on the river at such times must perish. !he furious current of cold water will alwa#s carr# them down under the ice. At other times a crac' has been 'nown to pass right under a horse and, where he fell in with his front feet in the attempt to get bac' to the other side, the crac' has closed up and ground his legs or feet right off. !he valle# of 6osogol is the crater of an e%tinct volcano. Its outlines ma# be followed from the high west shore of the la'e. )owever, the Plutonic force still acts and, asserting the glor# of the Devil, forces the (ongols to build obo and offer sacrifices at his shrines. We spent all the night and all the ne%t da# hurr#ing awa# eastward to avoid a meeting with the Reds and see'ing good pasturage for our horses. At about nine o9cloc' in the evening a fire shone out of the distance. (# friend and I made toward it with the feeling that it was surel# a (ongol #urta beside which we could camp in safet#. We traveled over a mile before ma'ing out distinctl# the lines of a group of #urtas. ;ut nobod# came out to meet us and, what astonished us more, we were not surrounded b# the angr# blac' (ongolian dogs with fier# e#es. 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. :rom out of the #urta rushed two Russian soldiers, one of whom shot at me with his pistol but missed me and wounded m# horse in the bac' through the saddle. I brought him to earth with m# (auser and the other was 'illed b# the butt end of m# friend9s rifle. We e%amined the bodies and found in their poc'ets the papers of soldiers of the Second S8uadron of the "ommunist Interior Defence. )ere we spent the night. !he owners of the #urtas had evidentl# run awa#, for the Red soldiers had collected and pac'ed in sac's the propert# of the (ongols. Probabl# the# were 0ust planning to leave, as the# were full# dressed. We ac8uired 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 'eep further hold on our lives. !wo da#s later we were approaching the shore of the River 1ri when we met two Russian riders, who were the "ossac's of a certain Ataman Sutunin, acting against the ;olshevi'i in the valle# of the River Selenga. !he# were riding to carr# a message from Sutunin to 6aigorodoff, chief of the Anti7;olshevi'i in the Altai region. !he# informed us that along the whole Russian7(ongolian border the ;olshevi' troops were scattered$ also that "ommunist agitators had penetrated to 6ia'hta, 1lan'om and 6obdo and had persuaded the "hinese authorities to surrender to the Soviet authorities all the refugees from Russia. We 'new that in the neighborhood of 1rga and /an 6ure engagements were ta'ing place between the "hinese troops and the detachments of the Anti7;olshevi' Russian ?eneral ;aron 1ngern Sternberg and "olonel 6azagrandi, who were fighting for the independence of &uter (ongolia. ;aron 1ngern had now been twice defeated, so that the

42

"hinese were carr#ing on high7handed in 1rga, suspecting all foreigners of having relations with the Russian ?eneral. We realized that the whole situation was sharpl# reversed. !he route to the Pacific was closed. Reflecting ver# carefull# over the problem, I decided that we had but one possible e%it left. We must avoid all (ongolian cities with "hinese administration, cross (ongolia from north to south, traverse the desert in the southern part of the Principalit# of Bassa'tu 6han, enter the ?obi in the western part of Inner (ongolia, stri'e as rapidl# as possible through si%t# miles of "hinese territor# in the Province of 6ansu and penetrate into !ibet. )ere I hoped to search out one of the *nglish "onsuls and with his help to reach some *nglish port in India. I understood thoroughl# all the difficulties incident to such an enterprise but I had no other choice. It onl# remained to ma'e this last foolish attempt or to perish without doubt at the hands of the ;oishevi'i or languish in a "hinese prison. When I announced m# plan to m# companions, without in an# wa# hiding from them all its dangers and 8ui%otism, all of them answered ver# 8uic'l# and shortl#= +ead us@ We will follow. &ne circumstance was distinctl# 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 e%cellent currenc# for e%change. So then we began to initiate the plan of the new e%pedition. We should start to the south, leaving the town of 1liassutai on our right and ta'ing the direction of Aaganlu', then pass through the waste lands of the district of ;alir of Bassa'tu 6han, cross the ,aron 6huhu ?obi and stri'e for the mountains of ;oro. )ere we should be able to ta'e a long rest to recuperate the strength of our horses and of ourselves. !he second section of our 0ourne# would be the passage through the western part of Inner (ongolia, through the +ittle ?obi, through the lands of the !orguts, over the 6hara (ountains, across 6ansu, where our road must be chosen to the west of the "hinese town of Suchow. :rom there we should have to enter the Dominion of 6u'u ,or and then wor' on southward to the head waters of the .angtze River. ;e#ond this I had but a haz# notion, which however I was able to verif# 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 .angtze separated that river s#stem from the basin of the ;rahmaputra in !ibet Proper, where I e%pected to be able to find *nglish assistance.

C$APTER X%
T$E MARC$ OF G$OSTS
In no other wa# can I describe the 0ourne# from the River *ro to the border of !ibet. About eleven hundred miles through the snow# steppes, over mountains and across deserts we traveled in fort#7eight da#s. We hid from the people as we 0ourne#ed, made short stops in the most desolate places, fed for whole wee's on nothing but raw, frozen meat in order to avoid attracting attention b# the smo'e of fires. Whenever we needed to 43

purchase a sheep or a steer for our suppl# department, we sent out onl# two unarmed men who represented to the natives that the# were the wor'men of some Russian colonists. We even feared to shoot, although we met a great herd of antelopes numbering as man# as five thousand head. ;ehind ;alir in the lands of the +ama Bassa'tu 6han, who had inherited his throne as a result of the poisoning of his brother at 1rga b# order of the +iving ;uddha, we met wandering Russian !artars who had driven their herds all the wa# from Altai and Aba'an. !he# welcomed us ver# cordiall#, gave us o%en and thirt#7 si% bric's of tea. Also the# saved us from inevitable destruction, for the# told us that at this season it was utterl# impossible for horses to ma'e the trip across the ?obi, where there was no grass at all. We must bu# camels b# e%changing for them our horses and some other of our bartering supplies. &ne of the !artars the ne%t da# brought to their camp a rich (ongol with whom he drove the bargain for this trade. )e gave us nineteen camels and too' all our horses, one rifle, one pistol and the best "ossac' saddle. )e advised us b# all means to visit the sacred (onaster# of ,arabanchi, the last +amaite monaster# on the road from (ongolia to !ibet. )e told us that the )ol# )utu'tu, the Incarnate ;uddha, would be greatl# offended if we did not visit the monaster# and his famous Shrine of ;lessings, where all travelers going to !ibet alwa#s offered pra#ers. &ur 6almuc' +amaite supported the (ongol in this. I decided to go there with the 6almuc'. !he !artars gave me some big sil' hat#' as presents and loaned us four splendid horses. Although the monaster# was fift#7five miles distant, b# nine o9cloc' in the evening I entered the #urta of this hol# )utu'tu. )e was a middle7aged, clean shaven, spare little man, laboring under the name of Bel#b D0amsrap )utu'tu. )e received us ver# cordiall# and was greatl# pleased with the presentation of the hat#' and with m# 'nowledge of the (ongol eti8uette in which m# !artar had been long and persistentl# instructing me. )e listened to me most attentivel# and gave valuable advice about the road, presenting me then with a ring which has since opened for me the doors of all +amaite monasteries. !he name of this )utu'tu is highl# esteemed not onl# in all (ongolia but in !ibet and in the +amaite world of "hina. We spent the night in his splendid #urta and on the following morning visited the shrines where the# were conducting ver# solemn services with the music of gongs, tom7toms and whistling. !he +amas with their deep voices were intoning the pra#ers while the lesser priests answered with their antiphonies. !he sacred phrase= &m@ (ani padme )ung@ was endlessl# repeated. !he )utu'tu wished us success, presented us with a large #ellow hat#' and accompanied us to the monaster# gate. When we were in our saddles he said= Remember that #ou are alwa#s welcome guests here. +ife is ver# complicated and an#thing ma# happen. Perhaps #ou will be forced in future to re7visit distant (ongolia and then do not miss ,arabanchi 6ure. !hat night we returned to the !artars and the ne%t da# continued our 0ourne#. As I was ver# tired, the slow, eas# motion of the camel was welcome and restful to me. All the da# I dozed off at intervals to sleep. It turned out to be ver# disastrous for me$ for, when m# camel was going up the steep ban' of a river, in one of m# naps I fell off and hit m# head

44

on a stone, lost consciousness and wo'e up to find m# overcoat covered with blood. (# friends surrounded me with their frightened faces. !he# bandaged m# head and we started off again. I onl# learned long afterwards from a doctor who e%amined me that I had crac'ed m# s'ull as the price of m# siesta. We crossed the eastern ranges of the Altai and the 6arli' !ag, which are the most oriental sentinels the great !ian Shan s#stem throws out into the regions of the ?obi$ and then traversed from the north to the south the entire width of the 6huhu ?obi. Intense cold ruled all this time and fortunatel# the frozen sands gave us better speed. ;efore passing the 6hara range, we e%changed our roc'ing7chair steeds for horses, a deal in which the !orguts s'inned us badl# li'e the true old clothes men the# are. S'irting around these mountains we entered 6ansu. It was a dangerous move, for the "hinese were arresting all refugees and I feared for m# Russian fellow7travelers. During the da#s we hid in the ravines, the forests and bushes, ma'ing forced marches at night. :our da#s we thus used in this passage of 6ansu. !he few "hinese peasants we did encounter were peaceful appearing and most hospitable. A mar'ed s#mpathetic interest surrounded the 6almuc', who could spea' a bit of "hinese, and m# bo% of medicines. *ver#where we found man# ill people, chiefl# afflicted with e#e troubles, rheumatism and s'in diseases. As we were approaching ,an Shan, the northeast branch of the Alt#n !ag Dwhich is in turn the east branch of the Pamir and 6ara'horum s#stemE, we overhauled a large caravan of "hinese merchants going to !ibet and 0oined them. :or three da#s we were winding through the endless ravine7li'e valle#s of these mountains and ascending the high passes. ;ut we noticed that the "hinese 'new how to pic' the easiest routes for caravans over all these difficult places. In a state of semi7consciousness I made this whole 0ourne# toward the large group of swamp# la'es, feeding the 6o'o ,or and a whole networ' of large rivers. :rom fatigue and constant nervous strain, probabl# helped b# the blow on m# head, I began suffering from sharp attac's of chills and fever, burning up at times and then chattering so with m# teeth that I frightened m# horse who several times threw me from the saddle. I raved, cried out at times and even wept. I called m# famil# and instructed them how the# must come to me. I remember as though through a dream how I was ta'en from the horse b# m# companions, laid on the ground, supplied with "hinese brand# and, when I recovered a little, how the# said to me= !he "hinese merchants are heading for the west and we must travel south. ,o@ !o the north, I replied ver# sharpl#. ;ut no, to the south, m# companions assured me. ?od and the Devil@ I angril# e0aculated, we have 0ust swum the +ittle .enisei and Alg#a' is to the north@ We are in !ibet, remonstrated m# companions. We must reach the ;rahmaputra.

45

;rahmaputra. . . . ;rahmaputra. . . . !his word revolved in m# fier# brain, made a terrible noise and commotion. Suddenl# I remembered ever#thing and opened m# e#es. I hardl# moved m# lips and soon I again lost consciousness. (# companions brought me to the monaster# of Shar'he, where the +ama doctor 8uic'l# brought me round with a solution of fatil or "hinese ginseng. In discussing our plans he e%pressed grave doubt as to whether we would get through !ibet but he did not wish to e%plain to me the reason for his doubts.

C$APTER X%!
!N MYSTER!O&S T!BET
A fairl# broad road led out from Shar'he through the mountains and on the fifth da# of our two wee's9 march to the south from the monaster# we emerged into the great bowl of the mountains in whose center la# the large la'e of 6o'o ,or. If :inland deserves the ordinar# title of the +and of !en !housand +a'es, the dominion of 6o'o ,or ma# certainl# with 0ustice be called the "ountr# of a (illion +a'es. We s'irted this la'e on the west between it and Doulan 6itt, zigzagging between the numerous swamps, la'es and small rivers, deep and mir#. !he water was not here covered with ice and onl# on the tops of the mountains did we feel the cold winds sharpl#. We rarel# met the natives of the countr# and onl# with greatest difficult# did our 6almuc' learn the course of the road from the occasional shepherds we passed. :rom the eastern shore of the +a'e of !assoun we wor'ed round to a monaster# on the further side, where we stopped for a short rest. ;esides ourselves there was also another group of guests in the hol# place. !hese were !ibetans. !heir behavior was ver# impertinent and the# refused to spea' with us. !he# were all armed, chiefl# with the Russian militar# rifles and were draped with crossed bandoliers of cartridges with two or three pistols stowed beneath belts with more cartridges stic'ing out. !he# e%amined us ver# sharpl# and we readil# realized that the# were estimating our martial strength. After the# had left on that same da# I ordered our 6almuc' to in8uire from the )igh Priest of the temple e%actl# who the# were. :or a long time the mon' gave evasive answers but when I showed him the ring of )utu'tu ,arabanchi and presented him with a large #ellow hat#', he became more communicative. !hose are bad people, he e%plained. )ave a care of them. )owever, he was not willing to give their names, e%plaining his refusal b# citing the +aw of ;uddhist lands against pronouncing the name of one9s father, teacher or chief. Afterwards I found out that in ,orth !ibet there e%ists the same custom as in ,orth "hina. )ere and there bands of hunghutze wander about. !he# appear at the head8uarters of the leading trading firms and at the monasteries, claim tribute and after their collections become the protectors of the district. Probabl# this !ibetan monaster# had in this band 0ust such protectors.

46

When we continued our trip, we fre8uentl# noticed single horsemen far awa# or on the horizon, apparentl# stud#ing our movements with care. All our attempts to approach them and enter into conversation with them were entirel# unsuccessful. &n their speed# little horses the# disappeared li'e shadows. As we reached the steep and difficult Pass on the )amshan and were preparing to spend the night there, suddenl# far up on a ridge above us appeared about fort# horsemen with entirel# white mounts and without formal introduction or warning spattered us with a hail of bullets. !wo of our officers fell with a cr#. &ne had been instantl# 'illed while the other lived some few minutes. I did not allow m# men to shoot but instead I raised a white flag and started forward with the 6almuc' for a parle#. At first the# fired two shots at us but then ceased firing and sent down a group of riders from the ridge toward us. We began the parle#. !he !ibetans e%plained that )amshan is a hol# mountain and that here one must not spend the night, advising us to proceed farther where we could consider ourselves in safet#. !he# in8uired from us whence we came and whither we were going, stated in answer to our information about the purpose of our 0ourne# that the# 'new the ;olshevi'i and considered them the liberators of the people of Asia from the #o'e of the white race. I certainl# did not want to begin a political 8uarrel with them and so turned bac' to our companions. Riding down the slope toward our camp, I waited momentaril# for a shot in the bac' but the !ibetan 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 0ourne#. We rode all night, with our e%hausted horses constantl# stopping and some l#ing down under us, but we forced them ever onward. At last, when the sun was at its zenith, we finall# halted. Without unsaddling our horses, we gave them an opportunit# to lie down for a little rest. ;efore us la# a broad, swamp# plain, where was evidentl# the sources of the river (a7chu. ,ot far be#ond la# the +a'e of Aroung ,or. We made our fire of cattle dung and began boiling water for our tea. Again without an# warning the bullets came raining in from all sides. Immediatel# we too' cover behind convenient roc's and waited developments. !he 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 clearl#. I tried anew to begin the parle#$ but when I stood up with m# white flag, the answer was onl# a thic'er rain of bullets and unfortunatel# one of these, ricocheting off a roc', struc' me in the left leg and lodged there. At the same moment another one of our compan# was 'illed. We had no other choice and were forced to begin fighting. !he struggle continued for about two hours. ;esides m#self three others received slight wounds. We resisted as long as we could. !he hunghutze approached and our situation became desperate. !here9s no choice, said one of m# associates, a ver# e%pert "olonel. We must mount and ride for it . . . an#where. An#where. . . . It was a terrible word@ We consulted for but an instant. It was apparent that with this band of cut7throats behind us the farther we went into !ibet, the less chance we had of saving our lives.

47

We decided to return to (ongolia. ;ut how< !hat we did not 'now. And thus we began our retreat. :iring all the time, we trotted our horses as fast as we could toward the north. &ne after another three of m# companions fell. !here la# m# !artar with a bullet through his nec'. After him two #oung and fine stalwart officers were carried from their saddles with cries of death, while their scared horses bro'e out across the plain in wild fear, perfect pictures of our distraught selves. !his emboldened the !ibetans, who became more and more audacious. A bullet struc' the buc'le on the an'le strap of m# right foot and carried it, with a piece of leather and cloth, into m# leg 0ust above the an'le. (# 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 6almuc' was hit twice right through the palm of the same hand, so that it was entirel# shattered. Bust at this moment fifteen of the hunghutze rushed against us in a charge. Shoot at them with volle# fire@ commanded our "olonel. Si% robber bodies la# on the turf, while two others of the gang were unhorsed and ran scampering as fast as the# could after their retreating fellows. Several minutes later the fire of our antagonists ceased and the# raised a white flag. !wo riders came forward toward us. In the parle# it developed that their chief had been wounded through the chest and the# came to as' us to render first aid. At once I saw a ra# of hope. I too' m# bo% of medicines and m# groaning, cursing, wounded 6almuc' to interpret for me. ?ive that devil some c#anide of potassium, urged m# companions. ;ut I devised another scheme. We were led to the wounded chief. !here he la# on the saddle cloths among the roc's, represented to us to be a !ibetan but I at once recognized him from his cast of countenance to be a Sart or !urcoman, probabl# from the southern part of !ur'estan. )e loo'ed at me with a begging and frightened gaze. *%amining him, I found the bullet had passed through his chest from left to right, that he had lost much blood and was ver# wea'. "onscientiousl# I did all that I could for him. In the first place I tried on m# 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, sprin'led 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 la#. !hen I taught a !ibetan how the dressing must be changed and left with him medicated cotton, bandages and a little iodoform. !o the patient, in whom the fever was alread# developing, I gave a big dose of aspirin and left several tablets of 8uinine with them. Afterwards, addressing m#self to the b#standers through m# 6almuc', I said ver# solemnl#= !he wound is ver# dangerous but I gave to #our "hief ver# strong medicine and hope that he will recover. &ne condition, however, is necessar#= the bad demons which have rushed to his side for his unwarranted attac' upon us innocent travelers will instantl# 'ill

48

him, if another shot is let off against us. .ou must not even 'eep a single cartridge in #our rifles. With these words I ordered the 6almuc' to empt# his rifle and I, at the same time, too' all the cartridges out of m# (auser. !he !ibetans instantl# and ver# servilel# followed m# e%ample. Remember that I told #ou= 9*leven da#s and eleven nights do not move from this place and do not charge #our rifles.9 &therwise the demon of death will snatch off #our "hief and will pursue #ou@ >and with these words I solemnl# drew forth and raised above their heads the ring of )utu'tu ,arabanchi. I returned to m# companions and calmed them. I told them we were safe against further attac' from the robbers and that we must onl# guess the wa# to reach (ongolia. &ur horses were so e%hausted and thin that on their bones we could have hung our overcoats. We spent two da#s here, during which time I fre8uentl# visited m# patient. It also gave us opportunit# to bandage our own fortunatel# light wounds and to secure a little rest$ though unfortunatel# I had nothing but a 0ac''nife with which to dig the bullet out of m# left calf and the shoema'er9s accessories from m# right an'le. In8uiring from the brigands about the caravan roads, we soon made our wa# out to one of the main routes and had the good fortune to meet there the caravan of the #oung (ongol Prince Pounzig, who was on a hol# mission carr#ing a message from the +iving ;uddha in 1rga to the Dalai +ama in +hasa. )e helped us to purchase horses, camels and food. With all our arms and supplies spent in barter during the 0ourne# for the purchase of transport and food, we returned stripped and bro'en to the ,arabanchi (onaster#, where we were welcomed b# the )utu'tu. I 'new #ou would come bac', said he. !he divinations revealed it all to me. With si% of our little band left behind us in !ibet to pa# the eternal toll of our dash for the south we returned but twelve to the (onaster# and waited there two wee's to re7ad0ust ourselves and learn how events would again set us afloat on this turbulent sea to steer for an# port that Destin# might indicate. !he officers enlisted in the detachment which was then being formed in (ongolia to fight against the destro#ers of their native land, the ;olshevi'i. (# original companion and I prepared to continue our 0ourne# over (ongolian plains with whatever further adventures and dangers might come in the struggle to escape to a place of safet#. And now, with the scenes of that tr#ing march so vividl# recalled, I would dedicate these chapters to m# gigantic, old and ruggedl# tried friend, the agronome, to m# Russian fellow7travelers, and especiall#, to the sacred memor# of those of our companions whose bodies lie cradled in the sleep among the mountains of !ibet>"olonel &strovs'#, "aptains Auboff and !uroff, +ieutenant Pisar0evs'#, "ossac' /ernigora and !artar (ahomed Spirin. Also here I e%press m# deep than's for help and friendship to the Prince of Sold0a', )ereditar# ,o#on !a +ama and to the 6ampo ?elong of ,arabanchi

49

(onaster#, the honorable Bel#b D0amsrap )utu'tu.

Par !!
T$E LAND OF DEMONS

C$APTER X%!!
MYSTER!O&S MONGOL!A
In the heart of Asia lies the enormous, m#sterious and rich countr# of (ongolia. :rom somewhere on the snow# slopes of the !ian Shan and from the hot sands of Western Aungaria to the timbered ridges of the Sa#an and to the ?reat Wall of "hina it stretches over a huge portion of "entral Asia. !he cradle of peoples, histories and legends$ the native land of blood# con8uerors, who have left here their capitals covered b# the sand of the ?obi, their m#sterious rings and their ancient nomad laws$ the states of mon's and evil devils, the countr# of wandering tribes administered b# the descendants of Benghiz 6han and 6ublai 6han>6hans and Princes of the Bunior lines= that is (ongolia. (#sterious countr# of the cults of Rama, Sa''ia7(ouni, D0on'apa and Paspa, cults guarded b# the ver# person of the living ;uddha>;uddha incarnated in the third dignitar# of the +amaite religion>;ogdo ?heghen in !a 6ure or 1rga$ the land of m#sterious doctors, prophets, sorcerers, fortune7tellers and witches$ the land of the sign of the swasti'a$ the land which has not forgotten the thoughts of the long deceased great potentates of Asia and of half of *urope= that is (ongolia. !he land of nude mountains, of plains burned b# the sun and 'illed b# the cold, of ill cattle and ill people$ the nest of pests, anthra% and smallpo%$ the land of boiling hot springs and of mountain passes inhabited b# demons$ of sacred la'es swarming with fish$ of wolves, rare species of deer and mountain goats, marmots in millions, wild horses, wild don'e#s and wild camels that have never 'nown the bridle, ferocious dogs and rapacious birds of pre# which devour the dead bodies cast out on the plains b# the people= that is (ongolia. !he land whose disappearing primitive people gaze upon the bones of their forefathers whitening in the sands and dust of their plains$ where are d#ing out the people who formerl# con8uered "hina, Siam, ,orthern India and Russia and bro'e their chests against the iron lances of the Polish 'nights, defending then all the "hristian world against the invasion of wild and wandering Asia= that is (ongolia. !he land swelling with natural riches, producing nothing, in need of ever#thing, destitute and suffering from the world9s catacl#sm= that is (ongolia. 50

In this land, b# order of :ate, after m# unsuccessful attempt to reach the Indian &cean through !ibet, I spent half a #ear in the struggle to live and to escape. (# old and faithful friend and I were compelled, will#7nill#, to participate in the e%ceedingl# important and dangerous events transpiring in (ongolia in the #ear of grace 2342. !han's to this, I came to 'now the calm, good and honest (ongolian people$ I read their souls, saw their sufferings and hopes$ I witnessed the whole horror of their oppression and fear before the face of (#ster#, there where (#ster# pervades all life. I watched the rivers during the severe cold brea' with a rumbling roar their chains of ice$ saw la'es cast up on their shores the bones of human beings$ heard un'nown wild voices in the mountain ravines$ made out the fires over mir# swamps of the will7o97the7wisps$ witnessed burning la'es$ gazed upward to mountains whose pea's could not be scaled$ came across great balls of writhing sna'es in the ditches in winter$ met with streams which are eternall# frozen, roc's li'e petrified caravans of camels, horsemen and carts$ and over all saw the barren mountains whose folds loo'ed li'e the mantle of Satan, which the glow of the evening sun drenched with blood. +oo' up there@ cried an old shepherd, pointing to the slope of the cursed Aagastai. !hat is no mountain. It is )* who lies in his red mantle and awaits the da# when he will rise again to begin the fight with the good spirits. And as he spo'e I recalled the m#stic picture of the noted painter /roubel. !he same nude mountains with the violet and purple robes of Satan, whose face is half covered b# an approaching gre# cloud. (ongolia is a terrible land of m#ster# and demons. !herefore it is no wonder that here ever# 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 gre# cloa' of de0ection and sadness, or in the purple mantle of war and vengeance. After returning from the district of 6o'o ,or to (ongolia and resting a few da#s at the ,arabanchi (onaster#, we went to live in 1liassutai, the capital of Western &uter (ongolia. It is the last purel# (ongolian town to the west. In (ongolia there are but three purel# (ongolian towns, 1rga, 1liassutai and 1lan'om. !he fourth town, 6obdo, has an essentiall# "hinese character, being the center of "hinese administration in this district inhabited b# the wandering tribes onl# nominall# recognizing the influence of either Pe'ing or 1rga. In 1liassutai and 1lan'om, besides the unlawful "hinese commissioners and troops, there were stationed (ongolian governors or Saits, appointed b# the decree of the +iving ;uddha. When we arrived in that town, we were at once in the sea of political passions. !he (ongols were protesting in great agitation against the "hinese polic# in their countr#$ the "hinese raged and demanded from the (ongolians the pa#ment of ta%es for the full period since the autonom# of (ongolia had been forcibl# e%tracted from Pe'ing$ Russian colonists who had #ears before settled near the town and in the vicinit# of the great monasteries or among the wandering tribes had separated into factions and were fighting against one another$ from 1rga came the news of the struggle for the maintenance of the independence of &uter (ongolia, led b# the Russian ?eneral, ;aron 1ngern von

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Sternberg$ Russian officers and refugees congregated in detachments, against which the "hinese authorities protested but which the (ongols welcomed$ the ;olshevi'i, worried b# the formation of White detachments in (ongolia, sent their troops to the borders of (ongolia$ from Ir'uts' and "hita to 1liassutai and 1rga envo#s were running from the ;olshevi'i to the "hinese commissioners with various proposals of all 'inds$ the "hinese authorities in (ongolia were graduall# entering into secret relations with the ;olshevi'i and in 6ia'hta and 1lan'om delivered to them the Russian refugees, thus violating recognized international law$ in 1rga the ;olshevi'i set up a Russian communistic municipalit#$ Russian "onsuls were inactive$ Red troops in the region of 6osogol and the valle# of the Selenga had encounters with Anti7;olshevi' officers$ the "hinese authorities established garrisons in the (ongolian towns and sent punitive e%peditions into the countr#$ and, to complete the confusion, the "hinese troops carried out house7to7 house searches, during which the# plundered and stole. Into what an atmosphere we had fallen after our hard and dangerous trip along the .enisei, through 1rianhai, (ongolia, the lands of the !urguts, 6ansu and 6o'o ,or@ Do #ou 'now, said m# old friend to me, I prefer strangling Partisans and fighting with the hunghutze to listening to news and more an%ious news@ )e was right$ for the worst of it was that in this bustle and whirl of facts, rumours and gossip the Reds could approach troubled 1liassutai and ta'e ever#one with their bare hands. We should ver# willingl# 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 alread# lost our companions and not a little of our own blood$ to the west raged the "hinese administrators and detachments$ and to the east a war had bro'en out, the news of which, in spite of the attempts of the "hinese authorities at secrec#, had filtered through and had testified to the seriousness of the situation in this part of &uter (ongolia. "onse8uentl# we had no choice but to remain in 1liassutai. )ere 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 0oined together and made our own intelligence department, ver# carefull# watching the evolution of events. We succeeded in forming good connections with the "hinese commissioner and with the (ongolian Sait, which greatl# helped us in our orientation. What was behind all these events in (ongolia< !he ver# clever (ongol Sait of 1liassutai gave me the following e%planation. According to the agreements between (ongolia, "hina and Russia of &ctober 42, 2324, of &ctober 4G, 232G, and of Bune H, 232C, &uter (ongolia was accorded independence and the (oral )ead of our 9.ellow :aith,9 )is )oliness the +iving ;uddha, became the Suzerain of the (ongolian people of 6hal'ha or &uter (ongolia with the title of 9;ogdo D0ebtsung Damba )utu'tu 6han.9 While Russia was still strong and carefull# watched her polic# in Asia, the ?overnment of Pe'ing 'ept the treat#$ but, when, at the beginning of the war with ?erman#, Russia was compelled to withdraw her troops from Siberia, Pe'ing began to claim the return of its lost rights in (ongolia. It was because of this that

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the first two treaties of 2324 and 232G were supplemented b# the convention of 232C. )owever, in 232I, when all the forces of Russia were pre7occupied in the unsuccessful war and afterwards when the first Russian revolution bro'e out in :ebruar#, 232H, overthrowing the Romanoff D#nast#, the "hinese ?overnment openl# retoo' (ongolia. !he# changed all the (ongolian ministers and Saits, replacing them with individuals friendl# to "hina$ arrested man# (ongolian autonomists and sent them to prison in Pe'ing$ set up their administration in 1rga and other (ongol towns$ actuall# removed )is )oliness ;ogdo 6han from the affairs of administration$ made him onl# a machine for signing "hinese decrees$ and at last introduced into (ongolia their troops. :rom that moment there developed an energetic flow of "hinese merchants and coolies into (ongolia. !he "hinese began to demand the pa#ment of ta%es and dues from 2324. !he (ongolian population were rapidl# stripped of their wealth and now in the vicinities of our towns and monasteries #ou can see whole settlements of beggar (ongols living in dugouts. All our (ongol arsenals and treasuries were re8uisitioned. All monasteries were forced to pa# ta%es$ all (ongols wor'ing for the libert# of their countr# were persecuted$ through briber# with "hinese silver, orders and titles the "hinese secured a following among the poorer (ongol Princes. It is eas# to understand how the governing class, )is )oliness, 6hans, Princes, and high +amas, as well as the ruined and oppressed people, remembering that the (ongol rulers had once held Pe'ing and "hina in their hands and under their reign had given her the first place in Asia, were definitel# hostile to the "hinese administrators acting thus. Insurrection was, however, impossible. We had no arms. All our leaders were under surveillance and ever# movement b# them toward an armed resistance would have ended in the same prison at Pe'ing where eight# of our ,obles, Princes and +amas died from hunger and torture after a previous struggle for the libert# of (ongolia. Some abnormall# strong shoc' was necessar# to drive the people into action. !his was given b# the "hinese administrators, ?eneral "heng .i and ?eneral "hu "hi7hsiang. !he# announced that )is )oliness ;ogdo 6han was under arrest in his own palace, and the# recalled to his attention the former decree of the Pe'ing ?overnment>held b# the (ongols to be unwarranted and illegal>that )is )oliness was the last +iving ;uddha. !his was enough. Immediatel# secret relations were made between the people and their +iving ?od, and plans were at once elaborated for the liberation of )is )oliness and for the struggle for libert# and freedom of our people. We were helped b# the great Prince of the ;uriats, D0am ;olon, who began parle#s with ?eneral 1ngern, then engaged in fighting the ;olshevi'i in !ransbai'alia, and invited him to enter (ongolia and help in the war against the "hinese. !hen our struggle for libert# began. !hus the Sait of 1liassutai e%plained the situation to me. Afterwards I heard that ;aron 1ngern, who had agreed to fight for the libert# of (ongolia, directed that the mobilization of the (ongolians in the northern districts be forwarded at once and promised to enter (ongolia with his own small detachment, moving along the River 6erulen. Afterwards he too' up relations with the other Russian detachment of "olonel 6azagrandi and, together with the mobilized (ongolian riders, began the attac' on 1rga. !wice he was defeated but on the third of :ebruar#, 2342, he succeeded in capturing the town and replaced the +iving ;uddha on the throne of the 6hans.

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At the end of (arch, however, these events were still un'nown in 1liassutai. We 'new neither of the fall of 1rga nor of the destruction of the "hinese arm# of nearl# 2C,555 in the battles of (aimachen on the shore of the !ola and on the roads between 1rga and 1de. !he "hinese carefull# concealed the truth b# preventing an#bod# from passing westward from 1rga. )owever, rumours e%isted and troubled all. !he atmosphere became more and more tense, while the relations between the "hinese on the one side and the (ongolians and Russians on the other became more and more strained. At this time the "hinese "ommissioner in 1liassutai was Wang !sao7tsun and his advisor, :u )siang, both ver# #oung and ine%perienced men. !he "hinese authorities had dismissed the 1liassutai Sait, the prominent (ongolian patriot, Prince "hultun ;e#le, and had appointed a +ama Prince friendl# to "hina, the former /ice7(inister of War in 1rga. &ppression increased. !he searching of Russian officers9 and colonists9 houses and 8uarters commenced, open relations with the ;olshevi'i followed and arrest and beatings became common. !he Russian officers formed a secret detachment of si%t# men so that the# could defend themselves. )owever, in this detachment disagreements soon sprang up between +ieutenant7"olonel (. (. (ichailoff 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 ma'e a thorough reconnaissance in order to 'now whether there was danger of Red troops arriving. (# old companion and I agreed to do this scouting. Prince "hultun ;e#le gave us a ver# good guide>an old (ongol named !zeren, who spo'e and read Russian perfectl#. )e was a ver# interesting personage, holding the position of interpreter with the (ongolian authorities and sometimes with the "hinese "ommissioner. Shortl# before he had been sent as a special envo# to Pe'ing with ver# important despatches and this incomparable horseman had made the 0ourne# between 1liassutai and Pe'ing, that is 2,J55 miles, in nine da#s, incredible as it ma# seem. )e prepared himself for the 0ourne# b# binding all his abdomen and chest, legs, arms and nec' with strong cotton bandages to protect himself from the wrac's and strains of such a period in the saddle. In his cap he bore three eagle feathers as a to'en that he had received orders to fl# li'e 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 full# saddled to lead as a change, together with two oulatchen or guards to accompan# him and bring bac' the horses from the ne%t station or ourton, he made the distance of from fifteen to thirt# miles between stations at full gallop, stopping onl# 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 ne%t station. *ach 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 pic' him up and lead or ride him bac' home. At ever# 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. !hus he ate once a da# and five times a da# had tea$ and so he traveled for nine da#s@ With this servant we moved out one cold winter morning in the direction of 6obdo, 0ust over three hundred miles, because from there we had received the dis8uieting rumours

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that the Red troops had entered 1lan'om and that the "hinese authorities had handed over to them all the *uropeans in the town. We crossed the River Dzaphin on the ice. It is a terrible stream. Its bed is full of 8uic'sands, which in summer suc' in numbers of camels, horses and men. We entered a long, winding valle# among the mountains covered with deep snow and here and there with groves of the blac' wood of the larch. About halfwa# to 6obdo we came across the #urta of a shepherd on the shore of the small +a'e of ;aga ,or, where evening and a strong wind whirling gusts of snow in our faces easil# persuaded us to stop. ;# the #urta stood a splendid ba# horse with a saddle richl# ornamerited with silver and coral. As we turned in from the road, two (ongols left the #urta ver# hastil#$ one of them 0umped into the saddle and 8uic'l# disappeared in the plain behind the snow# hilloc's. We clearl# made out the flashing folds of his #ellow robe under the great outer coat and saw his large 'nife sheathed in a green leather scabbard and handled with horn and ivor#. !he other man was the host of the #urta, the shepherd of a local prince, ,ovontziran. )e gave signs of great pleasure at seeing us and receiving us in his #urta. Who was the rider on the ba# horse< we as'ed. )e dropped his e#es and was silent. !ell us, we insisted. If #ou do not wish to spea' his name, it means that #ou are dealing with a bad character. ,o@ ,o@ he remonstrated, flourishing his hands. )e is a good, great man$ but the law does not permit me to spea' his name. We at once understood that the man was either the chief of the shepherd or some high +ama. "onse8uentl# we did not further insist and began ma'ing our sleeping arrangements. &ur host set three legs of mutton to boil for us, s'illfull# cutting out the bones with his heav# 'nife. We chatted and learned that no one had seen Red troops around this region but in 6obdo and in 1lan'om the "hinese soldiers were oppressing the population, and were beating to death with the bamboo (ongol men who were defending their women against the ravages of these "hinese troops. Some of the (ongols had retreated to the mountains to 0oin detachments under the command of 6aigordoff, an Altai !artar officer who was suppl#ing them with weapons.

C$APTER X%!!!
T$E MYSTER!O&S LAMA A%ENGER
We rested soundl# in the #urta after the two da#s of travel which had brought us one hundred sevent# miles through the snow and sharp cold. Round the evening meal of 0uic# mutton we were tal'ing freel# and carelessl# when suddenl# we heard a low, hoarse voice= 55

Sa#n>?ood evening@ We turned around from the brazier to the door and saw a medium height, ver# heav# set (ongol in deers'in overcoat and cap with side flaps and the long, wide t#ing strings of the same material. 1nder his girdle la# the same large 'nife in the green sheath which we had seen on the departing horseman. Amoursa#n, we answered. )e 8uic'l# untied his girdle and laid aside his overcoat. )e stood before us in a wonderful gown of sil', #ellow as beaten gold and girt with a brilliant blue sash. )is cleanl# shaven face, short hair, red coral rosar# on the left hand and his #ellow garment proved clearl# that before us stood some high +ama Priest,>with a big "olt under his blue sash@ I turned to m# host and !zeren and read in their faces fear and veneration. !he stranger came over to the brazier and sat down. +et9s spea' Russian, he said and too' a bit of meat. !he conversation began. !he stranger began to find fault with the ?overnment of the +iving ;uddha in 1rga. !here the# liberate (ongolia, capture 1rga, defeat the "hinese arm# and here in the west the# give us no news of it. We are without action here while the "hinese 'ill our people and steal from them. I thin' that ;ogdo 6han might send us envo#s. )ow is it the "hinese can send their envo#s from 1rga and 6ia'hta to 6obdo, as'ing for assistance, and the (ongol ?overnment cannot do it< Wh#< Will the "hinese send help to 1rga< I as'ed. &ur guest laughed hoarsel# and said= I caught all the envo#s, too' awa# their letters and then sent them bac' . . . into the ground. )e laughed again and glanced around peculiarl# with his blazing e#es. &nl# then did I notice that his chee'bones and e#es had lines strange to the (ongols of "entral Asia. )e loo'ed more li'e a !artar or a 6irghiz. We were silent and smo'ed our pipes. )ow soon will the detachment of "hahars leave 1liassutai< he as'ed. We answered that we had not heard about them. &ur guest e%plained that from Inner (ongolia the "hinese authorities had sent out a strong detachment, mobilized from among the most warli'e tribe of "hahars, which wander about the region 0ust outside the ?reat Wall. Its chief was a notorious hunghutze leader promoted b# the "hinese ?overnment to the ran' of captain on promising that he would bring under sub0ugation to the "hinese authorities all the tribes of the districts of 6obdo and 1rianhai. When he

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learned whither we were going and for what purpose, he said he could give us the most accurate news and relieve us from the necessit# of going farther. ;esides that, it is ver# dangerous, he said, because 6obdo will be massacred and burned. I 'now this positivel#. When he heard of our unsuccessful attempt to pass through !ibet, he became attentive and ver# s#mpathetic in his bearing toward us and, with evident feeling of regret, e%pressed himself strongl#= &nl# I could have helped #ou in this enterprise, but not the ,arabanchi )utu'tu. With m# laissez7passer #ou could have gone an#where in !ibet. I am !ushegoun +ama. !ushegoun +ama@ )ow man# e%traordinar# tales I had heard about him. )e is a Russian 6almuc', who because of his propaganda wor' for the independence of the 6almuc' people made the ac8uaintance of man# Russian prisons under the "zar and, for the same cause, added to his list under the ;olshevi'i. )e escaped to (ongolia and at once attained to great influence among the (ongols. It was no wonder, for he was a close friend and pupil of the Dalai +ama in Potala D+hasaE, was the most learned among the +amites, a famous thaumaturgist and doctor. )e occupied an almost independent position in his relationship with the +iving ;uddha and achieved to the leadership of all the old wandering tribes of Western (ongolia and Aungaria, even e%tending his political domination over the (ongolian tribes of !ur'estan. )is influence was irresistible, based as it was on his great control of m#sterious science, as he e%pressed it$ but I was also told that it has its foundation largel# in the panic'# fear which he could produce in the (ongols. *ver#one who disobe#ed his orders perished. Such an one never 'new the da# or the hour when, in his #urta or beside his galloping horse on the plains, the strange and powerful friend of the Dalai +ama would appear. !he stro'e of a 'nife, a bullet or strong fingers strangling the nec' li'e a vise accomplished the 0ustice of the plans of this miracle wor'er. Without the walls of the #urta the wind whistled and roared and drove the frozen snow sharpl# against the stretched felt. !hrough the roar of the wind came the sound of man# 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 ,ature herself had prepared the setting for it. !his thought had scarcel# time to flash through m# mind before !ushegoun +ama suddenl# raised his head, loo'ed sharpl# at me and said= !here is ver# much un'nown in ,ature and the s'ill of using the un'nown produces the miracle$ but the power is given to few. I want to prove it to #ou and #ou ma# tell me afterwards whether #ou have seen it before or not. )e stood up, pushed bac' the sleeves of his #ellow garment, seized his 'nife and strode across to the shepherd. (ichi', stand up@ he ordered.

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When the shepherd had risen, the +ama 8uic'l# unbuttoned his coat and bared the man9s chest. I could not #et understand what was his intention, when suddenl# the !ushegoun with all his force struc' his 'nife into the chest of the shepherd. !he (ongol fell all covered with blood, a splash of which I noticed on the #ellow sil' of the +ama9s coat. What have #ou done< I e%claimed. Sh@ ;e still, he whispered turning to me his now 8uite blanched face. With a few stro'es of the 'nife he opened the chest of the (ongol and I saw the man9s lungs softl# breathing and the distinct palpitations of the heart. !he +ama touched these organs with his fingers but no more blood appeared to flow and the face of the shepherd was 8uite calm. )e was l#ing with his e#es closed and appeared to be in deep and 8uiet sleep. As the +ama began to open his abdomen, I shut m# e#es 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, 8uietl# sleeping on his side and !ushegoun +ama sitting peacefull# b# the brazier, smo'ing his pipe and loo'ing into the fire in deep thought. It is wonderful@ I confessed. I have never seen an#thing li'e it@ About what are #ou spea'ing< as'ed the 6almuc'. About #our demonstration or 9miracle,9 as #ou call it, I answered. I never said an#thing li'e that, refuted the 6almuc', with coldness in his voice. Did #ou see it< I as'ed of m# companion. What< he 8ueried in a dozing voice. I realized that I had become the victim of the h#pnotic power of !ushegoun +ama$ but I preferred this to seeing an innocent (ongolian die, for I had not believed that !ushegoun +ama, after slashing open the bodies of his victims, could repair them again so readil#. !he following da# we too' leave of our hosts. We decided to return, inasmuch as our mission was accomplished$ and !ushegoun +ama e%plained to us that he would move through space. )e wandered over all (ongolia, lived both in the single, simple #urta of the shepherd and hunter and in the splendid tents of the princes and tribal chiefs, surrounded b# deep veneration and panic7fear, enticing and cementing to him rich and poor ali'e with his miracles and prophecies. When bidding us adieu, the 6almuc' sorcerer sl#l# smiled and said= Do not give an# information about me to the "hinese authorities.

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Afterwards he added= What happened to #ou #esterda# evening was a futile demonstration. .ou *uropeans will not recognize that we dar'7minded nomads possess the powers of m#sterious science. If #ou could onl# see the miracles and power of the (ost )ol# !ashi +ama, when at his command the lamps and candles before the ancient statue of ;uddha light themselves and when the i'ons of the gods begin to spea' and prophes#@ ;ut there e%ists a more powerful and more hol# man. . . Is it the 6ing of the World in Agharti< I interrupted. )e stared and glanced at me in amazement. )ave #ou heard about him< he as'ed, as his brows 'nit in thought. After a few seconds he raised his narrow e#es and said= &nl# one man 'nows his hol# name$ onl# one man now living was ever in Agharti. !hat is I. !his is the reason wh# the (ost )ol# Dalai +ama has honored me and wh# the +iving ;uddha in 1rga fears me. ;ut in vain, for I shall never sit on the )ol# !hrone of the highest priest in +hasa nor reach that which has come down from Benghiz 6han to the )ead of our #ellow :aith. I am no mon'. I am a warrior and avenger. )e 0umped smartl# into the saddle, whipped his horse and whirled awa#, flinging out as he left the common (ongolian phrase of adieu= Sa#n@ Sa#n7ba#na@ &n the wa# bac' !zeren related to us the hundreds of legends surrounding !ushegoun +ama. &ne tale especiall# remained in m# mind. It was in 2322 or 2324 when the (ongols b# armed force tried to attain their libert# in a struggle with the "hinese. !he general "hinese head8uarters in Western (ongolia was 6obdo, where the# had about ten thousand soldiers under the command of their best officers. !he command to capture 6obdo was sent to )un ;aldon, a simple shepherd who had distinguished himself in fights with the "hinese and received from the +iving ;uddha the title of Prince of )un. :erocious, absolutel# without fear and possessing gigantic strength, ;aldon had several times led to the attac' his poorl# armed (ongols but each time had been forced to retreat after losing man# of his men under the machine7gun fire. 1ne%pectedl# !ushegoun +ama arrived. )e collected all the soldiers and then said to them= .ou must not fear death and must not retreat. .ou are fighting and d#ing for (ongolia, for which the gods have appointed a great destin#. See what the fate of (ongolia will be@ )e made a great sweeping gesture with his hand and all the soldiers saw the countr# round about set with rich #urtas and pastures covered with great herds of horses and cattle. &n the plains appeared numerous horsemen on richl# saddled steeds. !he women were gowned in the finest of sil' with massive silver rings in their ears and precious ornaments in their elaborate head dresses. "hinese merchants led an endless caravan of merchandise up to distinguished loo'ing (ongol Saits, surrounded b# the gail# dressed tziri' or soldiers and proudl# negotiating with the merchants for their wares.

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Shortl# the vision disappeared and !ushegoun began to spea'. Do not fear death@ It is a release from our labor on earth and the path to the state of constant blessings. +oo' to the *ast@ Do #ou see #our brothers and friends who have fallen in battle< We see, we see@ the (ongol warriors e%claimed in astonishment, as the# all loo'ed upon a great group of dwellings which might have been #urtas or the arches of temples flushed with a warm and 'indl# light. Red and #ellow sil' were interwoven in bright bands that covered the walls and floor, ever#where the gilding on pillars and walls gleamed brightl#$ on the great red altar burned the thin sacrificial candles in gold candelabra, beside the massive silver vessels filled with mil' and nuts$ on soft pillows about the floor sat the (ongols who had fallen in the previous attac' on 6obdo. ;efore them stood low, lac8uered tables laden with man# dishes of steaming, succulent flesh of the lamb and the 'id, with high 0ugs of wine and tea, with plates of borsu', a 'ind of sweet, rich ca'es, with aromatic zatouran covered with sheep9s fat, with bric's of dried cheese, with dates, raisins and nuts. !hese fallen soldiers smo'ed golden pipes and chatted gail#. !his vision in turn also disappeared and before the gazing (ongols stood onl# the m#sterious 6almuc' with his hand upraised. !o battle and return not without victor#@ I am with #ou in the fight. !he attac' began. !he (ongols fought furiousl#, perished b# the hundreds but not before the# had rushed into the heart of 6obdo. !hen was re7enacted the long forgotten picture of !artar hordes destro#ing *uropean towns. )un ;aldon 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 da#s. (urder and pillage began. All the "hinese met their death there. !he town was burned and the walls of the fortress destro#ed. Afterwards )un ;aldon came to 1liassutai and also destro#ed the "hinese fortress there. !he ruins of it still stand with the bro'en embattlements and towers, the useless gates and the remnants of the burned official 8uarters and soldiers9 barrac's.

C$APTER X!X
#!LD C$A$ARS
After our return to 1liassutai we heard that dis8uieting news had been received b# the (ongol Sait from (uren 6ure. !he letter stated that Red !roops were pressing "olonel 6azagrandi ver# hard in the region of +a'e 6osogol. !he Sait feared the advance of the Red troops southward to 1liassutai. ;oth the American firms li8uidated their affairs and all our friends were prepared for a 8uic' e%it, though the# hesitated at the thought of leaving the town, as the# were afraid of meeting the detachment of "hahars sent from the 60

east. We decided to await the arrival of this detachment, as their coming could change the whole course of events. In a few da#s the# came, two hundred warli'e "hahar brigands under the command of a former "hinese hunghutze. )e was a tall, s'inn# man with hands that reached almost to his 'nees, a face blac'ened b# wind and sun and mutilated with two long scars down over his forehead and chee', the ma'ing of one of which had also closed one of his haw'li'e e#es, topped off with a shagg# coons'in cap>such was the commander of the detachment of "hahars. A personage ver# dar' and stern, with whom a night meeting on a lonel# street could not be considered a pleasure b# an# bent of the imagination. !he detachment made camp within the destro#ed fortress, near to the single "hinese building that had not been razed and which was now serving as head8uarters for the "hinese "ommissioner. &n the ver# da# of their arrival the "hahars pillaged a "hinese dugun or trading house not half a mile from the fortress and also offended the wife of the "hinese "ommissioner b# calling her a traitor. !he "hahars, li'e the (ongols, were 8uite right in their stand, because the "hinese "ommissioner Wang !sao7tsun had on his arrival in 1liassutai followed the "hinese custom of demanding a (ongolian wife. !he servile new Sait had given orders that a beautiful and suitable (ongolian girl be found for him. &ne was so run down and placed in his #amen, together with her big wrestling (ongol brother who was to be a guard for the "ommissioner but who developed into the nurse for the little white Pe'ingese pug which the official presented to his new wife. ;urglaries, s8uabbles and drun'en orgies of the "hahars followed, so that Wang !soa7 tsun e%erted all his efforts to hurr# the detachment westward to 6obdo and farther into 1rianhai. &ne cold morning the inhabitants of 1liassutai rose to witness a ver# stern picture. Along the main street of the town the detachment was passing. !he# were riding on small, shagg# ponies, three abreast$ were dressed in warm blue coats with sheeps'in overcoats outside and crowned with the regulation coons'in caps$ armed from head to foot. !he# rode with wild shouts and cheers, ver# greedil# e#eing the "hinese shops and the houses of the Russian colonists. At their head rode the one7e#ed hunghutze chief with three horsemen behind him in white overcoats, who carried waving banners and blew what ma# have been meant for music through great conch shells. &ne of the "hahars could not resist and so 0umped out of his saddle and made for a "hinese shop along the street. Immediatel# the an%ious cries of the "hinese merchants came from the shop. !he hunghutze swung round, noticed the horse at the door of the shop and realized what was happening. Immediatel# he reined his horse and made for the spot. With his raucous voice he called the "hahar out. As he came, he struc' him full in the face with his whip and with all his strength. ;lood flowed from the slashed chee'. ;ut the "hahar was in the saddle in a second without a murmur and galloped to his place in the file. During this e%it of the "hahars all the people were hidden in their houses, an%iousl# peeping through crac's and corners of the windows. ;ut the "hahars passed peacefull# out and onl# when the# met a caravan carr#ing "hinese wine about si% miles from town did their native tendenc# displa# itself again in pillaging and empt#ing several containers. Somewhere in the vicinit# of )argana the# were ambushed b# !ushegoun +ama and so treated that

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never again will the plains of "hahar welcome the return of these warrior sons who were sent out to con8uer the So#ot descendants of the ancient !uba. !he da# the column left 1liassutai a heav# snow fell, so that the road became impassable. !he horses first were up to their 'nees, tired out and stopped. Some (ongol horsemen reached 1liassutai the following da# after great hardship and e%ertion, having made onl# twent#7five miles in fort#7eight hours. "aravans were compelled to stop along the routes. !he (ongols would not consent even to attempt 0ourne#s with o%en and #a's which made but ten or twelve miles a da#. &nl# camels could be used but there were too few and their drivers did not feel that the# could ma'e the first railwa# station of 6u'u7)oto, which was about fourteen hundred miles awa#. We were forced again to wait= for which< Death or salvation< &nl# our own energ# and force could save us. "onse8uentl# m# friend and I started out, supplied with a tent, stove and food, for a new reconnaissance along the shore of +a'e 6osogol, whence the (ongol Sait e%pected the new invasion of Red troops.

C$APTER XX
T$E DEMON OF )AG!SSTA!
&ur small group consisting of four mounted and one pac' camel moved northward along the valle# of the River ;o#agol in the direction of the !arbagatai (ountains. !he road was roc'# and covered deep with snow. &ur camels wal'ed ver# carefull#, sniffing out the wa# as our guide shouted the &'@ &'@ of the camel drivers to urge them on. We left behind us the fortress and "hinese dugun, swung round the shoulder of a ridge and, after fording several times an open stream, began the ascent of the mountain. !he scramble was hard and dangerous. &ur camels pic'ed their wa# most cautiousl#, moving their ears constantl#, as is their habit in such stress. !he trail zigzagged into mountain ravines, passed over the tops of ridges, slipped bac' down again into shallower valle#s but ever made higher and higher altitudes. At one place under the gre# clouds that tipped the ridges we saw awa# up on the wide e%panse of snow some blac' spots. !hose are the obo, the sacred signs and altars for the bad demons watching this pass, e%plained the guide. !his pass is called Bagisstai. (an# ver# old tales about it have been 'ept alive, ancient as these mountains themselves. We encouraged him to tell us some of them. !he (ongol, roc'ing on his camel and loo'ing carefull# all around him, began his tale. It was long ago, ver# long ago. . . . !he grandson of the great Benghiz 6han sat on the throne of "hina and ruled all Asia. !he "hinese 'illed their 6han and wanted to e%terminate all his famil# but a hol# old +ama slipped the wife and little son out of the palace and carried them off on swift camels be#ond the ?reat Wall, where the# san' into our native plains. !he "hinese made a long search for the trails of our refugees and at last 62

found where the# had gone. !he# despatched a strong detachment on fleet horses to capture them. Sometimes the "hinese nearl# came up with the fleeing heir of our 6han but the +ama called down from )eaven a deep snow, through which the camels could pass while the horses were ine%tricabl# held. !his +ama was from a distant monaster#. We shall pass this hospice of Bahantsi 6ure. In order to reach it one must cross over the Bagisstai. And it was 0ust here the old +ama suddenl# became ill, roc'ed in his saddle and fell dead. !a Sin +o, the widow of the ?reat 6han, burst into tears$ but, seeing the "hinese riders galloping there below across the valle#, pressed on toward the pass. !he camels were tired, stopping ever# moment, nor did the woman 'now how to stimulate and drive them on. !he "hinese riders came nearer and nearer. Alread# she heard their shouts of 0o#, as the# felt within their grasp the prize of the mandarins for the murder of the heir of the ?reat 6han. !he heads of the mother and the son would be brought to Pe'ing and e%posed on the "h9ien (en for the moc'er# and insults of the people. !he frightened mother lifted her little son toward heaven and e%claimed= 9*arth and ?ods of (ongolia, behold the offspring of the man who has glorified the name of the (ongols from one end of the world to the other@ Allow not this ver# flesh of Benghiz 6han to perish@9 At this moment she noticed a white mouse sitting on a roc' nearb#. It 0umped to her 'nees and said= 9I am sent to help #ou. ?o on calml# and do not fear. !he pursuers of #ou and #our son, to whom is destined a life of glor#, have come to the last bourne of their lives.9 !a Sin +o did not see how one small mouse could hold in chec' three hundred men. !he mouse 0umped bac' to the ground and again spo'e= 9I am the demon of !arbagatai, Bagasstai. I am might# and beloved of the ?ods but, because #ou doubted the powers of the miracle7spea'ing mouse, from this da# the Bagasstai will be dangerous for the good and bad ali'e.9 !he 6han9s widow and son were saved but Bagasstai has ever remained merciless. During the 0ourne# over this pass one must alwa#s be on one9s guard. !he demon of the mountain is ever read# to lead the traveler to destruction. All the tops of the ridges of the !arbagatai are thic'l# dotted with the obo of roc's and branches. In one place there was even erected a tower of stones as an altar to propitiate the ?ods for the doubts of !a Sin +o. *videntl# the demon e%pected 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 bloc's of snow torn off the drifts above. We could not distinguish an#thing around us, scarcel# seeing the camel immediatel# in front. Suddenl# I felt a shoc' and loo'ed about me. ,othing unusual was visible. I was seated comfortabl# between two leather saddle bags filled with meat and bread but . . . I could not see the head of m# camel. )e had disappeared. It seemed that he had slipped and fallen to the bottom of a shallow ravine, while the bags which were slung

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across his bac' without straps had caught on a roc' and stopped with m#self there in the snow. !his time the demon of Bagasstai onl# pla#ed a 0o'e but one that did not satisf# him. )e began to show more and more anger. With furious gusts of wind he almost dragged us and our bags from the camels and nearl# 'noc'ed over our humped steeds, blinded us with frozen snow and prevented us from breathing. !hrough long hours we dragged slowl# on in the deep snow, often falling over the edge of the roc's. At last we entered a small valle# where the wind whistled and roared with a thousand voices. It had grown dar'. !he (ongol wandered around searching for the trail and finall# came bac' to us, flourishing his arms and sa#ing= We have lost the road. We must spend the night here. It is ver# 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 b# shouting the Dzu'@ Dzu'@ command to 'neel. !hen we brought our pac's into the tent. (# companion rebelled against the thought of spending a cold night with a stove hard b#. I am going out to loo' for firewood, said he ver# decisivel#$ and at that too' up the a% and started. )e returned after an hour with a big section of a telegraph pole. .ou, Benghiz 6hans, said he, rubbing his frozen hands, ta'e #our a%es and go up there to the left on the mountain and #ou will find the telegraph poles that have been cut down. I made ac8uaintance with the old Bagasstai and he showed me the poles. Bust a little wa# from us the line of the Russian telegraphs passed, that which had connected Ir'uts' with 1liassutai before the da#s of the ;olshevi'i and which the "hinese had commanded the (ongols to cut down and ta'e the wire. !hese poles are now the salvation of travelers crossing the pass. !hus we spent the night in a warm tent, supped well from hot meat soup with vermicelli, all in the ver# center of the dominion of the angered Bagasstai. *arl# the ne%t 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 !arbagatai. At the head of the Adair River valle# we noticed a floc' of the (ongolian crows with carmine bea's circling among the roc's. We approached the place and discovered the recentl# fallen bodies of a horse and rider. What had happened to them was difficult to guess. !he# la# close together$ the bridle was wound around the right wrist of the man$ no trace of 'nife or bullet was found. It was impossible to ma'e out the features of the man. )is overcoat was (ongolian but his trousers and under 0ac'et were not of the (ongolian pattern. We as'ed ourselves what had happened to him. &ur (ongol bowed his head in an%iet# and said in hushed but assured tones= It is the vengeance of Bagasstai. !he rider did not ma'e sacrifice at the southern obo and the demon has strangled him and his horse.

64

At last !arbagatai was behind us. ;efore us la# the valle# 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 b# the road along which the prostrate telegraph poles now la#, as the stumps of var#ing heights and long stretches of wire completed the debris. !his destruction of the telegraph line between Ir'uts' and 1liassutai was necessar# and incident to the aggressive "hinese polic# in (ongolia. Soon we began to meet large herds of sheep, which were digging through the snow to the dr# but ver# nutritious grass. In some places #a's and o%en were seen on the high slopes of the mountains. &nl# once, however, did we see a shepherd, for all of them, sp#ing us first, had made off to the mountains or hidden in the ravines. We did not even discover an# #urtas along the wa#. !he (ongols had also concealed all their movable homes in the folds of the mountains out of sight and awa# from the reach of the strong winds. ,omads are ver# s'ilful in choosing the places for their winter dwellings. I had often in winter visited the (ongolian #urtas set in such sheltered places that, as I came off the wind# plains, I felt as though I were in a conservator#. &nce we came up to a big herd of sheep. ;ut as we approached most of the herd graduall# withdrew, leaving one part that remained unmoved as the other wor'ed off across the plains. :rom this section soon about thirt# of fort# head emerged and went scrambling and leaping right up the mountain side. I too' up m# glasses and began to observe them. !he part of the herd that remained behind were common sheep$ the large section that had drawn off over the plain were (ongolian antelopes Dgazella gutturosaE$ while the few that had ta'en to the mountain were the big horned sheep Dovis argaliE. All this compan# 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 man# 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 loo'ing at us. ,ow the# will soon begin to cross our trail, laughed the (ongol$ ver# funn# beasts. Sometimes the antelopes course for miles in their endeavor to outrun and cross in front of our horses and then, when the# have done so, go loping 8uietl# off. I had alread# seen this strateg# of the antelopes and I decided to ma'e use of it for the purpose of the hunt. We organized our chase in the following manner. We let one (ongol with the pac' camel proceed as we had been traveling and the other three of us spread out li'e a fan headed toward the herd on the right of our true course. !he herd stopped and loo'ed about puzzled, for their eti8uette re8uired that the# should cross the path of all four of these riders at once. "onfusion began. !he# counted about three thousand heads. All this arm# began to run from one side to another but without forming an# distinct groups. Whole s8uadrons of them ran before us and then, noticing another rider, came coursing bac' and made anew the same manoeuvre. &ne group of about fift# head rushed in two rows toward m# point. When the# were about a hundred and fift# paces awa# I shouted and fired. !he# stopped at once and began to whirl round in one spot, running into one another and even 0umping over one another. !heir panic cost them dear, for I had time to shoot four times to bring down two beautiful heads. (# friend was

65

even more fortunate than I, for he shot onl# once into the herd as it rushed past him in parallel lines and dropped two with the same bullet. (eanwhile the argali had gone farther up the mountainside and ta'en stand there in a row li'e so man# soldiers, turning to gaze at us. *ven at this distance I could clearl# distinguish their muscular bodies with their ma0estic heads and stalwart horns. Pic'ing up our pre#, we overtoo' the (ongol who had gone on ahead and continued our wa#. In man# places we came across the carcasses of sheep with nec's torn and the flesh of the sides eaten off. It is the wor' of wolves, said the (ongol. !he# are alwa#s hereabout in large numbers. We came across several more herds of antelope, which ran along 8uietl# enough until the# had made a comfortable distance ahead of us and then with tremendous leaps and bounds crossed our bows li'e the proverbial chic'en on the road. !hen, after a couple of hundred paces at this speed, the# stopped and began to graze 8uite calml#. &nce I turned m# camel bac' and the whole herd immediatel# too' up the challenge again, coursed along parallel with me until the# had made sufficient distance for their ideas of safet# and then once more rushed across the road ahead of me as though it were paved with red hot stones, onl# to assume their previous calmness and graze bac' on the same side of the trail from which our column had first started them. &n another occasion I did this three times with a particular herd and laughed long and heartil# at their stupid customs. We passed a ver# unpleasant night in this valle#. 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 'ettle boiling water. Also our tent was warm and coz#. We were 8uietl# resting with pleasant thoughts of supper to soothe us, when suddenl# a howling and laughter as though from some inferno burst upon us from 0ust outside the tent, while from the other side of the valle# came the long and doleful howls in answer. Wolves, calml# e%plained the (ongol, who too' m# revolver and went out of the tent. )e did not return for some time but at last we heard a shot and shortl# after he entered. I scared them a little, said he. !he# had congregated on the shore of the Adair around the bod# of a camel. And the# have not touched our camels< we as'ed. We shall ma'e a bonfire behind our tent$ then the# will not bother us. After our supper we turned in but I la# awa'e for a long time listening to the crac'le of the wood in the fire, the deep sighing breaths of the camels and the distant howling of the pac's of wolves$ but finall#, even with all these noises, fell asleep. )ow long I had been asleep I did not 'now when suddenl# I was awa'ened b# a strong blow in the side. I was

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l#ing at the ver# edge of the tent and someone from outside had, without the least ceremon#, pushed strongl# against me. I thought it was one of the camels chewing the felt of the tent. I too' m# (auser and struc' the wall. A sharp scream was followed b# the sound of 8uic' running over the pebbles. In the morning we discovered the trac's of wolves approaching our tent from the side opposite to the fire and followed them to where the# had begun to dig under the tent wall$ but evidentl# one of the would7be robbers was forced to retreat with a bruise on his head from the handle of the (auser. Wolves and eagles are the servants of Bagasstai, the (ongol ver# seriousl# instructed us. )owever, this does not prevent the (ongols from hunting them. &nce in the camp of Prince ;a#sei I witnessed such a hunt. !he (ongol horsemen on the best of his steeds overtoo' the wolves on the open plain and 'illed them with heav# bamboo stic's or tashur. A Russian veterinar# surgeon taught the (ongols to poison wolves with str#chnine but the (ongols soon abandoned this method because of its danger to the dogs, the faithful friends and allies of the nomad. !he# do not, however, touch the eagles and haw's but even feed them. When the (ongols are slaughtering animals the# often cast bits of meat up into the air for the haw's and eagles to catch in flight, 0ust as we throw a bit of meat to a dog. *agles and haw's fight and drive awa# the magpies and crows, which are ver# dangerous for cattle and horses, because the# scratch and pec' at the smallest wound or abrasion on the bac's of the animals until the# ma'e them into uncurable areas which the# continue to harass.

C$APTER XX!
T$E NEST OF DEAT$
&ur camels were trudging to a slow but stead# measure on toward the north. We were ma'ing twent#7five to thirt# miles a da# as we approached a small monaster# that la# to the left of our route. It was in the form of a s8uare of large buildings surrounded b# a high fence of thic' poles. *ach side had an opening in the middle leading to the four entrances of the temple in the center of the s8uare. !he temple was built with the red lac8uered columns and the "hinese st#le roofs and dominated the surrounding low dwellings of the +amas. &n the opposite side of the road la# what appeared to be a "hinese fortress but which was in realit# a trading compound or dugun, which the "hinese alwa#s build in the form of a fortress with double walls a few feet apart, within which the# place their houses and shops and usuall# have twent# or thirt# traders full# armed for an# emergenc#. In case of need these duguns can be used as bloc'houses and are capable of withstanding long sieges. ;etween the dugun and the monaster# and nearer to the road I made out the camp of some nomads. !heir horses and cattle were nowhere to be seen. *videntl# the (ongols had stopped here for some time and had left their cattle in the mountains. &ver several #urtas waved multi7colored triangular flags, a sign of the presence of disease. ,ear some #urtas high poles were stuc' into the ground with (ongol caps at their tops, which indicated that the host of the #urta had died. !he pac's of dogs wandering over the plain showed that the dead bodies la# somewhere near, either in the ravines or along the ban's of the river. 67

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. &ur (ongol went forward to investigate for us and reported that several (ongolian families had come here to the monaster# to see' aid from the )utu'tu Bahansti who was famed for his miracles of healing. !he people were stric'en with lepros# and blac' smallpo% and had come from long distances onl# to find that the )utu'tu was not at the monaster# but had gone to the +iving ;uddha in 1rga. "onse8uentl# the# had been forced to invite the witch doctors. !he people were d#ing one after another. Bust the da# before the# had cast on the plain the twent#7seventh man. (eanwhile, as we tal'ed, the witch doctor came out of one of the #urtas. )e was an old man with a cataract on one e#e and with a face deepl# scarred b# smallpo%. )e was dressed in tatters with various colored bits of cloth hanging down from his waist. )e carried a drum and a flute. We could see froth on his blue lips and madness in his e#es. Suddenl# 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 pla#ing the flute or cr#ing and raging at intervals, ever accelerating his movements until at last with pallid face and bloodshot e#es 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 carr# disease. Another witch doctor gave his patients dirt#, mudd# water, which I learned was the water from the bath of the ver# person of the +iving ;uddha who had washed in it his divine bod# born from the sacred flower of the lotus. &m@ &m@ both witches continuousl# screamed. While the doctors fought with the devils, the ill people were left to themselves. !he# la# in high fever under the heaps of sheeps'ins and overcoats, were delirious, raved and threw themselves about. ;# the braziers s8uatted adults and children who were still well, indifferentl# chatting, drin'ing tea and smo'ing. In all the #urtas I saw the diseased and the dead and such miser# and ph#sical horrors as cannot be described. And I thought= &h, ?reat Benghiz 6han@ Wh# did #ou with #our 'een understanding of the whole situation of Asia and *urope, #ou who devoted all #our life to the glor# of the name of the (ongols, wh# did #ou not give to #our own people, who preserve their old moralit#, honest# and peaceful customs, the enlightenment that would have saved them from such death< .our bones in the mausoleum at 6ara'orum being destro#ed b# the centuries that pass over them must cr# out against the rapid disappearance of #our formerl# great people, who were feared b# half the civilized world@ Such thoughts filled m# brain when I saw this camp of the dead tomorrow and when I heard the groans, shoutings and raving of d#ing men, women and children. Somewhere in the distance the dogs were howling mournfull#, and monotonousl# the drum of the tired witch rolled.

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:orward@ I could not witness longer this dar' horror, which I had no means or force to eradicate. We 8uic'l# passed on from the ominous place. ,or could we sha'e the thought that some horrible invisible spirit was following us from this scene of terror. !he devils of disease< !he pictures of horror and miser#< !he souls of men who have been sacrificed on the altar of dar'ness of (ongolia< An ine%plicable fear penetrated into our consciousness from whose grasp we could not release ourselves. &nl# when we had turned from the road, passed over a timbered ridge into a bowl in the mountains from which we could see neither Bahantsi 6ure, the dugun nor the s8uirming grave of d#ing (ongols could we breathe freel# again. Presentl# we discovered a large la'e. It was !isingol. ,ear the shore stood a large Russian house, the telegraph station between 6osogol and 1liassutai.

C$APTER XX!!
AMONG T$E M&RDERERS
As we approached the telegraph station, we were met b# a blonde #oung man who was in charge of the office, 6anine b# name. With some little confusion he offered us a place in his house for the night. When we entered the room, a tall, lan'# man rose from the table and indecisivel# wal'ed toward us, loo'ing ver# attentivel# at us the while. ?uests . . . e%plained 6anine. !he# are going to 6hath#l. Private persons, strangers, foreigners . . . A7h, drawled the stranger in a 8uiet, comprehending tone. While we were unt#ing our girdles and with difficult# getting out of our great (ongolian coats, the tall man was animatedl# whispering something to our host. As we approached the table to sit down and rest, I overheard him sa#= We are forced to postpone it, and saw 6anine simpl# nod in answer. Several other people were seated at the table, among them the assistant of 6anine, a tall blonde man with a white face, who tal'ed li'e a ?atling gun about ever#thing imaginable. )e was half craz# and his semi7madness e%pressed itself when an# loud tal'ing, shouting or sudden sharp report led him to repeat the words of the one to whom he was tal'ing at the time or to relate in a mechanical, hurried manner stories of what was happening around him 0ust at this particular 0uncture. !he wife of 6anine, a pale, #oung, e%hausted7loo'ing woman with frightened e#es and a face distorted b# fear, was also there and near her a #oung girl of fifteen with cropped hair and dressed li'e a man, as well as the two small sons of 6anine. We made ac8uaintance with all of them. !he tall stranger called himself ?oro'off, a Russian colonist from Samgaltai, and presented the short7haired girl as his sister. 6anine9s wife loo'ed at us with plainl# discernible fear and said nothing, evidentl# displeased over our being there. )owever, we had no choice and conse8uentl# began drin'ing tea and eating our bread and cold meat. 69

6anine told us that ever since the telegraph line had been destro#ed all his famil# and relatives had felt ver# 'eenl# the povert# and hardship that naturall# followed. !he ;olshevi'i did not send him an# salar# from Ir'uts', so that he was compelled to shift for himself as best he could. !he# cut and cured ha# for sale to the Russian colonists, handled private messages and merchandise from 6hath#l to 1liassutai and Samgaltai, bought and sold cattle, hunted and in this manner managed to e%ist. ?oro'off announced that his commercial affairs compelled him to go to 6hath#l and that he and his sister would be glad to 0oin our caravan. )e had a most unprepossessing, angr#7loo'ing face with colorless e#es that alwa#s avoided those of the person with whom he was spea'ing. During the conversation we as'ed 6anine if there were Russian colonists near b#, to which he answered with 'nitted brow and a loo' of disgust on his face= !here is one rich old man, ;obroff, who lives a verst awa# from our station$ but I would not advise #ou to visit him. )e is a miserl#, inhospitable old fellow who does not li'e guests. During these words of her husband (adame 6anine dropped her e#es and contracted her shoulders in something resembling a shudder. ?oro'off and his sister smo'ed along indifferentl#. I ver# clearl# remar'ed all this as well as the hostile tone of 6anine, the confusion of his wife and the artificial indifference of ?oro'off$ and I determined to see the old colonist given such a bad name b# 6anine. In 1liassutai I 'new two ;obroffs. I said to 6anine that I had been as'ed to hand a letter personall# to ;obroff and, after finishing m# tea, put on m# overcoat and went out. !he house of ;obroff stood in a deep sin' in the mountains, surrounded b# a high fence over which the low roofs of the houses could be seen. A light shone through the window. I 'noc'ed at the gate. A furious bar'ing of dogs answered me and through the crac's of the fence I made out four huge blac' (ongol dogs, showing their teeth and growling as the# 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 1liassutai. !he dogs were first caught and chained and I was then admitted b# a man who loo'ed me over ver# carefull# and in8uiringl# from head to foot. A revolver handle stuc' out of his poc'et. Satisfied with his observations and learning that I 'new his relatives, he warml# 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 #ears. She had been found on the plain beside the dead bod# of her mother e%hausted in her attempt to escape from the ;olshevi'i in Siberia. ;obroff told me that the Russian detachment of 6azagrandi had succeeded in driving the Red troops awa# from the 6osogol and that we could conse8uentl# continue our trip to 6hath#l without danger. Wh# did #ou not stop with me instead of with those brigands< as'ed the old fellow.

70

I began to 8uestion him and received some ver# important news. It seemed that 6anine was a ;olshevi', the agent of the Ir'uts' Soviet, and stationed here for purposes of observation. )owever, now he was rendered harmless, because the road between him and Ir'uts' was interrupted. Still from ;iis' in the Altai countr# had 0ust come a ver# important commissar. ?oro'off< I as'ed. !hat9s what he calls himself, replied the old fellow$ but I am also from ;iis' and I 'now ever#one there. )is real name is Pouzi'off and the short7haired girl with him is his mistress. )e is the commissar of the 9"he'a9 and she is the agent of this establishment. +ast August the two of them shot with their revolvers sevent# bound officers from 6olcha'9s arm#. /illainous, cowardl# murderers@ ,ow the# have come here for a reconnaissance. !he# wanted to sta# in m# house but I 'new them too well and refused them place. And #ou do not fear him< I as'ed, remembering the different words and glances of these people as the# sat at the table in the station. ,o, answered the old man. I 'now how to defend m#self and m# famil# and I have a protector too>m# son, such a shot, a rider and a fighter as does not e%ist in all (ongolia. I am ver# sorr# that #ou will not ma'e the ac8uaintance of m# bo#. )e has gone off to the herds and will return onl# tomorrow evening. We too' most cordial leave of each other and I promised to stop with him on m# return. Well, what #arns did ;obroff tell #ou about us< was the 8uestion with which 6anine and ?oro'off met me when I came bac' to the station. ,othing about #ou, I answered, because he did not even want to spea' with me when he found out that I was sta#ing in #our house. What is the trouble between #ou< I as'ed of them, e%pressing complete astonishment on m# face. It is an old score, growled ?oro'off. A malicious old churl, 6anine added in agreement, the while the frightened, suffering7 laden e#es of his wife again gave e%pression to terrif#ing horror, as if she momentaril# e%pected a deadl# blow. ?oro'off began to pac' his luggage in preparation for the 0ourne# with us the following morning. We prepared our simple beds in an ad0oining room and went to sleep. I whispered to m# friend to 'eep his revolver hand# for an#thing that might happen but he onl# smiled as he dragged his revolver and his a% from his coat to place them under his pillow. !his people at the outset seemed to me ver# suspicious, he whispered. !he# are coo'ing up something croo'ed. !omorrow I shall ride behind this ?oro'off and shall prepare for him a ver# faithful one of m# bullets, a little dum7dum.

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!he (ongols spent the night under their tent in the open court beside their camels, because the# wanted to be near to feed them. About seven o9cloc' we started. (# friend too' up his post as rear guard to our caravan, 'eeping all the time behind ?oro'off, who with his sister, both armed from tip to toe, rode splendid mounts. )ow have #ou 'ept #our horses in such fine condition coming all the wa# from Samgaltai< I in8uired as I loo'ed over their fine beasts. When he answered that these belonged to his host, I realized that 6anine was not so poor as he made out$ for an# rich (ongol would have given him in e%change for one of these lovel# animals enough sheep to have 'ept his household in mutton for a whole #ear. Soon we came to a large swamp surrounded b# dense brush, where I was much astonished b# seeing literall# hundreds of white 'uropat'a or partridges. &ut of the water rose a floc' of duc' with a mad rush as we hove in sight. Winter, cold driving wind, snow and wild duc's@ !he (ongol e%plained it to me thus= !his swamp alwa#s remains warm and never freezes. !he wild duc's live here the #ear round and the 'uropat'a too, finding fresh food in the soft warm earth. As I was spea'ing with the (ongol I noticed over the swamp a tongue of reddish7#ellow 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 will7o97the7wisp surrounded b# so man# thousands of legends and e%plained so simpl# b# chemistr# as merel# a flash of methane or swamp gas generated b# the putref#ing of vegetable matter in the warm damp earth. )ere dwell the demons of Adair, who are in perpetual war with those of (uren, e%plained the (ongol. Indeed, I thought, if in prosaic *urope in our da#s the inhabitants of our villages believe these flames to be some wild sorcer#, then surel# in the land of m#ster# the# 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 monaster#. !hough this was some half mile off the road, the ?oro'offs said the# would ride over to it to ma'e some purchases in the "hinese shops there. !he# 8uic'l# rode awa#, promising to overta'e us shortl#, but we did not see them again for a while. !he# slipped awa# without leaving an# trail but we met them later in ver# une%pected circumstances of fatal portent for them. &n our part we were highl# satisfied that we were rid of them so soon and, after the# were gone, I imparted to m# friend the information gleaned from ;obroff the evening before.

C$APTER XX!!!
72

ON A %OLCANO
!he following evening we arrived at 6hath#l, a small Russian settlement of ten scattered houses in the valle# of the *gingol or .aga, which here ta'es its waters from the 6osogol half a mile above the village. !he 6osogol is a huge Alpine la'e, deep and cold, eight#7 five miles in length and from ten to thirt# in width. &n the western shore live the Dar'hat So#ots, who call it )ubsugul, the (ongols, 6osogol. ;oth the So#ots and (ongols consider this a terrible and sacred la'e. It is ver# eas# to understand this pre0udice because the la'e lies in a region of present volcanic activit#, where in the summer on perfectl# calm sunn# da#s it sometimes lashes itself into great waves that are dangerous not onl# to the native fishing boats but also to the large Russian passenger steamers that pl# on the la'e. In winter also it sometimes entirel# brea's up its covering of ice and gives off great clouds of steam. *videntl# the bottom of the la'e is sporadicall# pierced b# discharging hot springs or, perhaps, b# streams of lava. *vidence of some great underground convulsion li'e this is afforded b# the mass of 'illed fish which at times dams the outlet river in its shallow places. !he la'e is e%ceedingl# rich in fish, chiefl# varieties of trout and salmon, and is famous for its wonderful white fish, which was previousl# sent all over Siberia and even down into (anchuria so far as (ou'den. It is fat and remar'abl# tender and produces fine caviar. Another variet# in the la'e is the white 'ha#rus or trout, which in the migration season, contrar# to the customs of most fish, goes down stream into the .aga, where it sometimes fills the river from ban' to ban' with swarms of bac's brea'ing the surface of the water. )owever, this fish is not caught, because it is infested with worms and is unfit for food. *ven cats and dogs will not touch it. !his is a ver# interesting phemonenon and was being investigated and studied b# Professor Dorogostais'# of the 1niversit# at Ir'uts' when the coming of the ;olshevi'i interrupted his wor'. In 6hath#l we found a panic. !he Russian detachment of "olonel 6azagrandi, after having twice defeated the ;olshevi'i and well on its march against Ir'uts', was suddenl# rendered impotent and scattered through internal strife among the officers. !he ;olshevi'i too' advantage of this situation, increased their forces to one thousand men and began a forward movement to recover what the# had lost, while the remnants of "olonel 6azagrandi9s detachment were retreating on 6hath#l, where he determined to ma'e his last stand against the Reds. !he inhabitants were loading their movable propert# with their families into carts and scurr#ing awa# from the town, leaving all their cattle and horses to whomsoever should have the power to seize and hold them. &ne part# intended to hide in the dense larch forest and the mountain ravines not far awa#, while another part# made southward for (uren 6ure and 1liassutai. !he morning following our arrival the (ongol official received word that the Red troops had outflan'ed "olonel 6azagrandi9s men and were approaching 6hath#l. !he (ongol loaded his documents and his servants on eleven camels and left his #amen. &ur (ongol guides, without ever sa#ing a word to us, secretl# slipped off with him and left us without camels. &ur situation thus became desperate. We hastened to the colonists who had not #et got awa# to bargain with them for camels, but the# had previousl#, in anticipation of trouble, sent their herds to distant (ongols and so could do nothing to help us. !hen we betoo' ourselves to Dr. /. ?. ?a#, a veterinarian living in the town, famous throughout

73

(ongolia for his battle against rinderpest. )e lived here with his famil# and after being forced to give up his government wor' became a cattle dealer. )e was a most interesting person, clever and energetic, and the one who had been appointed under the "zarist regime to purchase all the meat supplies from (ongolia for the Russian Arm# on the ?erman :ront. )e organized a huge enterprise in (ongolia but when the ;olshevi'i seized power in 232H he transferred his allegiance and began to wor' with them. !hen in (a#, 232J, when the 6olcha' forces drove the ;olshevi'i out of Siberia, he was arrested and ta'en for trial. )owever, he was released because he was loo'ed upon as the single individual to organize this big (ongolian enterprise and he handed to Admiral 6olcha' all the supplies of meat and the silver formerl# received from the Soviet commissars. At this time ?a# had been serving as the chief organizer and supplier of the forces of 6azagrandi. When we went to him, he at once suggested that we ta'e the onl# thing left, some poor, bro'en7down horses which would be able to carr# us the si%t# miles to (uren 6ure, where we could secure camels to return to 1liassutai. )owever, even these were being 'ept some distance from the town so that we should have to spend the night there, the night in which the Red troops were e%pected to arrive. Also we were much astonished to see that ?a# was remaining there with his famil# right up to the time of the e%pected arrival of the Reds. !he onl# others in the town were a few "ossac's, who had been ordered to sta# behind to watch the movements of the Red troops. !he night came. (# friend and I were prepared either to fight or, in the last event, to commit suicide. We sta#ed in a small house near the .aga, where some wor'men were living who could not, and did not feel it necessar# to, leave. !he# went up on a hill from which the# could scan the whole countr# up to the range from behind which the Red detachment must appear. :rom this vantage point in the forest one of the wor'men came running in and cried out= Woe, woe to us@ !he Reds have arrived. A horseman is galloping fast through the forest road. I called to him but he did not answer me. It was dar' but I 'new the horse was a strange one. Do not babble so, said another of the wor'men. Some (ongol rode b# and #ou 0umped to the conclusion that he was a Red. ,o, it was not a (ongol, he replied. !he horse was shod. I heard the sound of iron shoes on the road. Woe to us@ Well, said m# friend, it seems that this is our finish. It is a sill# wa# for it all to end. )e was right. Bust then there was a 'noc' at our door but it was that of the (ongol bringing us three horses for our escape. Immediatel# we saddled them, pac'ed the third beast with our tent and food and rode off at once to ta'e leave of ?a#. In his house we found the whole war council. !wo or three colonists and several "ossac's had galloped from the mountains and announced that the Red detachment was approaching 6hath#l but would remain for the night in the forest, where the# were

74

building campfires. In fact, through the house windows we could see the glare of the fires. It seemed ver# strange that the enem# should await the morning there in the forest when the# were right on the village the# wished to capture. An armed "ossac' entered the room and announced that two armed men from the detachment were approaching. All the men in the room pric'ed up their ears. &utside were heard the horses9 hoofs followed b# men9s voices and a 'noc' at the door. "ome in, said ?a#. !wo #oung men entered, their moustaches and beards white and their chee's blazing red from the cold. !he# were dressed in the common Siberian overcoat with the big Astra'han caps, but the# had no weapons. Fuestions began. It developed that it was a detachment of White peasants from the Ir'uts' and .a'uts' districts who had been fighting with the ;olshevi'i. !he# had been defeated somewhere in the vicinit# of Ir'uts' and were now tr#ing to ma'e a 0unction with 6azagrandi. !he leader of this band was a socialist, "aptain /assilieff, who had suffered much under the "zar because of his tenets. &ur troubles had vanished but we decided to start immediatel# to (uren 6ure, as we had gathered our information and were in a hurr# to ma'e our report. We started. &n the road we overtoo' three "ossac's who were going out to bring bac' the colonists who were fleeing to the south. We 0oined them and, dismounting, we all led our horses over the ice. !he .aga was mad. !he subterranean forces produced underneath the ice great heaving waves which with a swirling roar threw up and tore loose great sections of ice, brea'ing them into small bloc's and suc'ing them under the unbro'en downstream field. "rac's ran li'e sna'es over the surface in different directions. &ne of the "ossac's fell into one of these but we had 0ust time to save him. )e was forced b# his duc'ing in such e%treme cold to turn bac' to 6hath#l. &ur horses slipped about and fell several times. (en and animals felt the presence of death which hovered over them and momentaril# threatened them with destruction. At last we made the farther ban' and continued southward down the valle#, glad to have left the geological and figurative volcanoes behind us. !en miles farther on we came up with the first part# of refugees. !he# had spread a big tent and made a fire inside, filling it with warmth and smo'e. !heir camp was made beside the establishment of a large "hinese trading house, where the owners refused to let the colonists come into their ampl# spacious buildings, even though there were children, women and invalids among the refugees. We spent but half an hour here. !he road as we continued was eas#, save in places where the snow la# deep. We crossed the fairl# high divide between the *gingol and (uren. ,ear the pass one ver# une%pected event occurred to us. We crossed the mouth of a fairl# wide valle# whose upper end was covered with a dense wood. ,ear this wood we noticed two horsemen, evidentl# watching us. !heir manner of sitting in their saddles and the character of their horses told us that the# were not (ongols. We began shouting and waving to them$ but the# did not answer. &ut of the wood emerged a third and stopped to loo' at us. We decided to interview them and, whipping up our horses, galloped toward them. When we were about one thousand #ards from them, the# slipped from their saddles and opened on us with a

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running fire. :ortunatel# we rode a little apart and thus made a poor target for them. We 0umped off our horses, dropped prone on the ground and prepared to fight. )owever, we did not fire because we thought it might be a mista'e on their part, thin'ing that we were Reds. !he# shortl# made off. !heir shots from the *uropean rifles had given us further proof that the# were not (ongols. We waited until the# had disappeared into the woods and then went forward to investigate their trac's, which we found were those of shod horses, clearl# corroborating the earlier evidence that the# were not (ongols. Who could the# have been< We never found out$ #et what a different relationship the# 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. !eterni'off from (uren 6ure, who invited us to sta# in his house and promised to secure camels for us from the +amas. !he cold was intense and heightened b# a piercing wind. During the da# we froze to the bone but at night thawed and warmed up nicel# b# our tent stove. After two da#s we entered the valle# of (uren and from afar made out the s8uare of the 6ure with its "hinese roofs and large red temples. ,earb# was a second s8uare, the "hinese and Russian settlement. !wo hours more brought us to the house of our hospitable companion and his attractive #oung wife who feasted us with a wonderful luncheon of tast# dishes. We spent five da#s at (uren waiting for the camels to be engaged. During this time man# refugees arrived from 6hath#l because "olonel 6azagrandi was graduall# falling bac' upon the town. Among others there were two "olonels, Plava'o and (a'la'off, who had caused the disruption of the 6azagrandi force. ,o sooner had the refugees appeared in (uren 6ure than the (ongolian officials announced that the "hinese 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< as'ed the distraught refugees. !hat is of no moment to us, answered the (ongolian officials. !he "hinese authorities are angr# and have ordered us to drive #ou awa#. We cannot help #ou at all. !he refugees had to leave (uren 6ure and so erected their tents in the open not far awa#. Plava'o and (a'la'off bought horses and started out for /an 6ure. +ong afterwards I learned that both had been 'illed b# the "hinese along the road. We secured three camels and started out with a large group of "hinese merchants and Russian refugees to ma'e 1liassutai, preserving the warmest recollections of our courteous hosts, !. /. and D. A. !eterni'off. :or the trip we had to pa# for our camels the ver# high price of GG lan of the silver bullion which had been supplied us b# an American firm in 1liassutai, the e8uivalent roughl# of 4.H pounds of the white metal.

C$APTER XX!%
A BLOODY C$AST!SEMENT

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;efore long we struc' the road which we had travelled coming north and saw again the 'indl# rows of chopped down telegraph poles which had once so warml# protected us. &ver the timbered hilloc's north of the valle# of !isingol we wended 0ust as it was growing dar'. We decided to sta# in ;obroff9s house and our companions thought to see' the hospitalit# of 6anine in the telegraph station. At the station gate we found a soldier with a rifle, who 8uestioned us as to who we were and whence we had come and, being apparentl# satisfied, whistled out a #oung officer from the house. +ieutenant Ivanoff, he introduced himself. I am sta#ing here with m# detachment of White Partisans. )e had come from near Ir'uts' with his following of ten men and had formed a connection with +ieutenant7"olonel (ichailoff at 1liassutai, who commanded him to ta'e possession of this bloc'house. *nter, please, he said hospitabl#. I e%plained to him that I wanted to sta# with ;obroff, whereat he made a despairing gesture with his hand and said= Don9t trouble #ourself. !he ;obroffs are 'illed and their house burned. I could not 'eep bac' a cr# of horror. !he +ieutenant continued= 6anine and the Pouzi'offs 'illed them, pillaged the place and afterwards burned the house with their dead bodies in it. Do #ou want to see it< (# friend and I went with the +ieutenant and loo'ed over the ominous site. ;lac'ened uprights stood among charred beams and plan's while croc'er# and iron pots and pans were scattered all around. A little to one side under some felt la# the remains of the four unfortunate individuals. !he +ieutenant first spo'e= I reported the case to 1liassutai and received word bac' that the relatives of the deceased would come with two officers, who would investigate the affair. !hat is wh# I cannot bur# the bodies. )ow did it happen< we as'ed, oppressed b# the sad picture. It was li'e this, he began. I was approaching !isingol at night with m# ten soldiers. :earing that there might be Reds here, we snea'ed up to the station and loo'ed into the windows. We saw Pouzi'off, 6anine and the short7haired girl, loo'ing 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 m# soldiers to climb the fence and open the gate. We rushed into the court. !he first to run from the house was 6anine9s wife, who threw up her hands and shrie'ed in fear= 9I 'new that misfortune would come of all this@9 and then fainted. &ne of the men ran out of a side

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door to a shed in the #ard and there tried to get over the fence. I had not noticed him but one of m# soldiers caught him. We were met at the door b# 6anine, who was white and trembling. I realized that something important had ta'en place, placed them all under arrest, ordered the men tied and placed a close guard. All m# 8uestions were met with silence save b# (adame 6anine who cried= 9Pit#, pit# for the children@ !he# are innocent@9 as she dropped on her 'nees and stretched out her hands in supplication to us. !he short7haired girl laughed out of impudent e#es and blew a puff of smo'e into m# face. I was forced to threaten them and said= 9I 'now that #ou have committed some crime, but #ou do not want to confess. If #ou do not, I shall shoot the men and ta'e the women to 1liassutai to tr# them there.9 I spo'e with definiteness of voice and intention, for the# roused m# deepest anger. Fuite to m# surprise the short7haired girl first began to spea'. 9I want to tell #ou about ever#thing,9 she said. I ordered in', paper and pen brought me. (# soldiers were the witnesses. !hen I prepared the protocol of the confession of Pouzi'off9s wife. !his was her dar' and blood# tale. 9(# husband and I are ;olshevi' commissars and we have been sent to find out how man# White officers are hidden in (ongolia. ;ut the old fellow ;obroff 'new us. We wanted to go awa# but 6anine 'ept us, telling us that ;obroff was rich and that he had for a long time wanted to 'ill him and pillage his place. We agreed to 0oin him. We deco#ed the #oung ;obroff to come and pla# cards with us. When he was going home m# husband stole along behind and shot him. Afterwards we all went to ;obroff9s place. I climbed upon the fence and threw some poisoned meat to the dogs, who were dead in a few minutes. !hen we all climbed over. !he first person to emerge from the house was ;obroff9s wife. Pouzi'off, who was hidden behind the door, 'illed her with his a%. !he old fellow we 'illed with a blow of the a% as he slept. !he little girl ran out into the room as she heard the noise and 6anine shot her in the head with buc'shot. Afterwards we looted the house and burned it, even destro#ing the horses and cattle. +ater all would have been completel# burned, so that no traces remained, but #ou suddenl# arrived and these stupid fellows at once betra#ed us.9 It was a dastardl# affair, continued the +ieutenant, as we returned to the station. !he hair raised on m# head as I listened to the calm description of this #oung woman, hardl# more than a girl. &nl# then did I full# realize what depravit# ;olshevism had brought into the world, crushing out faith, fear of ?od and conscience. &nl# then did I understand that all honest people must fight without compromise against this most dangerous enem# of man'ind, so long as life and strength endure. As we wal'ed I noticed at the side of the road a blac' spot. It attracted and fi%ed m# attention.

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What is that< I as'ed, pointing to the spot. It is the murderer Pouzi'off whom I shot, answered the +ieutenant. I would have shot both 6anine and the wife of Pouzi'off but I was sorr# for 6anine9s wife and children and I haven9t learned the lesson of shooting women. ,ow I shall send them along with #ou under the surveillance of m# soldiers to 1liassutai. !he same result will come, for the (ongols who tr# them for the murder will surel# 'ill them. !his is what happened at !isingol, on whose shores the will7o97the7wisp flits over the marsh# pools and near which runs the cleavage of over two hundred miles that the last earth8ua'e left in the surface of the land. (a#be it was out of this cleavage that Pouzi'off, 6anine and the others who have sought to infect the whole world with horror and crime made their appearance from the land of the inferno. &ne of +ieutenant Ivanoff9s soldiers, who was alwa#s pra#ing and pale, called them all the servants of Satan. &ur trip from !isingol to 1liassutai in the compan# of these criminals was ver# unpleasant. (# friend and I entirel# lost our usual strength of spirit and health# frame of mind. 6anine persistentl# brooded and thought while the impudent woman laughed, smo'ed and 0o'ed with the soldiers and several of our companions. At last we crossed the Bagisstai and in a few hours descried at first the fortress and then the low adobe houses huddled on the plain, which we 'new to be 1liassutai.

C$APTER XX%
$ARASS!NG DAYS
&nce more we found ourselves in the whirl of events. During our fortnight awa# a great deal had happened here. !he "hinese "ommissioner Wang !sao7tsun had sent eleven envo#s to 1rga but none had returned. !he situation in (ongolia remained far from clear. !he Russian detachment had been increased b# the arrival of new colonists and secretl# continued its illegal e%istence, although the "hinese 'new about it through their omnipresent s#stem of spies. In the town no Russian or foreign citizens left their houses and all remained armed and read# to act. At night armed sentinels stood guard in all their court7#ards. It was the "hinese who induced such precautions. ;# order of their "ommissioner all the "hinese merchants with stoc's of rifles armed their staffs and handed over an# surplus guns to the officials, who with these formed and e8uipped a force of two hundred coolies into a special garrison of gamins. !hen the# too' possession of the (ongolian arsenal and distributed these additional guns among the "hinese vegetable farmers in the nagan hushun, where there was alwa#s a floating population of the lowest grade of transient "hinese laborers. !his trash of "hina now felt themselves strong, gathered together in e%cited discussions and evidentl# were preparing for some outburst of aggression. At night the coolies transported man# bo%es of cartridges from the "hinese shops to the nagan hushun and the behaviour of the "hinese mob became unbearabl# audacious. !hese coolies and gamins impertinentl# stopped and searched 79

people right on the streets and sought to provo'e fights that would allow them to ta'e an#thing the# wanted. !hrough secret news we received from certain "hinese 8uarters we learned that the "hinese were preparing a pogrom for all the Russians and (ongols in 1liassutai. We full# realized that it was onl# necessar# to fire one single house at the right part of the town and the entire settlement of wooden buildings would go up in flames. !he 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 hast# flight. !he situation became worse when news arrived from 6obdo that the "hinese there had made a pogrom, 'illing some of the inhabitants and burning the whole town after a wild looting org#. (ost of the people got awa# to the forests on the mountains but it was at night and conse8uentl# without warm clothes and without food. During the following da#s these mountains around 6obdo heard man# cries of misfortune, woe and death. !he severe cold and hunger 'illed off the women and children out under the open s'# of the (ongolian winter. !his news was soon 'nown to the "hinese. !he# laughed in moc'er# and soon organized a big meeting at the nagan hushun to discuss letting the mob and gamins loose on the town. A #oung "hinese, the son of a coo' of one of the colonists, revealed this news. We immediatel# decided to ma'e an investigation. A Russian officer and m# friend 0oined me with this #oung "hinese as a guide for a trip to the outs'irts of the town. We feigned simpl# a stroll but were stopped b# the "hinese sentinel on the side of the cit# toward the nagan hushun with an impertinent command that no one was allowed to leave the town. As we spo'e with him, I noticed that between the town and the nagan hushun "hinese guards were stationed all along the wa# and that streams of "hinese 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 cit# from the eastern side and passed along b# the camp of the (ongolians who had been reduced to beggar# b# the "hinese impositions. !here also the# were evidentl# an%iousl# 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 wor'ed around b# the river to the nagan hushun. As we passed free of the cit# we began to snea' cautiousl# along, ta'ing advantage of ever# bit of cover. We were armed with revolvers and hand grenades and 'new that a small detachment had been prepared in the town to come to our aid, if we should be in danger. :irst the #oung "hinese stole forward with m# friend following him li'e a shadow, constantl# reminding him that he would strangle him li'e a mouse if he made one move to betra# us. I fear the #oung guide did not greatl# en0o# the trip with m# gigantic friend puffing all too loudl# with the unusual e%ertions. 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 easil# spotted$ so that we decided to crawl up one b# one, save that the "hinese was retained in the societ# of m# trusted friend. :ortunatel# there were man# heaps of frozen manure on the plain, which we made use of as cover to lead us right up to our ob0ective point, the fence of the enclosures. In the shadow of this we slun' along to the court#ard where the voices of the e%cited crowd bec'oned us. As we too' good vantage points in the dar'ness for listening and ma'ing observations, we remar'ed two e%traordinar# things in our immediate neighborhood.

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Another invisible guest was present with us at the "hinese gathering. )e la# on the ground with his head in a hole dug b# the dogs under the fence. )e was perfectl# still and evidentl# had not heard our advance. ,earb# in a ditch la# a white horse with his nose muzzled and a little further awa# stood another saddled horse tied to a fence. In the court#ard there was a great hubbub. About two thousand men were shouting, arguing and flourishing their arms about in wild gesticulations. ,earl# all were armed with rifles, revolvers, swords and a%es. In among the crowd circulated the gamins, constantl# tal'ing, handing out papers, e%plaining and assuring. :inall# a big, broad7 shouldered "hinese mounted the well combing, waved his rifle about over his head and opened a tirade in strong, sharp tones. )e is assuring the people, said our interpreter, that the# must do here what the "hinese have done in 6obdo and must secure from the "ommissioner the assurance of an order to his guard not to prevent the carr#ing out of their plans. Also that the "hinese "ommissioner must demand from the Russians all their weapons. 9!hen we shall ta'e vengeance on the Russians for their ;lagoveschens' crime when the# drowned three thousand "hinese in 2355. .ou remain here while I go to the "ommissioner and tal' with him.9 )e 0umped down from the well and 8uic'l# made his wa# to the gate toward the town. At once I saw the man who was l#ing with his head under the fence draw bac' out of his hole, ta'e his white horse from the ditch and then run over to untie the other horse and lead them both bac' to our side, which was awa# from the cit#. )e left the second horse there and hid himself around the corner of the hushun. !he spo'esman went out of the gate and, seeing his horse over on the other side of the enclosure, slung his rifle across his bac' and started for his mount. )e had gone about half wa# when the stranger behind the corner of the fence suddenl# galloped out and in a flash literall# swung the man clear from the ground up across the pommel of his saddle, where we saw him tie the mouth of the semi7strangled "hinese with a cloth and dash off with him toward the west awa# from the town. Who do #ou suppose he is< I as'ed of m# friend, who answered up at once= It must be !ushegoun +ama. . . . )is whole appearance did strongl# remind me of this m#sterious +ama avenger and his manner of addressing himself to his enem# was a strict replica of that of !ushegoun. +ate in the night we learned that some time after their orator had gone to see' the "ommissioner9s 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 wa# from the hushun to the town without leaving trace or trail. !his event terrorized the "hinese mob and calmed their heated spirits. !he ne%t da# we received ver# une%pected aid. A #oung (ongol galloped in from 1rga, his overcoat torn, his hair all dishevelled and fallen to his shoulders and a revolver

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prominent beneath his girdle. Proceeding directl# to the mar'et where the (ongols are alwa#s gathered, without leaving his saddle he cried out= 1rga is captured b# our (ongols and "hiang "hun ;aron 1ngern@ ;ogdo )utu'tu is once more our 6han@ (ongols, 'ill the "hinese and pillage their shops@ &ur patience is e%hausted@ !hrough the crowd rose the roar of e%citement. !he rider was surrounded with a mob of insistent 8uestioners. !he old (ongol Sait, "hultun ;e#li, who had been dismissed b# the "hinese, was at once informed of this news and as'ed to have the messenger brought to him. After 8uestioning the man he arrested him for inciting the people to riot, but he refused to turn him over to the "hinese authorities. I was personall# with the Sait at the time and heard his decision in the matter. When the "hinese "ommissioner, Wang !sao7 tsun, threatened the Sait for disobedience to his authorit#, the old man simpl# fingered his rosar# and said= I believe the stor# of this (ongol in its ever# word and I apprehend that #ou and I shall soon have to reverse our relationship. I felt that Wang !sao7tsun also accepted the correctness of the (ongol9s stor#, because he did not insist further. :rom this moment the "hinese disappeared from the streets of 1liassutai as though the# never had been, and s#nchronousl# the patrols of the Russian officers and of our foreign colon# too' their places. !he panic among the "hinese was heightened b# the receipt of a letter containing the news that the (ongols and Altai !artars under the leadership of the !artar officer 6aigorodoff pursued the "hinese who were ma'ing off with their boot# from the sac' of 6obdo and overtoo' and annihilated them on the borders of Sin'iang. Another part of the letter told how ?eneral ;a'itch and the si% thousand men who had been interned with him b# the "hinese authorities on the River Am#l had received arms and started to 0oin with Ataman Annen'off, who had been interned in 6uld0a, with the ultimate intention of lin'ing up with ;aron 1ngern. !his rumour proved to be wrong because neither ;a'itch nor Annen'off entertained this intention, because Annen'off had been transported b# the "hinese into the Depths of !ur'estan. )owever, the news produced veritable stupefaction among the "hinese. Bust at this time there arrived at the house of the ;olshevist Russian colonist ;ourdu'off three ;olshevi' agents from Ir'uts' named Salti'off, :reimann and ,ova', who started an agitation among the "hinese authorities to get them to disarm the Russian officers and hand them over to the Reds. !he# persuaded the "hinese "hamber of "ommerce to petition the Ir'uts' Soviet to send a detachment of Reds to 1liassutai for the protection of the "hinese against the White detachments. :reimann brought with him communistic pamphlets in (ongolian and instructions to begin the reconstruction of the telegraph line to Ir'uts'. ;ourdu'off also received some messages from the ;olshevi'i. !his 8uartette developed their polic# ver# successfull# and soon saw Wang !sao7tsun fall in with their schemes. &nce more the da#s of e%pecting a pogrom in 1liassutai returned to us. !he Russian officers anticipated attempts to arrest them. !he representative of one of the American firms went with me to the "ommissioner for a parle#. We pointed out to him

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the illegalit# of his acts, inasmuch as he was not authorized b# his ?overnment to treat with the ;olshevi'i when the Soviet ?overnment had not been recognized b# Pe'ing. Wang !sao7tsun and his advisor :u )siang were palpabl# confused at finding we 'new of his secret meetings with the ;olshevi' agents. )e assured us that his guard was sufficient to prevent an# such pogrom. It was 8uite true that his guard was ver# capable, as it consisted of well trained and disciplined soldiers under the command of a serious7 minded and well educated officer$ but, what could eight# soldiers do against a mob of three thousand coolies, one thousand armed merchants and two hundred gamins< We strongl# registered our apprehensions and urged him to avoid an# 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 ver# interesting picture with all the Russian, foreign and "hinese patrols moving up and down throughout the whole town. !hen we did not 'now there were three hundred more sentinels on dut#, the men of !ushegoun +ama hidden nearb# in the mountains. &nce more the picture changed ver# sharpl# and suddenl#. !he (ongolian Sait received news through the +amas of the nearest monaster# that "olonel 6azagrandi, after fighting with the "hinese irregulars, had captured /an 6ure and had formed there Russian7 (ongolian brigades of cavalr#, mobilizing the (ongols b# the order of the +iving ;uddha and the Russians b# order of ;aron 1ngern. A few hours later it became 'nown that in the large monaster# of Dzain the "hinese soldiers had 'illed the Russian "aptain ;ars'# and as a result some of the troops of 6azagrandi attac'ed and swept the "hinese out of the place. At the ta'ing of /an 6ure the Russians arrested a 6orean "ommunist who was on his wa# from (oscow with gold and propaganda to wor' in 6orea and America. "olonel 6azagrandi sent this 6orean with his freight of gold to ;aron 1ngern. After receiving this news the chief of the Russian detachment in 1liassutai arrested all the ;olshevi'i agents and passed 0udgment upon them and upon the murderers of the ;obroffs. 6anine, (adame Pouzi'off and :reimann were shot. Regarding Salti'off and ,ova' some doubt sprang up and, moreover, Salti'off escaped and hid, while ,ova', under advice from +ieutenant "olonel (ichailoff, left for the west. !he chief of the Russian detachment gave out orders for the mobilization of the Russian colonists and openl# too' 1liassutai under his protection with the tacit agreement of the (ongolian authorities. !he (ongol Sait, "hultun ;e#li, convened a council of the neighboring (ongolian Princes, the soul of which was the noted (ongolian patriot, )un Bap +ama. !he Princes 8uic'l# formulated their demands upon the "hinese for the complete evacuation of the territor# sub0ect to the Sait "hultun ;e#li. &ut of it grew parle#s, threats and friction between the various "hinese and (ongolian elements. Wang !sao7 tsun proposed his scheme of settlement, which some of the (ongolian Princes accepted$ but Bap +ama at the decisive moment threw the "hinese document to the ground, drew his 'nife and swore that he would die b# his own hand rather than set it as a seal upon this treacherous agreement. As a result the "hinese proposals were re0ected and the antagonists began to prepare themselves for the struggle. All the armed (ongols were summoned from Bassa'tu 6han, Sain7,oion 6han and the dominion of Bahantsi +ama. !he "hinese authorities placed their four machine guns and prepared to defend the fortress. "ontinuous deliberations were held b# both the "hinese and (ongols. :inall#, our old ac8uaintance !zeren came to me as one of the unconcerned foreigners and

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handed to me the 0oint re8uests of Wang !sao7tsun and "hultun ;e#li to tr# to pacif# the two elements and to wor' out a fair agreement between them. Similar re8uests were handed to the representative of an American firm. !he following evening we held the first meeting of the arbitrators and the "hinese and (ongolian representatives. It was passionate and storm#, so that we foreigners lost all hope of the success of our mission. )owever, at midnight when the spea'ers were tired, we secured agreement on two points= the (ongols announced that the# did not want to ma'e war and that the# desired to settle this matter in such a wa# as to retain the friendship of the great "hinese people$ while the "hinese "ommissioner ac'nowledged that "hina had violated the treaties b# which full independence had been legall# granted to (ongolia. !hese two points formed for us the groundwor' of the ne%t meeting and gave us the starting points for urging reconciliation. !he deliberations continued for three da#s and finall# turned so that we foreigners could propose our suggestions for an agreement. Its chief provisions were that the "hinese authorities should surrender administrative powers, return the arms to the (ongolians, disarm the two hundred gamins and leave the countr#$ and that the (ongols on their side should give free and honorable passage of their countr# to the "ommissioner with his armed guard of eight# men. !his "hinese7 (ongolian !reat# of 1liassutai was signed and sealed b# the "hinese "ommissioners, Wang !sao7tsun and :u )siang, b# both (ongolian Saits, b# )un Bap +ama and other Princes, as well as b# the Russian and "hinese Presidents of the "hambers of "ommerce and b# us foreign arbitrators. !he "hinese officials and convo# began at once to pac' up their belongings and prepare for departure. !he "hinese merchants remained in 1liassutai because Sait "hultun ;e#li, now having full authorit# and power, guaranteed their safet#. !he da# of departure for the e%pedition of Wang !sao7tsun arrived. !he camels with their pac's alread# filled the #amen court7#ard and the men onl# awaited the arrival of their horses from the plains. Suddenl# the news spread ever#where that the herd of horses had been stolen during the night and run off toward the south. &f two soldiers that had been sent out to follow the trac's of the herd onl# one came bac' with the news that the other had been 'illed. Astonishment spread over the whole town while among the "hinese it turned to open panic. It perceptibl# increased when some (ongols from a distant ourton to the east came in and announced that in various places along the post road to 1rga the# had discovered the bodies of si%teen of the soldiers whom Wang !sao7tsun had sent out with letters for 1rga. !he m#ster# of these events will soon be e%plained. !he chief of the Russian detachment received a letter from a "ossac' "olonel, /. ,. Domo0iroff, containing the order to disarm immediatel# the "hinese garrison, to arrest all "hinese officials for transport to ;aron 1ngern at 1rga, to ta'e control of 1liassutai, b# force if necessar#, and to 0oin forces with his detachment. At the ver# same time a messenger from the ,arabanchi )utu'tu galloped in with a letter to the effect that a Russian detachment under the leadership of )un ;oldon and "olonel Domo0iroff from 1rga had pillaged some "hinese firms and 'illed the merchants, had come to the (onaster# and demanded horses, food and shelter. !he )utu'tu as'ed for help because the ferocious con8ueror of 6obdo, )un ;oldon, could ver# easil# pillage the unprotected isolated monaster#. We strongl# urged "olonel (ichailoff not to violate the sealed treat# and discountenance all the foreigners and Russians who had ta'en part in ma'ing it, for

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this would but be to imitate the ;olshevi' principle of ma'ing deceit the leading rule in all acts of state. !his touched (ichailoff and he answered Domo0iroff that 1liassutai was alread# in his hands without a fight$ that over the building of the former Russian "onsulate the tri7color flag of Russia was fl#ing$ the gamins had been disarmed but that the other orders could not be carried out, because their e%ecution would violate the "hinese7(ongolian treat# 0ust signed in 1liassutai. Dail# several envo#s traveled from ,arabanchi )utu'tu to 1liassutai. !he news became more and more dis8uieting. !he )utu'tu reported that )un ;oldon was mobilizing the (ongolian beggars and horse stealers, arming and training them$ that the soldiers were ta'ing the sheep of the monaster#$ that the ,o#on Domo0iroff was alwa#s drun'$ and that the protests of the )utu'tu were answered with 0eers and scolding. !he messengers gave ver# indefinite information regarding the strength of the detachment, some placing it at about thirt# while others stated that Domo0iroff 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 envo#s did not return. !here seemed to be no doubt that the men had been 'illed or captured. Prince "hultun ;e#li determined to go himself. )e too' with him the Russian and "hinese Presidents of the "hambers of "ommerce and two (ongolian officers. !hree da#s elapsed without receiving an# news from him whatever. !he (ongols began to get worried. !hen the "hinese "ommissioner and )un Bap +ama addressed a re8uest to the foreigner group to send some one to ,arabanchi, in order to tr# to resolve the controvers# there and to persuade Domo0iroff to recognize the treat# and not permit the great insult of violation of a covenant between the two great peoples. &ur group as'ed me once more to accomplish this mission pro bono publico. I had assigned me as interpreter a fine #oung Russian colonist, the nephew of the murdered ;obroff, a splendid rider as well as a cool, brave man. +t.7"olonel (ichailoff gave me one of his officers to accompan# me. Supplied with an e%press tzara for the post horses and guides, we traveled rapidl# over the wa# which was now familiar to me to find m# old friend, Belib D0amsrap )u'tu'tu of ,arabanchi. Although there was deep snow in some places, we made from one hundred to one hundred and fifteen miles per da#.

C$APTER XX%!
T$E BAND OF #$!TE $&NG$&T*ES
We arrived at ,arabanchi late at night on the third da# out. As we were approaching, we noticed several riders who, as soon as the# had seen us, galloped 8uic'l# bac' to the monaster#. :or some time we loo'ed for the camp of the Russian detachment without finding it. !he (ongols led us into the monaster#, where the )utu'tu immediatel# received me. In his #urta sat "hultun ;e#li. !here he presented me with hat#'s and said to me= !he ver# ?od has sent #ou here to us in this difficult moment.

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It seems Domo0iroff had arrested both the Presidents of the "hambers of "ommerce and had threatened to shoot Prince "hultun. ;oth Domo0iroff and )un ;oldon had no documents legalizing their activities. "hultun ;e#li was preparing to fight with them. I as'ed them to ta'e me to Domo0iroff. !hrough the dar' I saw four big #urtas and two (ongol sentinels with Russian rifles. We entered the Russian ,o#on9s tent. A ver# strange picture was presented to our e#es. In the middle of the #urta the brazier was burning. In the usual place for the altar stood a throne, on which the tall, thin, gre#7haired "olonel Domo0iroff was seated. )e was onl# in his undergarments and stoc'ings, was evidentl# a little drun' and was telling stories. Around the brazier la# twelve #oung men in various pictures8ue poses. (# officer companion reported to Domo0iroff about the events in 1liassutai and during the conversation I as'ed Domo0iroff where his detachment was encamped. )e laughed and answered, with a sweep of his hand= !his is m# detachment. I pointed out to him that the form of his orders to us in 1liassutai had led us to believe that he must have a large compan# with him. !hen I informed him that +t.7"olonel (ichailoff was preparing to cross swords with the ;olshevi' force approaching 1liassutai. What< he e%claimed with fear and confusion, the Reds< We spent the night in his #urta and, when I was read# to lie down, m# officer whispered to me= ;e sure to 'eep #our revolver hand#, to which I laughed and said= ;ut we are in the center of a White detachment and therefore in perfect safet#@ 1h7huh@ answered m# officer and finished the response with one e#e closed. !he ne%t da# I invited Domo0iroff to wal' with me over the plain, when I tal'ed ver# fran'l# with him about what had been happening. )e and )un ;oldon had received orders from ;aron 1ngern simpl# to get into touch with ?eneral ;a'itch, but instead the# began pillaging "hinese firms along the route and he had made up his mind to become a great con8ueror. &n the wa# he had run across some of the officers who deserted "olonel 6azagrandi and formed his present band. I succeeded in persuading Domo0iroff to arrange matters peacefull# with "hultun ;e#li and not to violate the treat#. )e immediatel# went ahead to the monaster#. As I returned, I met a tall (ongol with a ferocious face, dressed in a blue sil' outercoat>it was )un ;oldon. )e introduced himself and spo'e with me in Russian. I had onl# time to ta'e off m# coat in the tent of Domo0iroff when a (ongol came running to invite me to the #urta of )un ;oldon. !he Prince lived 0ust beside me in a splendid blue #urta. 6nowing the (ongolian custom, I 0umped into the saddle and rode the ten paces to his door. )un ;oldon received me with coldness and pride. Who is he< he in8uired of the interpreter, pointing to me with his finger.

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I understood his desire to offend me and I answered in the same manner, thrusting out m# finger toward him and turning to the interpreter with the same 8uestion in a slightl# more unpleasant tone= Who is he< )igh Prince and warrior or shepherd and brute< ;oldon 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 ever# man who dared to run counter to his orders. )e pounded on the low table with his fist and then rose up and drew his revolver. ;ut I was much traveled among the nomads and had studied them thoroughl#>Princes, +amas, shepherds and brigands. I grasped m# whip and, stri'ing it on the table with all m# strength, I said to the interpreter= !ell him that he has the honor to spea' with neither (ongol nor Russian but with a foreigner, a citizen of a great and free state. !ell him he must first learn to be a man and then he can visit me and we can tal' together. I turned and went out. !en minutes later )un ;oldon entered m# #urta and offered his apologies. I persuaded him to parle# with "hultun ;e#li and not to offend the free (ongol people with his activities. !hat ver# night all was arranged. )un ;oldon dismissed his (ongols and left for 6obdo, while Domo0iroff with his band started for Bassa'tu 6han to arrange for the mobilization of the (ongols there. With the consent of "hultun ;e#li he wrote to Wang !sao7tsun a demand to disarm his guard, as all of the "hinese troops in 1rga had been so treated$ but this letter arrived after Wang had bought camels to replace the stolen horses and was on his wa# to the border. +ater +t.7"olonel (ichailoff sent a detachment of fift# men under the command of +ieutenant Strigine to overhaul Wang and receive their arms.

C$APTER XX%!!
MYSTERY !N A SMALL TEMPLE
Prince "hultun ;e#li and I were read# to leave the ,arabanchi 6ure. While the )utu'tu was holding service for the Sait in the !emple of ;lessing, I wandered around through the narrow alle#wa#s between the walls of the houses of the various grades of +ama ?elongs, ?etuls, "haid0e and Rabd0ampa$ of schools where the learned doctors of theolog# or (aramba taught together with the doctors of medicine or !a +ama$ of the residences for students called ;andi$ of stores, archives and libraries. When I returned to the #urta of the )utu'tu, he was inside. )e presented me with a large hat#' and proposed a wal' around the monaster#. )is face wore a preoccupied e%pression from which I gathered that he had something he wished to discuss with me. As we went out of the #urta, the liberated President of the Russian "hamber of "ommerce and a Russian officer 0oined us. !he )utu'tu led us to a small building 0ust bac' of a bright #ellow stone wall. 87

In that building once stopped the Dalai +ama and ;ogdo 6han and we alwa#s paint the buildings #ellow where these hol# persons have lived. *nter@ !he interior of the building was arranged with splendor. &n the ground floor was the dining7room, furnished with richl# carved, heav# blac'wood "hinese tables and cabinets filled with porcelains and bronze. Above were two rooms, the first a bed7room hung with heav# #ellow sil' curtains$ a large "hinese lantern richl# set with colored stones hung b# a thin bronze chain from the carved wooden ceiling beam. )ere stood a large s8uare bed covered with sil'en pillows, mattresses and blan'ets. !he frame wor' of the bed was also of the "hinese blac'wood and carried, especiall# on the posts that held the roof7li'e canop#, finel# e%ecuted carvings with the chief motive the conventional dragon devouring the sun. ;# the side stood a chest of drawers completel# covered with carvings setting forth religious pictures. :our comfortable eas# chairs completed the furniture, save for the low oriental throne which stood on a dais at the end of the room. Do #ou see this throne< said the )utu'tu to me. &ne night in winter several horsemen rode into the monaster# and demanded that all the ?elongs and ?etuls with the )utu'tu and 6anpo at their head should congregate in this room. !hen one of the strangers mounted the throne, where he too' off his bashl#' or cap7li'e head covering. All of the +amas fell to their 'nees as the# recognized the man who had been long ago described in the sacred bulls of Dalai +ama, !ashi +ama and ;ogdo 6han. )e was the man to whom the whole world belongs and who has penetrated into all the m#steries of ,ature. )e pronounced a short !ibetan pra#er, blessed all his hearers and afterwards made predictions for the coming half centur#. !his was thirt# #ears ago and in the interim all his prophecies are being fulfilled. During his pra#ers before that small shrine in the ne%t 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 6ing of the World and his companions disappeared from among us. ;ehind him remained no trace save the folds in the sil'en throne coverings which smoothed themselves out and left the throne as though no one had sat upon it. !he )utu'tu entered the shrine, 'neeled down, covering his e#es with his hands, and began to pra#. I loo'ed at the calm, indifferent face of the golden ;uddha, over which the flic'ering lamps threw changing shadows, and then turned m# e#es to the side of the throne. It was wonderful and difficult to believe but I reall# saw there the strong, muscular figure of a man with a swarth# face of stern and fi%ed e%pression about the mouth and 0aws, thrown into high relief b# the brightness of the e#es. !hrough his transparent bod# draped in white raiment I saw the !ibetan inscriptions on the bac' of the throne. I closed m# e#es and opened them again. ,o one was there but the sil' throne covering seemed to be moving. ,ervousness, I thought. Abnormal and over7emphasized impressionabilit# growing out of the unusual surroundings and strains.

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!he )utu'tu turned to me and said= ?ive me #our hat#'. I have the feeling that #ou are troubled about those whom #ou love, and I want to pra# for them. And #ou must pra# also, importune ?od and direct the sight of #our soul to the 6ing of the World who was here and sanctified this place. !he )utu'tu placed the hat#' on the shoulder of the ;uddha and, prostrating himself on the carpet before the altar, whispered the words of pra#er. !hen he raised his head and bec'oned me to him with a slight movement of his hand. +oo' at the dar' space behind the statue of ;uddha and he will show #our beloved to #ou. Readil# obe#ing his deep7voiced command, I began to loo' into the dar' niche behind the figure of the ;uddha. Soon out of the dar'ness began to appear streams of smo'e or transparent threads. !he# floated in the air, becoming more and more dense and increasing in number, until graduall# the# formed the bodies of several persons and the outlines of various ob0ects. I saw a room that was strange to me with m# famil# there, surrounded b# some whom I 'new and others whom I did not. I recognized even the dress m# wife wore. *ver# line of her dear face was clearl# visible. ?raduall# the vision became too dar', dissipated itself into the streams of smo'e and transparent threads and disappeared. ;ehind the golden ;uddha was nothing but the dar'ness. !he )utu'tu arose, too' m# hat#' from the shoulder of the ;uddha and handed it to me with these words= :ortune is alwa#s with #ou and with #our famil#. ?od9s goodness will not forsa'e #ou. We left the building of this un'nown 6ing of the World, where he had pra#ed for all man'ind and had predicted the fate of peoples and states. I was greatl# astonished to find that m# companions had also seen m# 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 dar' niche behind the head of ;uddha.K
6 5n order that 5 might ha e the e idence of others on this e>traordinarily im#ressi e ision, 5 asked them to make #rotocols or affida its concerning what they saw! This they did and 5 now ha e these statements in my #ossession!

!he (ongol officer also told me that "hultun ;e#li had the da# before as'ed the )utu'tu to reveal to him his fate in this important 0uncture of his life and in this crisis of his countr# but the )utu'tu onl# waved his hand in an e%pression of fear and refused. When I as'ed the )utu'tu for the reason of his refusal, suggesting to him that it might calm and help "hultun ;e#li as the vision of m# beloved had strengthened me, the )utu'tu 'nitted his brow and answered= ,o@ !he vision would not please the Prince. )is fate is blac'. .esterda# 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@ . . . 89

)e did not reall# finish spea'ing but covered his face with his hands in fear. )e was convinced that the lot of "hultun ;e#li was blac' as the night. In an hour we were behind the low hills that hid the ,arabanchi 6ure from our sight.

C$APTER XX%!!!
T$E BREAT$ OF DEAT$
We arrived at 1liassutai on the da# of the return of the detachment which had gone out to disarm the convo# of Wang !sao7tsun. !his detachment had met "olonel Domo0iroff, who ordered them not onl# to disarm but to pillage the convo# and, unfortunatel#, +ieutenant Strigine e%ecuted this illegal and unwarranted command. It was compromising and ignominious to see Russian officers and soldiers wearing the "hinese overcoats, boots and wrist watches which had been ta'en from the "hinese officials and the convo#. *ver#one had "hinese silver and gold also from the loot. !he (ongol wife of Wang !sao7tsun and her brother returned with the detachment and entered a complaint of having been robbed b# the Russians. !he "hinese officials and their convo#, deprived of their supplies, reached the "hinese border onl# after great distress from hunger and cold. We foreigners were astounded that +t.7"olonel (ichailoff received Strigine with militar# honors but we caught the e%planation of it later when we learned that (ichailoff had been given some of the "hinese silver and his wife the handsomel# decorated saddle of :u )siang. "hultun ;e#li demanded that all the weapons ta'en from the "hinese and all the stolen propert# be turned over to him, as it must later be returned to the "hinese authorities$ but (ichailoff refused. Afterwards we foreigners cut off all contact with the Russian detachment. !he relations between the Russians and (ongols became ver# strained. Several of the Russian officers protested against the acts of (ichailoff and Strigine and controversies became more and more serious. At this time, one morning in April, an e%traordinar# group of armed horsemen arrived at 1liassutai. !he# sta#ed at the house of the ;olshevi' ;ourdu'off, who gave them, so we were told, a great 8uantit# of silver. !his group e%plained that the# were former officers in the Imperial ?uard. !he# were "olonels Poleti'a, ,. ,. Philipoff and three of the latter9s brothers. !he# announced that the# wanted to collect all the White officers and soldiers then in (ongolia and "hina and lead them to 1rianhai to fight the ;olshevi'i$ but that first the# wanted to wipe out 1ngern and return (ongolia to "hina. !he# called themselves the representatives of the "entral &rganization of the Whites in Russia. !he societ# of Russian officers in 1liassutai invited them to a meeting, e%amined their documents and interrogated them. Investigation proved that all the statements of these officers about their former connections were entirel# wrong, that Poleti'a occupied an important position in the war commissariat of the ;olshevi'i, that one of the Philipoff brothers was the assistant of 6ameneff in his first attempt to reach *ngland, that the "entral White &rganization in Russia did not e%ist, that the proposed fighting in 1rianhai

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was but a trap for the White officers and that this group was in close relations with the ;olshevi' ;ourdu'off. A discussion at once sprang up among the officers as to what the# should do with this group, which split the detachment into two distinct parties. +t.7"olonel (ichailoff with several officers 0oined themselves to Poleti'a9s group 0ust as "olonel Domo0iroff arrived with his detachment. )e began to get in touch with both factions and to feel out the politics of the situation, finall# appointing Poleti'a to the post of "ommandant of 1liassutai and sending to ;aron 1ngern a full report of the events in the town. In this document he devoted much space to me, accusing me of standing in the wa# of the e%ecution of his orders. )is officers watched me continuousl#. :rom different 8uarters I received warnings to ta'e great care. !his band and its leader openl# demanded to 'now what right this foreigner had to interfere in the affairs of (ongolia, one of Domo0iroff9s officers directl# giving me the challenge in a meeting in the attempt to provo'e a controvers#. I 8uietl# answered him= And on what basis do the Russian refugees interfere, the# who have rights neither at home nor abroad< !he officer made no verbal repl# but in his e#es burned a definite answer. (# huge friend who sat beside me noticed this, strode over toward him and, towering over him, stretched his arms and hands as though 0ust wa'ing from sleep and remar'ed= I9m loo'ing for a little bo%ing e%ercise. &n one occasion Domo0iroff9s men would have succeeded in ta'ing me if I had not been saved b# the watchfulness of our foreign group. I had gone to the fortress to negotiate with the (ongol Sait for the departure of the foreigners from 1liassutai. "hultun ;e#li detained me for a long time, so that I was forced to return about nine in the evening. (# horse was wal'ing. )alf a mile from the town three men sprang up out of the ditch and ran at me. I whipped up m# horse but noticed several more men coming out of the other ditch as though to head me off. !he#, however, made for the other group and captured them and I heard the voice of a foreigner calling me bac'. !here I found three of Domo0iroff9s officers surrounded b# the Polish soldiers and other foreigners under the leadership of m# old trusted agronome, who was occupied with t#ing the hands of the officers behind their bac's so strongl# that the bones crac'ed. *nding his wor' and still smo'ing his perpetual pipe, he announced in a serious and important manner= I thin' it best to throw them into the river. +aughing at his seriousness and the fear of Domo0iroff9s officers, I as'ed them wh# the# had started to attac' me. !he# dropped their e#es and were silent. It was an elo8uent silence and we perfectl# understood what the# had proposed to do. !he# had revolvers hidden in their poc'ets. :ine@ I said. All is perfectl# clear. I shall release #ou but #ou must report to #our sender that he will not welcome #ou bac' the ne%t time. .our weapons I shall hand to the "ommandant of 1liassutai.

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(# friend, using his former terrif#ing care, began to untie them, repeating over and over= And I would have fed #ou to the fishes in the river@ !hen we all returned to the town, leaving them to go their wa#. Domo0iroff continued to send envo#s to ;aron 1ngern at 1rga with re8uests for plenar# powers and mone# and with reports about (ichailoff, "hultun ;e#li, Poleti'a, Philipoff and m#self. 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, ;aron 1ngern, who was receiving onl# one7sided reports about all the happenings in 1liassutai. &ur whole colon# was greatl# agitated. !he officers split into different parties$ the soldiers collected in groups and discussed the events of the da#, criticising their chiefs, and under the influence of some of Domo0iroff9s men began ma'ing such statements as= We have now seven "olonels, who all want to be in command and are all 8uarreling among themselves. !he# all ought to be pegged down and given good sound thrashings. !he one who could ta'e the greatest number of blows ought to be chosen as our chief. It was an ominous 0o'e that proved the demoralization of the Russian detachment. It seems, m# friend fre8uentl# observed, that we shall soon have the pleasure of seeing a "ouncil of Soldiers here in 1liassutai. ?od and the Devil@ &ne thing here is ver# unfortunate>there are no forests near into which good "hristian men ma# dive and get awa# from all these cursed Soviets. It9s bare, frightfull# bare, this wretched (ongolia, with no place for us to hide. Reall# this possibilit# of the Soviet was approaching. &n one occasion the soldiers captured the arsenal containing the weapons surrendered b# the "hinese and carried them off to their barrac's. Drun'enness, gambling and fighting increased. We foreigners, carefull# watching events and in fear of a catastrophe, finall# decided to leave 1liassutai, that caldron of passions, controversies and denunciations. We heard that the group of Poleti'a was also preparing to get out a few da#s later. We foreigners separated into two parties, one traveling b# the old caravan route across the ?obi considerabl# to the south of 1rga to 6u'u7)oto or 6weihuacheng and 6algan, and mine, consisting of m# friend, two Polish soldiers and m#self, heading for 1rga via Aain Shabi, where "olonel 6azagrandi had as'ed me in a recent letter to meet him. !hus we left the 1liassutai where we had lived through so man# e%citing events. &n the si%th da# after our departure there arrived in the town the (ongol7;uriat detachment under the command of the ;uriat /andaloff and the Russian "aptain ;ezrodnoff. Afterwards I met them in Aain Shabi. It was a detachment sent out from 1rga b# ;aron 1ngern to restore order in 1liassutai and to march on to 6obdo. &n the wa# from Aain Shabi ;ezrodnoff came across the group of Poleti'a and (ichailoff. )e instituted a search which disclosed suspicious documents in their baggage and in that of (ichailoff and his wife the silver and other possessions ta'en from the "hinese. :rom this group of si%teen he sent ,. ,. Philipoff to ;aron 1ngern, released three others and shot the remaining twelve. !hus ended in Aain Shabi the life of one part# of 1liassutai

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refugees and the activities of the group of Poleti'a. In 1liassutai ;ezrodnoff shot "hultun ;e#li for the violation of the treat# with the "hinese, and also some ;olshevist Russian colonists$ arrested Domo0iroff and sent him to 1rga$ and . . . restored order. !he predictions about "hultun ;e#li were fulfilled. I 'new of Domo0iroff9s reports regarding m#self but I decided, nevertheless, to proceed to 1rga and not to swing round it, as Poleti'a had started to do when he was accidentall# captured b# ;ezrodnoff. I was accustomed now to loo'ing into the e#es of danger and I set out to meet the terrible blood# ;aron. ,o one can decide his own fate. I did not thin' m#self in the wrong and the feeling of fear had long since ceased to occup# a place in m# menage. &n the wa# a (ongol rider who overhauled us brought the news of the death of our ac8uaintances at Aain Shabi. )e spent the night with me in the #urta at the ourton and related to me the following legend of death. It was a long time ago when the (ongolians ruled over "hina. !he Prince of 1liassutai, ;eltis /an, was mad. )e e%ecuted an# one he wished without trial and no one dared to pass through his town. All the other Princes and rich (ongols surrounded 1liassutai, where ;eltis raged, cut off communication on ever# road and allowed none to pass in or out. :amine developed in the town. !he# consumed all the o%en, sheep and horses and finall# ;eltis /an determined to ma'e a dash with his soldiers through to the west to the land of one of his tribes, the &lets. )e and his men all perished in the fight. !he Princes, following the advice of the )utu'tu ;u#antu, buried the dead on the slopes of the mountains surrounding 1liassutai. !he# buried them with incantations and e%orcisings in order that Death b# /iolence might be 'ept from a further visitation to their land. !he tombs were covered with heav# stones and the )utu'tu predicted that the bad demon of Death b# /iolence would onl# leave the earth when the blood of a man should be spilled upon the covering stone. Such a legend lived among us. ,ow it is fulfilled. !he Russians shot there three ;olshevi'i and the "hinese two (ongols. !he evil spirit of ;eltis /an bro'e loose from beneath the heav# stone and now mows down the people with his sc#the. !he noble "hultun ;e#li has perished$ the Russian ,o#on (ichailoff also has fallen$ and death has flowed out from 1liassutai 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 ?ods and the ?ood Spirits. !he *vil Demons have made war upon the ?ood Spirits. What can man now do< &nl# perish, onl# perish. . . .

Par !!!
T$E STRA!N!NG $EART OF AS!A

C$APTER XX!X
ON T$E ROAD OF GREAT CON+&ERORS

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!he great con8ueror, Benghiz 6han, the son of sad, stern, severe (ongolia, according to an old (ongolian legend mounted to the top of 6arasu !ogol and with his e#es of an eagle loo'ed to the west and the east. In the west he saw whole seas of human blood over which floated a blood# fog that blan'eted all the horizon. !here he could not discern his fate. ;ut the gods ordered him to proceed to the west, leading with him all his warriors and (ongolian tribes. !o the east he saw wealth# towns, shining temples, crowds of happ# people, gardens and fields of rich earth, all of which pleased the great (ongol. )e said to his sons= 9!here in the west I shall be fire and sword, destro#er, avenging :ate$ in the east I shall come as the merciful, great builder, bringing happiness to the people and to the land.9 !hus runs the legend. I found much of truth in it. I had passed over much of his road to the west and alwa#s identified it b# the old tombs and the impertinent monuments of stone to the merciless con8ueror. I saw also a part of the eastern road of the hero, over which he traveled to "hina. &nce when we were ma'ing a trip out of 1liassutai we stopped the night in D0irgalantu. !he old host of the ourton, 'nowing me from m# previous trip to ,arabanchi, welcomed us ver# 'indl# and regaled us with stories during our evening meal. Among other things he led us out of the #urta and pointed out a mountain pea' brightl# lighted b# the full moon and recounted to us the stor# of one of the sons of Benghiz, afterwards *mperor of "hina, Indo7"hina and (ongolia, who had been attracted b# the beautiful scener# and grazing lands of D0irgalantu and had founded here a town. !his was soon left without inhabitants, for the (ongol is a nomad who cannot live in artificial cities. !he plain is his house and the world his town. :or a time this town witnessed battles between the "hinese and the troops of Benghiz 6han but afterwards it was forgotten. At present there remains onl# a half7ruined tower, from which in the earl# da#s the heav# roc's were hurled down upon the heads of the enem#, and the dilapidated gate of 6ublai, the grandson of Benghiz 6han. Against the greenish s'# drenched with the ra#s of the moon stood out the 0agged line of the mountains and the blac' silhouette of the tower with its loopholes, through which the alternate scudding clouds and light flashed. When our part# left 1liassutai, we traveled on leisurel#, ma'ing thirt#7five to fift# miles a da# until we were within si%t# miles of Aain Shabi, where I too' leave of the others to go south to this place in order to 'eep m# engagement with "olonel 6azagrandi. !he sun had 0ust risen as m# single (ongol guide and I without an# pac' animals began to ascend the low, timbered ridges, from the top of which I caught the last glimpses of m# companions disappearing down the valle#. I had no idea then of the man# and almost fatal dangers which I should have to pass through during this trip b# m#self, which was destined to prove much longer than I had anticipated. As we were crossing a small river with sand# shores, m# (ongol guide told me how the (ongolians came there during the summer to wash gold, in spite of the prohibitions of the +amas. !he manner of wor'ing the placer was ver# primitive but the results testified clearl# to the richness of these sands. !he (ongol lies flat on the ground, brushes the sand aside with a feather and 'eeps blowing into the little e%cavation so formed. :rom time to time he wets his finger and pic's up on it a small bit of grain gold or a diminutive nugget and drops these into a

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little bag hanging under his chin. In such manner this primitive dredge wins about a 8uarter of an ounce or five dollars9 worth of the #ellow metal per da#. I determined to ma'e the whole distance to Aain Shabi in a single da#. 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 twent#7five miles from the monaster# the (ongols gave me a wild horse, a big, strong white stallion. Bust as I was about to mount him and had alread# touched m# foot to the stirrup, he 0umped and 'ic'ed me right on the leg which had been wounded in the (a7chu fight. !he leg soon began to swell and ache. At sunset I made out the first Russian and "hinese buildings and later the monaster# at Aain. We dropped into the valle# of a small stream which flowed along a mountain on whose pea' were set white roc's forming the words of a !ibetan pra#er. At the bottom of this mountain was a cemeter# for the +amas, that is, piles of bones and a pac' of dogs. At last the monaster# la# right below us, a common s8uare surrounded with wooden fences. In the middle rose a large temple 8uite different from all those of western (ongolia, not in the "hinese but in the !ibetan st#le of architecture, a white building with perpendicular walls and regular rows of windows in blac' frames, with a roof of blac' 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 !ibetan tree which never rots. Another small 8uadrangle la# a little to the east and contained Russian buildings connected with the monaster# b# telephone. !hat is the house of the +iving ?od of Aain, the (ongol e%plained, pointing to this smaller 8uadrangle. )e li'es Russian customs and manners. !o the north on a conical7shaped hill rose a tower that recalled the ;ab#lonian zi''urat. It was the temple where the ancient boo's and manuscripts were 'ept and the bro'en ornaments and ob0ects used in the religious ceremonies together with the robes of deceased )utu'tus preserved. A sheer cliff rose behind this museum, which it was impossible for one to climb. &n the face of this were carved images of the +amaite gods, scattered about without an# special order. !he# were from one to two and a half metres high. At night the mon's lighted lamps before them, so that one could see these images of the gods and goddesses from far awa#. We entered the trading settlement. !he streets were deserted and from the windows onl# women and children loo'ed out. I stopped with a Russian firm whose other branches I had 'nown throughout the countr#. (uch to m# astonishment the# welcomed me as an ac8uaintance. It appeared that the )utu'tu of ,arabanchi had sent word to all the monasteries that, whenever I should come, the# must all render me aid, inasmuch as I had saved the ,arabanchi (onaster# and, b# the clear signs of the divinations, I was an incarnate ;uddha beloved of the ?ods. !his letter of this 'indl# disposed )utu'tu helped me ver# much>perhaps I should even sa# more, that it saved me from death. !he hospitalit# of m# hosts proved of great and much needed assistance to me because m# in0ured leg had swelled and was aching severel#. When I too' off m# boot, I found m# foot all covered with blood and m# old wound re7opened b# the blow. A felcher was called to assist me with treatment and bandaging, so that I was able to wal' again three da#s later.

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I did not find "olonel 6azagrandi at Aain Shabi. After destro#ing the "hinese gamins who had 'illed the local "ommandant, he had returned via /an 6ure. !he new "ommandment handed me the letter of 6azagrandi, who ver# cordiall# as'ed me to visit him after I had rested in Aain. A (ongolian document was enclosed in the letter giving me the right to receive horses and carts from herd to herd b# means of the urga, which I shall later describe and which opened for me an entirel# new vista of (ongolian life and countr# that I should otherwise never have seen. !he ma'ing of this 0ourne# of over two hundred miles was a ver# disagreeable tas' for me$ but evidentl# 6azagrandi, whom I had never met, had serious reasons for wishing this meeting. At one o9cloc' the da# after m# arrival I was visited b# the local /er# ?od, ?heghen Pandita )utu'tu. A more strange and e%traordinar# appearance of a god I could not imagine. )e was a short, thin #oung man of twent# or twent#7two #ears with 8uic', nervous movements and with an e%pressive face lighted and dominated, li'e the countenances of all the (ongol gods, b# large, frightened e#es. )e was dressed in a blue sil' Russian uniform with #ellow epaulets with the sacred sign of Pandita )utu'tu, in blue sil' trousers and high boots, all surmounted b# a white Astra'han cap with a #ellow pointed top. At his girdle a revolver and sword were slung. I did not 'now 8uite what to thin' of this disguised god. )e too' a cup of tea from the host and began to tal' with a mi%ture of (ongolian and Russian. ,ot far from m# 6ure is located the ancient monaster# of *rdeni Dzu, erected on the site of the ruins of 6ara'orum, the ancient capital of Benghiz 6han and afterwards fre8uentl# visited b# 6ublai 6ahn for sanctuar# and rest after his labors as *mperor of "hina, India, Persia, Afghanistan, (ongolia and half of *urope. ,ow onl# ruins and tombs remain to mar' this former 9?arden of ;eatific Da#s.9 !he pious mon's of ;aroun 6ure found in the underground chambers of the ruins manuscripts that were much older than *rdeni Dzu itself. In these m# (aramba (eetchi'7Ata' found the prediction that the )utu'tu of Aain who should carr# the title of 9Pandita,9 should be but twent#7one #ears of age, be born in the heart of the lands of Benghiz 6han and have on his chest the natural sign of the swasti'a>such )utu'tu would be honored b# the people in the da#s of a great war and trouble, would begin the fight with the servants of Red evil and would con8uer them and bring order into the universe, celebrating this happ# da# in the cit# with white temples and with the songs of ten thousand bells. It is I, Pandita )utu'tu@ !he signs and s#mbols have met in me. I shall destro# the ;olshevi'i, the bad 9servants of the Red evil,9 and in (oscow I shall rest from m# glorious and great wor'. !herefore I have as'ed "olonel 6azagrandi to enlist me in the troops of ;aron 1ngern and give me the chance to fight. !he +amas see' to prevent me from going but who is the god here< )e ver# sternl# stamped his foot, while the +amas and guard who accompanied him reverentl# bowed their heads. As he left he presented me with a hat#' and, rummaging through m# saddle bags, I found a single article that might be considered worth# as a gift for a )utu'tu, a small bottle of osmiridium, this rare, natural concomitant of platinum.

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!his is the most stable and hardest of metals, I said. +et it be the sign of #our glor# and strength, )utu'tu@ !he Pandita than'ed me and invited me to visit him. When I had recovered a little, I went to his house, which was arranged in *uropean st#le= electric lights, push bells and telephone. )e feasted me with wine and sweets and introduced me to two ver# interesting personages, one an old !ibetan surgeon with a face deepl# pitted b# smallpo%, a heav# thic' nose and crossed e#es. )e was a peculiar surgeon, consecrated in !ibet. )is duties consisted in treating and curing )utu'tus when the# were ill and . . . in poisoning them when the# became too independent or e%travagant or when their policies were not in accord with the wishes of the "ouncil of +amas of the +iving ;uddha or the Dalai +ama. ;# now Pandita )utu'tu probabl# rests in eternal peace on the top of some sacred mountain, sent thither b# the solicitude of his e%traordinar# court ph#sician. !he martial spirit of Pandita )utu'tu was ver# unwelcome to the "ouncil of +amas, who protested against the adventuresomeness of this +iving ?od. Pandita li'ed wine and cards. &ne da# when he was in the compan# of Russians and dressed in a *uropean suit, some +amas came running to announce that divine service had begun and that the +iving ?od must ta'e his place on the altar to be pra#ed to but he had gone out from his abode and was pla#ing cards@ Without an# confusion Pandita drew his red mantle of the )utu'tu over his *uropean coat and long gre# trousers and allowed the shoc'ed +amas to carr# their ?od awa# in his palan8uin. ;esides the surgeon7poisoner I met at the )utu'tu9s a lad of thirteen #ears, whose #outhfulness, red robe and cropped hair led me to suppose he was a ;andi or student servant in the home of the )utu'tu$ but it turned out otherwise. !his bo# was the first )ubilgan, also an incarnate ;uddha, an artful teller of fortunes and the successor of Pandita )utu'tu. )e was drun' all the time and a great card pla#er, alwa#s ma'ing side7 splitting 0o'es that greatl# offended the +amas. !hat same evening I made the ac8uaintance of the second )ubilgan who called on me, the real administrator of Aain Shabi, which is an independent dominion sub0ect directl# to the +iving ;uddha. !his )ubilgan was a serious and ascetic man of thirt#7two, well educated and deepl# learned in (ongol lore. )e 'new Russian and read much in that language, being interested chiefl# in the life and stories of other peoples. )e had a high respect for the creative genius of the American people and said to me= When #ou go to America, as' the Americans to come to us and lead us out from the dar'ness that surrounds us. !he "hinese and Russians will lead us to destruction and onl# the Americans can save us. It is a deep satisfaction for me to carr# out the re8uest of this influential (ongol, )ubilgan, and to urge his appeal to the American people. Will #ou not save this honest, uncorrupted but dar', deceived and oppressed people< !he# should not be allowed to perish, for within their souls the# carr# a great store of strong moral forces. (a'e of them

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a cultured people, believing in the verit# of human'ind$ teach them to use the wealth of their land$ and the ancient people of Benghiz 6han will ever be #our faithful friends. When I had sufficientl# recovered, the )utu'tu invited me to travel with him to *rdeni Dzu, to which I willingl# agreed. &n the following morning a light and comfortable carriage was brought for me. &ur trip lasted five da#s, during which we visited *rdeni Dzu, 6ara'orum, )oto7Aaidam and )ara7;algasun. All these are the ruins of monasteries and cities erected b# Benghiz 6han and his successors, 1gadai 6han and 6ublai in the thirteenth centur#. ,ow onl# the remnants of walls and towers remain, some large tombs and whole boo's of legends and stories. +oo' at these tombs@ said the )utu'tu to me. )ere the son of 6han 1#u' was buried. !his #oung prince was bribed b# the "hinese to 'ill his father but was frustrated in his attempt b# his own sister, who 'illed him in her watchful care of her old father, the *mperor and 6han. !here is the tomb of !sinilla, the beloved spouse of 6han (angu. She left the capital of "hina to go to 6hara ;olgasun, where she fell in love with the brave shepherd Damcharen, who overtoo' the wind on his steed and who captured wild #a's and horses with his bare hands. !he enraged 6han ordered his unfaithful wife strangled but afterwards buried her with imperial honors and fre8uentl# came to her tomb to weep for his lost love. And what happened to Damcharen< I in8uired. !he )utu'tu himself did not 'now$ but his old servant, the real archive of legends, answered= With the aid of ferocious "hahar brigands he fought with "hina for a long time. It is, however, un'nown how he died. Among the ruins the mon's pra# at certain fi%ed times and the# also search for sacred boo's and ob0ects concealed or buried in the debris. Recentl# the# found here two "hinese rifles and two gold rings and big bundles of old manuscripts tied with leather thongs. Wh# did this region attract the powerful emperors and 6hans who ruled from the Pacific to the Adriatic< I as'ed m#self. "ertainl# not these mountains and valle#s covered with larch and birch, not these vast sands, receding la'es and barren roc's. It seems that I found the answer. !he great emperors, remembering the vision of Benghiz 6han, sought here new revelations and predictions of his miraculous, ma0estic destin#, surrounded b# the divine honors, obeisance and hate. Where could the# come into touch with the gods, the good and bad spirits< &nl# there where the# abode. All the district of Aain with these ancient ruins is 0ust such a place.

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&n this mountain onl# such men can ascend as are born of the direct line of Benghiz 6han, the Pandita e%plained to me. )alf wa# up the ordinar# man suffocates and dies, if he ventures to go further. Recentl# (ongolian hunters chased a pac' of wolves up this mountain and, when the# came to this part of the mountainside, the# all perished. !here on the slopes of the mountain lie the bones of eagles, big horned sheep and the 'abarga antelope, light and swift as the wind. !here dwells the bad demon who possesses the boo' of human destinies. !his is the answer, I thought. In the Western "aucasus I once saw a mountain between Sou'houm 6ale and !uopsei where wolves, eagles and wild goats also perish, and where men would li'ewise perish if the# did not go on horsebac' through this zone. !here the earth breathes out carbonic acid gas through holes in the mountainside, 'illing all animal life. !he gas clings to the earth in a la#er about half a metre thic'. (en on horsebac' pass above this and the horses alwa#s hold their heads wa# up and snuff and whinn# in fear until the# cross the dangerous zone. )ere on the top of this mountain where the bad demon peruses the boo' of human destinies is the same phenomenon, and I realized the sacred fear of the (ongols as well as the stern attraction of this place for the tall, almost gigantic descendants of Benghiz 6han. !heir heads tower above the la#ers of poisonous gas, so that the# can reach the top of this m#sterious and terrible mountain. Also it is possible to e%plain this phenomenon geologicall#, because here in this region is the southern edge of the coal deposits which are the source of carbonic acid and swamp gases. ,ot far from the ruins in the lands of )un Doptchin D0amtso there is a small la'e which sometimes burns with a red flame, terrif#ing the (ongols and herds of horses. ,aturall# this la'e is rich with legends. )ere a meteor formerl# fell and san' far into the earth. In the hole this la'e appeared. ,ow, it seems, the inhabitants of the subterranean passages, semi7man and semi7demon, are laboring to e%tract this stone of the s'# from its deep bed and it is setting the water on fire as it rises and falls bac' in spite of their ever# effort. I did not see the la'e m#self but a Russian colonist told me that it ma# be petroleum on the la'e that is fired either from the campfires of the shepherds or b# the blazing ra#s of the sun. At an# rate all this ma'es it ver# eas# to understand the attractions for the great (ongol potentates. !he strongest impression was produced upon me b# 6ara'orum, the place where the cruel and wise Benghiz 6han lived and laid his gigantic plans for overrunning all the west with blood and for covering the east with a glor# never before seen. !wo 6ara'orums were erected b# Benghiz 6han, one here near !atsa ?ol on the "aravan Road and the other in Pamir, where the sad warriors buried the greatest of human con8uerors in the mausoleum built b# five hundred captives who were sacrificed to the spirit of the deceased when their wor' was done. !he warli'e Pandita )utu'tu pra#ed on the ruins where the shades of these potentates who had ruled half the world wandered, and his soul longed for the chimerical e%ploits and for the glor# of Benghiz and !amerlane.

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&n the return 0ourne# we were invited not far from Aain to visit a ver# rich (ongol b# the wa#. )e had alread# prepared the #urtas suitable for Princes, ornamented with rich carpets and sil' draperies. !he )utu'tu accepted. We arranged ourselves on the soft pillows in the #urtas as the )utu'tu blessed the (ongol, touching his head with his hol# hand, and received the hat#'s. !he host then had a whole sheep brought in to us, boiled in a huge vessel. !he )utu'tu 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 )utu'tu invited all to begin the feast. In a trice the sheep was entirel# carved or torn up and in the hands of the ban8ueters. When the )utu'tu had thrown down b# the brazier the white bones without a trace of meat left on them, the host on his 'nees withdrew from the fire a piece of sheeps'in and ceremoniousl# offered it on both his hands to the )utu'tu. Pandita began to clean off the wool and ashes with his 'nife and, cutting it into thin strips, fell to eating this reall# tast# course. It is the covering from 0ust above the breast bone and is called in (ongolian tarach or arrow. When a sheep is s'inned, this small section is cut out and placed on the hot coals, where it is broiled ver# slowl#. !hus prepared it is considered the most daint# bit of the whole animal and is alwa#s presented to the guest of honor. It is not permissible to divide it, such is the strength of the custom and ceremon#. After dinner our host proposed a hunt for bighorns, a large herd of which was 'nown to graze in the mountains within less than a mile from the #urtas. )orses with rich saddles and bridles were led up. All the elaborate harness of the )utu'tu9s mount was ornamented with red and #ellow bits of cloth as a mar' of his ran'. About fift# (ongol riders galloped behind us. When we left our horses, we were placed behind the roc's roughl# three hundred paces apart and the (ongols began the encircling movement around the mountain. After about half an hour I noticed wa# up among the roc's something flash and soon made out a fine bighorn 0umping with tremendous springs from roc' to roc', and behind him a herd of some twent# odd head leaping li'e lightning over the ground. I was ve%ed be#ond words when it appeared that the (ongols had made a mess of it and pushed the herd out to the side before having completed their circle. ;ut happil# I was mista'en. ;ehind a roc' right ahead of the herd a (ongol sprang up and waved his hands. &nl# the big leader was not frightened and 'ept right on past the unarmed (ongol while all the rest of the herd swung suddenl# round and rushed right down upon me. I opened fire and dropped two of them. !he )utu'tu also brought down one as well as a mus' antelope that came une%pectedl# from behind a roc' hard b#. !he largest pair of horns weighed about thirt# pounds, but the# were from a #oung sheep. !he da# following our return to Aain Shabi, as I was feeling 8uite recovered, I decided to go on to /an 6ure. At m# leave7ta'ing from the )utu'tu I received a large hat#' from him together with warmest e%pressions of than's for the present I had given him on the first da# of our ac8uaintance. It is a fine medicine@ he e%claimed. After our trip I felt 8uite e%hausted but I too' #our medicine and am now 8uite re0uvenated. (an#, man# than's@

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!he poor chap had swallowed m# osmiridium. !o be sure it could not harm him$ but to have helped him was wonderful. Perhaps doctors in the &ccident ma# wish to tr# this new, harmless and ver# cheap remed#>onl# eight pounds of it in the whole world>and I merel# as' that the# leave me the patent rights for it for (ongolia, ;arga, Sin'iang, 6o'o ,or and all the other lands of "entral Asia. An old Russian colonist went as guide for me. !he# gave me a big but light and comfortable cart hitched and drawn in a marvelous wa#. A straight pole four metres long was fastened athwart the front of the shafts. &n either side two riders too' this pole across their saddle pommels and galloped awa# with me across the plains. ;ehind us galloped four other riders with four e%tra horses.

C$APTER XXX
ARRESTED,
About twelve miles from Aain we saw from a ridge a sna'eli'e line of riders crossing the valle#, which detachment we met half an hour later on the shore of a deep, swamp# stream. !he group consisted of (ongols, ;uriats and !ibetans armed with Russian rifles. At the head of the column were two men, one of whom in a huge blac' Astra'han and blac' felt cape with red "aucasian cowl on his shoulders bloc'ed m# road and, in a coarse, harsh voice, demanded of me= Who are #ou, where are #ou from and where are #ou going< I gave also a laconic answer. !he# then said that the# were a detachment of troops from ;aron 1ngern under the command of "aptain /andaloff. I am "aptain ;ezrodnoff, militar# 0udge. Suddenl# he laughed loudl#. )is insolent, stupid face did not please me and, bowing to the officers, I ordered m# riders to move. &h no@ he remonstrated, as he bloc'ed the road again. I cannot allow #ou to go farther. I want to have a long and serious conversation with #ou and #ou will have to come bac' to Aain for it. I protested and called attention to the letter of "olonel 6azagrandi, onl# to hear ;ezrodnoff answer with coldness= !his letter is a matter of "olonel 6azagrandi9s and to bring #ou bac' to Aain and tal' with #ou is m# affair. ,ow give me #our weapon. ;ut I could not #ield to this demand, even though death were threatened. +isten, I said. !ell me fran'l#. Is #ours reall# a detachment fighting against the ;oishevi'i or is it a Red contingent< 101

,o, I assure #ou@ replied the ;uriat officer /andaloff, approaching me. We have alread# been fighting the ;olshevi'i for three #ears. !hen I cannot hand #ou m# weapon, I calml# replied. I brought it from Soviet Siberia, have had man# fights with this faithful weapon and now I am to be disarmed b# White officers@ It is an offence that I cannot allow. With these words I threw m# rifle and m# (auser into the stream. !he officers were confused. ;ezrodnoff turned red with anger. I freed #ou and m#self from humiliation, I e%plained. ;ezrodnoff in silence turned his horse, the whole detachment of three hundred men passed immediatel# before me and onl# the last two riders stopped, ordered m# (ongols to turn m# cart round and then fell in behind m# little group. So I was arrested@ &ne of the horsemen behind me was a Russian and he told me that ;ezrodnoff carried with him man# death decrees. I was sure that mine was among them. Stupid, ver# stupid@ What was the use of fighting one9s wa# through Red detachments, of being frozen and hungr#, of almost perishing in !ibet onl# to die from a bullet of one of ;ezrodnoff9s (ongols< :or such a pleasure it was not worth while to travel so long and so far@ In ever# Siberian "he'a I could have had this end so 0o#full# accorded me. When we arrived at Aain Shabi, m# luggage was e%amined and ;ezrodnoff began to 8uestion me in minutest detail about the events in 1liassutai. We tal'ed about three hours, during which I tried to defend all the officers of 1liassutai, maintaining that one must not trust onl# the reports of Domo0iroff. When our conversation was finished, the "aptain stood up and offered his apologies for detaining me in m# 0ourne#. Afterwards he presented me a fine (auser with silver mountings on the handle and said= .our pride greatl# pleased me. I beg #ou to receive this weapon as a memento of me. !he following morning I set out anew from Aain Shabi, having in m# poc'et the laissez7 passer of ;ezrodnoff for his outposts.

C$APTER XXX!
TRA%EL!NG BY -&RGA&nce more we traveled along the now 'nown places, the mountain from which I espied the detachment of ;ezrodnoff, the stream into which I had thrown m# weapon, and soon all this la# behind us. At the first ourton we were disappointed because we did not find horses there. In the #urtas were onl# the host with two of his sons. I showed him m# document and he e%claimed= 102

,o#on has the right of 9urga.9 )orses will be brought ver# soon. )e 0umped into his saddle, too' two of m# (ongols 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 awa#. (# cart moved behind them. We left the road, crossed the plain for an hour and came upon a big herd of horses grazing there. !he (ongol began to catch a 8uota of them for us with his pole and noose or urga, when out of the mountains nearb# came galloping the owners of the herds. When the old (ongol showed m# papers to them, the# submissivel# ac8uiesced and substituted four of their men for those who had come with me thus far. In this manner the (ongols travel, not along the ourton or station road but directl# 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 (ongols so effected b# the right of urga tr# to finish their tas' as rapidl# as possible and gallop li'e mad for the nearest herd in #our general direction of travel to turn over their tas' to their neighbor. An# traveler having this right of urga can catch horses himself and, if there are no owners, can force the former ones to carr# on and leave the animals in the ne%t herd he re8uisitions. ;ut this happens ver# rarel# because the (ongol never li'es to see' out his animals in another9s herd, as it alwa#s gives so man# chances for controvers#. It was from this custom, according to one e%planation, that the town of 1rga too' its name among outsiders. ;# the (ongols themselves it is alwa#s referred to as !a 6ure, !he ?reat (onaster#. !he reason the ;uriats and Russians, who were the first to trade into this region, called it 1rga was because it was the principal destination of all the trading e%peditions which crossed the plains b# this old method or right of travel. A second e%planation is that the town lies in a loop whose sides are formed b# three mountain ridges, along one of which the River !ola runs li'e the pole or stic' of the familiar urga of the plains. !han's to this uni8ue tic'et of urga I crossed 8uite untraveled sections of (ongolia for about two hundred miles. It gave me the welcome opportunit# to observe the fauna of this part of the countr#. I saw man# huge herds of (ongolian antelopes running from five to si% thousand, man# groups of bighorns, wapiti and 'abarga antelopes. Sometimes small herds of wild horses and wild asses flashed as a vision on the horizon. In one place I observed a big colon# of marmots. All over an area of several s8uare miles their mounds were scattered with the holes leading down to their runwa#s below, the dwellings of the marmot. In and out among these mounds the gre#ish7#ellow or brown animals ran in all sizes up to half that of an average dog. !he# ran heavil# and the s'in on their fat bodies moved as though it were too big for them. !he marmots are splendid prospectors, alwa#s digging deep ditches, throwing out on the surface all the stones. In man# 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 loo's li'e 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 curiosit# and begins whistling sharpl#. !his curiosit# of the marmots is ta'en

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advantage of b# the hunters, who snea' up to their holes flourishing streamers of cloth on the tips of long poles. !he whole attention of the small animals is concentrated on this small flag and onl# the bullet that ta'es his life e%plains to him the reason for this previousl# un'nown ob0ect. I saw a ver# e%citing picture as I passed through a marmot colon# near the &r'hon River. !here were thousands of holes here so that m# (ongols had to use all their s'ill to 'eep the horses from brea'ing their legs in them. I noticed an eagle circling high overhead. All of a sudden he dropped li'e a stone to the top of a mound, where he sat motionless as a roc'. !he marmot in a few minutes ran out of his hole to a neighbor9s doorwa#. !he eagle calml# 0umped down from the top and with one wing closed the entrance to the hole. !he rodent heard the noise, turned bac' and rushed to the attac', tr#ing to brea' through to his hole where he had evidentl# left his famil#. !he struggle began. !he eagle fought with one free wing, one leg and his bea' but did not withdraw the bar to the entrance. !he marmot 0umped at the rapacious bird with great boldness but soon fell from a blow on the head. &nl# then the eagle withdrew his wing, approached the marmot, finished him off and with difficult# lifted him in his talons to carr# him awa# to the mountains for a tast# luncheon. In the more barren places with onl# occasional spears of grass in the plain another species of rodent lives, called imouran, about the size of a s8uirrel. !he# have a coat the same color as the prairie and, running about it li'e sna'es, the# collect the seeds that are blown across b# the wind and carr# them down into their diminutive homes. !he imouran has a trul# faithful friend, the #ellow lar' of the prairie with a brown bac' and head. When he sees the imouran running across the plain, he settles on his bac', flaps his wings in balance and rides well this swiftl# galloping mount, who gail# flourishes his long shagg# tail. !he lar' during his ride s'ilfull# and 8uic'l# catches the parasites living on the bod# of his friend, giving evidence of his en0o#ment of his wor' with a short agreeable song. !he (ongols call the imouran the steed of the ga# lar'. !he lar' warns the imouran of the approach of eagles and haw's with three sharp whistles the moment he sees the aerial brigand and ta'es refuge himself behind a stone or in a small ditch. After this signal no imouran will stic' his head out of his hole until the danger is past. !hus the ga# lar' and his steed live in 'indl# neighborliness. In other parts of (ongolia where there was ver# rich grass I saw another t#pe of rodent, which I had previousl# come across in 1rianhai. It is a gigantic blac' prairie rat with a short tail and lives in colonies of from one to two hundred. )e is interesting and uni8ue as the most s'ilful farmer among the animals in his preparation of his winter suppl# of fodder. During the wee's when the grass is most succulent he actuall# mows it down with swift 0er'# swings of his head, cutting about twent# or thirt# stal's with his sharp long front teeth. !hen he allows his grass to cure and later puts up his prepared ha# in a most scientific manner. :irst he ma'es a mound about a foot high. !hrough this he pushes down into the ground four slanting sta'es, converging toward the middle of the pile, and binds them close over the surface of the ha# 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 'eep his winter

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suppl# of food from blowing awa# over the prairie. !his stoc' he alwa#s locates right at the door of his den to avoid long winter hauls. !he horses and camels are ver# fond of this small farmer9s ha#, because it is alwa#s made from the most nutritious grass. !he ha#coc's are so strongl# made that one can hardl# 'ic' them to pieces. Almost ever#where in (ongolia I met either single pairs or whole floc's of the gre#ish7 #ellow prairie partridges, salga or partridge swallow, so called because the# have long sharp tails resembling those of swallows and because their flight also is a close cop# of that of the swallow. !hese birds are ver# tame or fearless, allowing men to come within ten or fifteen paces of them$ but, when the# do brea', the# go high and fl# long distances without lighting, whistling all the time 8uite li'e swallows. !heir general mar'ings are light gre# and #ellow, though the males have prett# chocolate spots on the bac's and wings, while their legs and feet are heavil# feathered. (# opportunit# to ma'e these observations came from traveling through unfre8uented regions b# the urga, which, however, had its counterbalancing disadvantages. !he (ongols carried me directl# and swiftl# toward m# destination, receiving with great satisfaction the presents of "hinese dollars which I gave them. ;ut after having made about five thousand miles on m# "ossac' saddle that now la# behind me on the cart all covered with dust li'e common merchandise, I rebelled against being wrac'ed and torn b# the rough riding of the cart as it was swung heedlessl# over stones, hilloc's and ditches b# the wild horses with their e8uall# wild riders, bounding and crac'ing and holding together onl# through its tenacit# of purpose in demonstrating the cosiness and attractiveness of a good (ongol e8uipage@ All m# bones began to ache. :inall# I groaned at ever# lunge and at last I suffered a ver# sharp attac' of ischias or sciatica in m# 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 #urta. At times I had to fight the two huge blac' dogs which attac'ed me. !he following da# I could endure the wrac'ing onl# until noon and was then forced to give up and lie down. !he pain was unbearable. I could not move m# leg nor m# bac' and finall# fell into a high fever. We were forced to stop and rest. I swallowed all m# stoc' of aspirin and 8uinine but without relief. ;efore me was a sleepless night about which I could not thin' without wea'ening fear. We had stopped in the #urta for guests b# the side of a small monaster#. (# (ongols invited the +ama doctor to visit me, who gave me two ver# 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 an# sleep but when the sun arose the pain ceased instantl# and, after an hour, I ordered them to saddle me a horse, as I was afraid to continue further in the cart. While the (ongols were catching the horses, there came to m# tent "olonel ,. ,. Philipoff, who told me that he denied all the accusations that he and his brother and Poleti'a were ;olshevi'i and that ;ezrodnoff allowed him to go to /an 6ure to meet ;aron 1ngern, who was e%pected there. &nl# Philipoff did not 'now that his (ongol guide was armed with a bomb and that another (ongol had been sent on ahead with a letter to ;aron 1ngern. )e did not 'now that Poleti'a and his brothers were shot at the

105

same time in Aain Shabi. Philipoff was in a hurr# and wanted to reach /an 6ure that da#. I left an hour after him.

C$APTER XXX!!
AN OLD FORT&NE TELLER
:rom this point we began traveling along the ourton road. In this region the (ongols had ver# poor and e%hausted horses, because the# were forced continuousl# to suppl# mounts to the numerous envo#s of Daichin /an and of "olonel 6azagrandi. We were compelled to spend the night at the last ourton before /an 6ure, where a stout old (ongol and his son 'ept the station. After our supper he too' the shoulder7blade of the sheep, which had been carefull# scraped clean of all the flesh, and, loo'ing at me, placed this bone in the coals with some incantations and said= I want to tell #our fortune. All m# predictions come true. When the bone had been blac'ened he drew it out, blew off the ashes and began to scrutinize the surface ver# closel# and to loo' through it into the fire. )e continued his e%amination for a long time and then, with fear in his face, placed the bone bac' in the coals. What did #ou see< I as'ed, laughing. ;e silent@ he whispered. I made out horrible signs. )e again too' out the bone and began e%amining it all over, all the time whispering pra#ers and ma'ing strange movements. In a ver# solemn 8uiet voice he began his predictions. Death in the form of a tall white man with red hair will stand behind #ou and will watch #ou long and close. .ou will feel it and wait but Death will withdraw. . . . Another white man will become #our friend. . . . ;efore the fourth da# #ou will lose #our ac8uaintances. !he# will die b# a long 'nife. I alread# see them being eaten b# the dogs. ;eware of the man with a head li'e a saddle. )e will strive for #our death. :or a long time after the fortune had been told we sat smo'ing and drin'ing tea but still the old fellow loo'ed at me onl# with fear. !hrough m# brain flashed the thought that thus must his companions in prison loo' at one who is condemned to death. !he ne%t morning we left the fortune teller before the sun was up, and, when we had made about fifteen miles, hove in sight of /an 6ure. I found "olonel 6azagrandi at his head8uarters. )e was a man of good famil#, an e%perienced engineer and a splendid officer, who had distinguished himself in the war at the defence of the island of (oon in the ;altic and afterwards in the fight with the ;olshevi'i on the /olga. "olonel 106

6azagrandi offered me a bath in a real tub, which had its habitat in the house of the president of the local "hamber of "ommerce. As I was in this house, a tall #oung captain entered. )e had long curl# red hair and an unusuall# white face, though heav# and stolid, with large, steel7cold e#es and with beautiful, tender, almost girlish lips. ;ut in his e#es there was such cold cruelt# that it was 8uite unpleasant to loo' at his otherwise fine face. When he left the room, our host told me that he was "aptain /eseloffs'#, the ad0utant of ?eneral Rezu'hin, who was fighting against the ;olshevi'i in the north of (ongolia. !he# had 0ust that da# arrived for a conference with ;aron 1ngern. After luncheon "olonel 6azagrandi invited me to his #urta and began discussing events in western (ongolia, where the situation had become ver# tense. Do #ou 'now Dr. ?a#< 6azagrandi as'ed me. .ou 'now he helped me to form m# detachment but 1rga accuses him of being the agent of the Soviets. I made all the defences I could for ?a#. )e had helped me and had been e%onerated b# 6olcha'. .es, #es, and I 0ustified ?a# in such a manner, said the "olonel, but Rezu'hin, who has 0ust arrived toda#, has brought letters of ?a#9s to the ;olshevi'i which were seized in transit. ;# order of ;aron 1ngern, ?a# and his famil# have toda# been sent to the head8uarters of Rezu'hin and I fear that the# will not reach this destination. Wh#< I as'ed. !he# will be e%ecuted on the road@ answered "olonel 6azagrandi. What are we to do< I responded. ?a# cannot be a ;olshevi', because he is too well educated and too clever for it. I don9t 'now$ I don9t 'now@ murmured the "olonel with a despondent gesture. !r# to spea' with Rezu'hin. I decided to proceed at once to Rezu'hin but 0ust then "olonel Philipoff entered and began tal'ing about the errors being made in the training of the soldiers. When I had donned m# coat, another man came in. )e was a small sized officer with an old green "ossac' cap with a visor, a torn gre# (ongol overcoat and with his right hand in a blac' sling tied around his nec'. It was ?eneral Rezu'hin, to whom I was at once introduced. During the conversation the ?eneral ver# politel# and ver# s'ilfull# in8uired about the lives of Philipoff and m#self during the last three #ears, 0o'ing and laughing with discretion and modest#. When he soon too' his leave, I availed m#self of the chance and went out with him. )e listened ver# attentivel# and politel# to me and afterwards, in his 8uiet voice, said=

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Dr. ?a# is the agent of the Soviets, disguised as a White in order the better to see, hear and 'now ever#thing. We are surrounded b# our enemies. !he Russian people are demoralized and will underta'e an# treacher# for mone#. Such is ?a#. An#wa#, what is the use of discussing him further< )e and his famil# are no longer alive. !oda# m# men cut them to pieces five 'ilometres from here. In consternation and fear I loo'ed at the face of this small, dapper man with such soft voice and courteous manners. In his e#es I read such hate and tenacit# that I understood at once the trembling respect of all the officers whom I had seen in his presence. Afterwards in 1rga I learned more of this ?eneral Rezu'hin distinguished b# his absolute braver# and boundless cruelt#. )e was the watchdog of ;aron 1ngern, read# to throw himself into the fire and to spring at the throat of an#one his master might indicate. &nl# four da#s then had elapsed before m# ac8uaintances died b# a long 'nife, so that one part of the prediction had been thus fulfilled. And now I have to await Death9s threat to me. !he dela# was not long. &nl# two da#s later the "hief of the Asiatic Division of "avalr# arrived>;aron 1ngern von Sternberg.

C$APTER XXX!!!
-DEAT$ FROM T$E #$!TE MAN #!LL STAND BE$!ND YO&!he terrible general, the ;aron, arrived 8uite une%pectedl#, unnoticed b# the outposts of "olonel 6azagrandi. After a tal' with 6azagrandi the ;aron invited "olonel ,. ,. Philipoff and me into his presence. "olonel 6azagrandi brought the word to me. I wanted to go at once but was detained about half an hour b# the "olonel, who then sped me with the words= ,ow ?od help #ou@ ?o@ It was a strange parting message, not reassuring and 8uite enigmatical. I too' m# (auser and also hid in the cuff of m# coat m# c#anide of potassium. !he ;aron was 8uartered in the #urta of the militar# doctor. When I entered the court, "aptain /eseloffs'# came up to me. )e had a "ossac' sword and a revolver without its holster beneath his girdle. )e went into the #urta to report m# arrival. "ome in, he said, as he emerged from the tent. At the entrance m# e#es were struc' with the sight of a pool of blood that had not #et had time to drain down into the ground>an ominous greeting that seemed to carr# the ver# voice of one 0ust gone before me. I 'noc'ed. "ome in@ was the answer in a high tenor. As I passed the threshold, a figure in a red sil' (ongolian coat rushed at me with the spring of a tiger, grabbed and shoo' m# hand as though in flight across m# path and then fell prone on the bed at the side of the tent. 108

!ell me who #ou are@ )ereabouts are man# spies and agitators, he cried out in an h#sterical voice, as he fi%ed his e#es upon me. In one moment I perceived his appearance and ps#cholog#. A small head on wide shoulders$ blonde hair in disorder$ a reddish bristling moustache$ a s'inn#, e%hausted face, li'e those on the old ;#zantine i'ons. !hen ever#thing else faded from view save a big, protruding forehead overhanging steel# sharp e#es. !hese e#es were fi%ed upon me li'e those of an animal from a cave. (# observations lasted for but a flash but I understood that before me was a ver# dangerous man read# for an instant spring into irrevocable action. !hough 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 impatientl# pulled at his moustache. I felt m# anger rising through m# whole bod# and I said to him without ta'ing the chair= .ou have allowed #ourself to offend me, ;aron. (# name is well enough 'nown so that #ou cannot thus indulge #ourself in such epithets. .ou can do with me as #ou wish, because force is on #our side, but #ou cannot compel me to spea' 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 surve# me, holding his breath and pulling still at his moustache. Retaining m# e%terior calmness, I began to glance indifferentl# around the #urta, and onl# then I noticed ?eneral Rezu'hin. I bowed to him and received his silent ac'nowledgment. After that I swung m# glance bac' to the ;aron, who sat with bowed head and closed e#es, from time to time rubbing his brow and mumbling to himself. Suddenl# he stood up and sharpl# said, loo'ing past and over me= ?o out@ !here is no need of more. . . . I swung round and saw "aptain /eseloffs'# with his white, cold face. I had not heard him enter. )e did a formal about face and passed out of the door. 9Death from the white man9 has stood behind me, I thought$ but has it 8uite left me< !he ;aron stood thin'ing for some time and then began to spea' in 0umbled, unfinished phrases. I as' #our pardon. . . . .ou must understand there are so man# traitors@ )onest men have disappeared. I cannot trust an#bod#. All names are false and assumed$ documents are counterfeited. *#es and words deceive. . . . All is demoralized, insulted b# ;olshevism. I 0ust ordered "olonel Philipoff cut down, he who called himself the representative of the Russian White &rganization. In the lining of his garments were found two secret ;olshevi' codes. . . . When m# officer flourished his sword over him, he e%claimed= 9Wh# do #ou 'ill me, !avarische<9 I cannot trust an#bod#. . . .

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)e was silent and I also held m# peace. I beg #our pardon@ he began anew. I offended #ou$ but I am not simpl# a man, I am a leader of great forces and have in m# head so much care, sorrow and woe@ In his voice I felt there was mingled despair and sincerit#. )e fran'l# put out his hand to me. Again silence. At last I answered= What do #ou order me to do now, for I have neither counterfeit nor real documents< ;ut man# of #our officers 'now me and in 1rga I can find man# who will testif# that I could be neither agitator nor. . . ,o need, no need@ interrupted the ;aron. All is clear, all is understood@ I was in #our soul and I 'now all. It is the truth which )utu'tu ,arabanchi has written about #ou. What can I do for #ou< I e%plained how m# friend and I had escaped from Soviet Russia in the effort to reach our native land and how a group of Polish soldiers had 0oined us in the hope of getting bac' to Poland$ and I as'ed that help be given us to reach the nearest port. With pleasure, with pleasure. . . . I will help #ou all, he answered e%citedl#. I shall drive #ou to 1rga in m# motor car. !omorrow we shall start and there in 1rga we shall tal' about further arrangements. !a'ing m# leave, I went out of the #urta. &n arriving at m# 8uarters, I found "olonel 6azagrandi in great an%iet# wal'ing up and down m# room. !han's be to ?od@ he e%claimed and crossed himself. )is 0o# was ver# touching but at the same time I thought that the "olonel could have ta'en much more active measures for the salvation of his guest, if he had been so minded. !he agitation of this da# had tired me and made me feel #ears older. When I loo'ed in the mirror I was certain there were more white hairs on m# head. At night I could not sleep for the flashing thoughts of the #oung, fine face of "olonel Philipoff, the pool of blood, the cold e#es of "aptain /eseloffs'#, the sound of ;aron 1ngern9s voice with its tones of despair and woe, until finall# I san' into a heav# stupor. I was awa'ened b# ;aron 1ngern who came to as' pardon that he could not ta'e me in his motor car, because he was obliged to ta'e Daichin /an with him. ;ut he informed me that he had left instructions to give me his own white camel and two "ossac's as servants. I had no time to than' him before he rushed out of m# room. Sleep then entirel# deserted me, so I dressed and began smo'ing pipe after pipe of tobacco, as I thought= )ow much easier to fight the ;olshevi'i on the swamps of Se#bi and to cross the snow# pea's of 1lan !aiga, where the bad demons 'ill all the travelers the# can@ !here ever#thing was simple and comprehensible, but here it is all a mad nightmare, a dar' and foreboding storm@ I felt some traged#, some horror in ever#

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movement of ;aron 1ngern, behind whom paced this silent, white7faced /eseloffs'# and Death.

C$APTER XXX!%
T$E $ORROR OF #AR,
At dawn of the following morning the# led up the splendid white camel for me and we moved awa#. (# compan# consisted of the two "ossac's, two (ongol soldiers and one +ama with two pac' camels carr#ing the tent and food. I still apprehended that the ;aron had it in mind not to dispose of me before m# friends there in /an 6ure but to prepare this 0ourne# for me under the guise of which it would be so eas# to do awa# with me b# the road. A bullet in the bac' and all would be finished. "onse8uentl# I was momentaril# read# to draw m# revolver and defend m#self. I too' care all the time to have the "ossac's either ahead of me or at the side. About noon we heard the distant hon' of a motor car and soon saw ;aron 1ngern whizzing b# us at full speed. With him were two ad0utants and Prince Daichin /an. !he ;aron greeted me ver# 'indl# and shouted= Shall see #ou again in 1rga@ Ah@ I thought, evidentl# I shall reach 1rga. So I can be at ease during m# trip, and in 1rga I have man# friends beside the presence there of the bold Polish soldiers whom I had wor'ed with in 1liassutai and who had outdistanced me in this 0ourne#. After the meeting with the ;aron m# "ossac's became ver# attentive to me and sought to distract me with stories. !he# told me about their ver# severe struggles with the ;olshevi'i in !ransbai'alia and (ongolia, about the battle with the "hinese near 1rga, about finding communistic passports on several "hinese soldiers from (oscow, about the braver# of ;aron 1ngern and how he would sit at the campfire smo'ing and drin'ing tea right on the battle line without ever being touched b# a bullet. At one fight sevent#7four bullets entered his overcoat, saddle and the bo%es b# his side and again left him untouched. !his is one of the reasons for his great influence over the (ongols. !he# related how before the battle he had made a reconnaissance in 1rga with onl# one "ossac' and on his wa# bac' had 'illed a "hinese officer and two soldiers with his bamboo stic' or tashur$ how he had no outfit save one change of linen and one e%tra pair of boots$ how he was alwa#s calm and 0ovial in battle and severe and morose in the rare da#s of peace$ and how he was ever#where his soldiers were fighting. I told them, in turn, of m# escape from Siberia and with chatting thus the da# slipped b# ver# 8uic'l#. &ur camels trotted all the time, so that instead of the ordinar# eighteen to twent# miles per da# we made nearl# fift#. (# mount was the fastest of them all. )e was a huge white animal with a splendid thic' mane and had been presented to ;aron 1ngern b# some Prince of Inner (ongolia with two blac' sables tied on the bridle. )e was a calm, strong, bold giant of the desert, on whose bac' I felt m#self as though perched on the tower of a building. ;e#ond the &r'hon River we came across the first dead bod# of a 111

"hinese soldier, which la# face up and arms outstretched right in the middle of the road. When we had crossed the ;urgut (ountains, we entered the !ola River valle#, farther up which 1rga is located. !he road was strewn with the overcoats, shirts, boots, caps and 'ettles which the "hinese had thrown awa# in their flight$ and mar'ed b# man# of their dead. :urther on the road crossed a morass, where on either side la# great mounds of the dead bodies of men, horses and camels with bro'en carts and militar# debris of ever# sort. )ere the !ibetans of ;aron 1ngern had cut up the escaping "hinese baggage transport$ and it was a strange and gloom# contrast to see the piles of dead besides the effervescing awa'ening life of spring. In ever# pool wild duc's of different 'inds floated about$ in the high grass the cranes performed their weird dance of courtship$ on the la'es great floc's of swans and geese were swimming$ through the swamp# places li'e spots of light moved the brilliantl# colored pairs of the (ongolian sacred bird, the turpan or +ama goose $ on the higher dr# places floc's of wild tur'e# gamboled and fought as the# fed$ floc's of the salga partridge whistled b#$ while on the mountain side not far awa# the wolves la# bas'ing and turning in the laz# warmth of the sun, whining and occasionall# bar'ing li'e pla#ful dogs. ,ature 'nows onl# life. Death is for her but an episode whose traces she rubs out with sand and snow or ornaments with lu%uriant greener# and brightl# colored bushes and flowers. What matters it to ,ature if a mother at "hefoo or on the ban's of the .angtse offers her bowl of rice with burning incense at some shrine and pra#s for the return of her son that has fallen un'nown for all time on the plains along the !ola, where his bones will dr# beneath the ra#s of ,ature9s dissipating fire and be scattered b# her winds over the sands of the prairie< It is splendid, this indifference of ,ature to death, and her greediness for life@ &n the fourth da# we made the shores of the !ola well after nightfall. We could not find the regular ford and I forced m# camel to enter the stream in the attempt to ma'e a crossing without guidance. /er# fortunatel# I found a shallow, though somewhat mir#, place and we got over all right. !his is something to be than'ful for in fording a river with a camel$ because, when #our mount finds the water too deep, coming up around his nec', he does not stri'e out and swim li'e a horse will do but 0ust rolls over on his side and floats, which is vastl# inconvenient for his rider. Down b# the river we pegged our tent. :ifteen miles further on we crossed a battlefield, where the third great battle for the independence of (ongolia had been fought. )ere the troops of ;aron 1ngern clashed with si% thousand "hinese moving down from 6ia'hta to the aid of 1rga. !he "hinese were completel# defeated and four thousand prisoners ta'en. )owever, these surrendered "hinese tried to escape during the night. ;aron 1ngern sent the !ransbai'al "ossac's and !ibetans in pursuit of them and it was their wor' which we saw on this field of death. !here were still about fifteen hundred unburied and as man# more interred, according to the statements of our "ossac's, who had participated in this battle. !he 'illed showed terrible sword wounds$ ever#where e8uipment and other debris were scattered about. !he (ongols with their herds moved awa# from the neighborhood and their place was ta'en

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b# the wolves which hid behind ever# stone and in ever# ditch as we passed. Pac's of dogs that had become wild fought with the wolves over the pre#. At last we left this place of carnage to the cursed god of war. Soon we approached a shallow, rapid stream, where the (ongols slipped from their camels, too' off their caps and began drin'ing. It was a sacred stream which passed beside the abode of the +iving ;uddha. :rom this winding valle# we suddenl# turned into another where a great mountain ridge covered with dar', dense forest loomed up before us. )ol# ;ogdo7&l@ e%claimed the +ama. !he abode of the ?ods which guard our +iving ;uddha@ ;ogdo7&l is the huge 'not which ties together here three mountain chains= ?eg#l from the southwest, ?ang#n from the south, and )untu from the north. !his mountain covered with virgin forest is the propert# of the +iving ;uddha. !he forests are full of nearl# all the varieties of animals found in (ongolia, but hunting is not allowed. An# (ongol violating this law is condemned to death, while foreigners are deported. "rossing the ;ogdo7&l is forbidden under penalt# of death. !his command was transgressed b# onl# one man, ;aron 1ngern, who crossed the mountain with fift# "ossac's, penetrated to the palace of the +iving ;uddha, where the Pontiff of 1rga was being held under arrest b# the "hinese, and stole him.

C$APTER XXX%
!N T$E C!TY OF L!%!NG GODS, OF ./,/// B&DD$AS AND 0/,/// MON(S
At last before our e#es the abode of the +iving ;uddha@ At the foot of ;ogdo7&l behind white walls rose a white !ibetan building covered with greenish7blue tiles that glittered under the sunshine. It was richl# set among groves of trees dotted here and there with the fantastic roofs of shrines and small palaces, while further from the mountain it was connected b# a long wooden bridge across the !ola with the cit# of mon's, sacred and revered throughout all the *ast as !a 6ure or 1rga. )ere besides the +iving ;uddha live whole throngs of secondar# miracle wor'ers, prophets, sorcerers and wonderful doctors. All these people have divine origin and are honored as living gods. At the left on the high plateau stands an old monaster# with a huge, dar' red tower, which is 'nown as the !emple +amas "it#, containing a gigantic bronze gilded statue of ;uddha sitting on the golden flower of the lotus$ tens of smaller temples, shrines, obo, open altars, towers for astrolog# and the gre# cit# of the +amas consisting of single7storied houses and #urtas, where about I5,555 mon's of all ages and ran's dwell$ schools, sacred archives and libraries, the houses of ;andi and the inns for the honored guests from "hina, !ibet, and the lands of the ;uriat and 6almuc'. Down below the monaster# is the foreign settlement where the Russian, foreign and richest "hinese merchants live and where the multi7colored and crowded oriental bazaar 113

carries forward its bustling life. A 'ilometre awa# the gre#ish enclosure of (aimachen surrounds the remaining "hinese trading establishments, while farther on one sees a long row of Russian private houses, a hospital, church, prison and, last of all, the aw'ward four7storied red bric' building that was formerl# the Russian "onsulate. We were alread# within a short distance of the monaster#, when I noticed several (ongol soldiers in the mouth of a ravine nearb#, dragging bac' and concealing in the ravine three dead bodies. What are the# doing< I as'ed. !he "ossac's onl# smiled without answering. Suddenl# the# straightened up with a sharp salute. &ut of the ravine came a small, stoc'# (ongolian pon# 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. )e e%amined me with cold, colorless e#es from under dense brows. As he went on ahead, he too' off his cap and wiped the perspiration from his bald head. (# e#es were struc' b# the strange undulating line of his s'ull. It was the man with the head li'e a saddle, against whom I had been warned b# the old fortune teller at the last ourton outside /an 6ure@ Who is this officer< I in8uired. Although he was alread# 8uite a distance in front of us, the "ossac's whispered= "olonel Sepailoff, "ommandant of 1rga "it#. "olonel Sepailoff, the dar'est person on the canvas of (ongolian events@ :ormerl# a mechanician, afterwards a gendarme, he had gained 8uic' promotion under the "zar9s regime. )e was alwa#s nervousl# 0er'ing and wriggling his bod# and tal'ing ceaselessl#, ma'ing most unattractive sounds in his throat and sputtering with saliva all over his lips, his whole face often contracted with spasms. )e was mad and ;aron 1ngern twice appointed a commission of surgeons to e%amine him and ordered him to rest in the hope he could rid the man of his evil genius. 1ndoubtedl# Sepailoff was a sadist. I heard afterwards that he himself e%ecuted the condemned people, 0o'ing and singing as he did his wor'. Dar', terrif#ing tales were current about him in 1rga. )e was a bloodhound, fastening his victims with the 0aws of death. All the glor# of the cruelt# of ;aron 1ngern belonged to Sepailoff. Afterwards ;aron 1ngern once told me in 1rga that this Sepailoff anno#ed him and that Sepailoff could 'ill him 0ust as well as others. ;aron 1ngern feared Sepailoff, not as a man, but dominated b# his own superstition, because Sepailoff had found in !ransbai'alia a witch doctor who predicted the death of the ;aron if he dismissed Sepailoff. Sepailoff 'new no pardon for ;olshevi' nor for an# one connected with the ;olshevi'i in an# wa#. !he reason for his vengeful spirit was that the ;olshevi'i had tortured him in prison and, after his escape, had 'illed all his famil#. )e was now ta'ing his revenge. I put up with a Russian firm and was at once visited b# m# associates from 1liassutai, who greeted me with great 0o# because the# had been much e%ercised about the events in

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/an 6ure and Aain Shabi. When I had bathed and spruced up, I went out with them on the street. We entered the bazaar. !he whole mar'et was crowded. !o the livel# colored groups of men bu#ing, selling and shouting their wares, the bright streamers of "hinese cloth, the strings of pearls, the earrings and bracelets gave an air of endless festivit#$ while on another side bu#ers were feeling of live sheep to see whether the# were fat or not, the butcher was cutting great pieces of mutton from the hanging carcasses and ever#where these sons of the plain were 0o'ing and 0esting. !he (ongolian women in their huge coiffures and heav# silver caps li'e saucers on their heads were admiring the variegated sil' ribbons and long chains of coral beads$ an imposing big (ongol attentivel# e%amined a small herd of splendid horses and bargained with the (ongol zahachine or owner of the horses$ a s'inn#, 8uic', blac' !ibetan, who had come to 1rga to pra# to the +iving ;uddha or, ma#be, with a secret message from the other ?od in +hasa, s8uatted and bargained for an image of the +otus ;uddha carved in agate$ in another corner a big crowd of (ongols and ;uriats had collected and surrounded a "hinese merchant selling finel# painted snuff7bottles of glass, cr#stal, porcelain, ameth#st, 0ade, agate and nephrite, for one of which made of a greenish mil'# nephrite with regular brown veins running through it and carved with a dragon winding itself around a bev# of #oung damsels the merchant was demanding of his (ongol in8uirers ten #oung o%en$ and ever#where ;uriats in their long red coats and small red caps embroidered with gold helped the !artars in blac' overcoats and blac' velvet caps on the bac' of their heads to weave the pattern of this &riental human tapestr#. +amas formed the common bac'ground for it all, as the# wandered about in their #ellow and red robes, with capes pictures8uel# thrown over their shoulders and caps of man# forms, some li'e #ellow mushrooms, others li'e the red Phr#gian bonnets or old ?ree' helmets in red. !he# mingled with the crowd, chatting serenel# and counting their rosaries, telling fortunes for those who would hear but chiefl# searching out the rich (ongols whom the# could cure or e%ploit b# fortune telling, predictions or other m#steries of a cit# of I5,555 +amas. Simultaneousl# religious and political espionage was being carried out. Bust at this time man# (ongols were arriving from Inner (ongolia and the# were continuousl# surrounded b# an invisible but numerous networ' of watching +amas. &ver the buildings around floated the Russian, "hinese and (ongolian national flags with a single one of the Stars and Stripes above a small shop in the mar'et$ while over the nearb# tents and #urtas streamed the ribbons, the s8uares, the circles and triangles of the princes and private persons afflicted or d#ing from smallpo% and lepros#. All were mingled and mi%ed in one bright mass strongl# lighted b# the sun. &ccasionall# one saw the soldiers of ;aron 1ngern rushing about in long blue coats$ (ongols and !ibetans in red coats with #ellow epaulets bearing the swasti'a of Benghiz 6han and the initials of the +iving ;uddha$ and "hinese soldiers from their detachment in the (ongolian arm#. After the defeat of the "hinese arm# two thousand of these braves petitioned the +iving ;uddha to enlist them in his legions, swearing fealt# and faith to him. !he# were accepted and formed into two regiments bearing the old "hinese silver dragons on their caps and shoulders. As we crossed this mar'et, from around a corner came a big motor car with the roar of a siren. !here was ;aron 1ngern in the #ellow sil' (ongolian coat with a blue girdle. )e was going ver# fast but recognized me at once, stopping and getting out to invite me to

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go with him to his #urta. !he ;aron lived in a small, simpl# arranged #urta, set up in the court#ard of a "hinese hong. )e had his head8uarters in two other #urtas nearb#, while his servants occupied one of the "hinese fang7tzu. When I reminded him of his promise to help me to reach the open ports, the ?eneral loo'ed at me with his bright e#es and spo'e in :rench= (# wor' here is coming to an end. In nine da#s I shall begin the war with the ;olshevi'i and shall go into the !ransbai'al. I beg that #ou will spend this time here. :or man# #ears I have lived without civilized societ#. I am alone with m# thoughts and I would li'e to have #ou 'now them, spea'ing with me not as the 9blood# mad ;aron,9 as m# enemies call me, nor as the 9severe grandfather,9 which m# officers and soldiers call me, but as an ordinar# man who has sought much and has suffered even more. !he ;aron reflected for some minutes and then continued= I have thought about the further trip of #our group and I shall arrange ever#thing for #ou, but I as' #ou to remain here these nine da#s. What was I to do< I agreed. !he ;aron shoo' m# hand warml# and ordered tea.

C$APTER XXX%!
A SON OF CR&SADERS AND PR!%ATEERS
!ell me about #ourself and #our trip, he urged. In response I related all that I thought would interest him and he appeared 8uite e%cited over m# tale. ,ow I shall tell #ou about m#self, who and what I am@ (# name is surrounded with such hate and fear that no one can 0udge what is the truth and what is false, what is histor# and what m#th. Some time #ou will write about it, remembering #our trip through (ongolia and #our so0ourn at the #urta of the 9blood# ?eneral.9 )e shut his e#es, smo'ing as he spo'e, and tumbling out his sentences without finishing them as though some one would prevent him from phrasing them. !he famil# of 1ngern von Sternberg is an old famil#, a mi%ture of ?ermans with )ungarians>)uns from the time of Attila. (# warli'e ancestors too' part in all the *uropean struggles. !he# participated in the "rusades and one 1ngern was 'illed under the walls of Berusalem, fighting under Richard "oeur de +ion. *ven the tragic "rusade of the "hildren was mar'ed b# the death of Ralph 1ngern, eleven #ears old. When the boldest warriors of the countr# were despatched to the eastern border of the ?erman *mpire against the Slavs in the twelfth centur#, m# ancestor Arthur was among them, ;aron )alsa 1ngern Sternberg. )ere these border 'nights formed the order of (on' 6nights or !eutons, which with fire and sword spread "hristianit# among the pagan +ithuanians, *sthonians, +atvians and Slavs. Since then the !euton &rder of 6nights has 116

alwa#s had among its members representatives of our famil#. When the !euton &rder perished in the ?runwald under the swords of the Polish and +ithuanian troops, two ;arons 1ngern von Sternberg were 'illed there. &ur famil# was warli'e and given to m#sticism and asceticism. During the si%teenth and seventeenth centuries several ;arons von 1ngern had their castles in the lands of +atvia and *sthonia. (an# legends and tales lived after them. )einrich 1ngern von Sternberg, called 9A%,9 was a wandering 'night. !he tournaments of :rance, *ngland, Spain and Ital# 'new his name and lance, which filled the hearts of his opponents with fear. )e fell at "adiz 9neath the sword of a 'night who cleft both his helmet and his s'ull. ;aron Ralph 1ngern was a brigand 'night between Riga and Reval. ;aron Peter 1ngern had his castle on the island of Dago in the ;altic Sea, where as a privateer he ruled the merchantmen of his da#. In the beginning of the eighteenth centur# there was also a well7'nown ;aron Wilhelm 1ngern, who was referred to as the 9brother of Satan9 because he was an alchemist. (# grandfather was a privateer in the Indian &cean, ta'ing his tribute from the *nglish traders whose warships could not catch him for several #ears. At last he was captured and handed to the Russian "onsul, who transported him to Russia where he was sentenced to deportation to the !ransbai'al. I am also a naval officer but the Russo7Bapanese War forced me to leave m# regular profession to 0oin and fight with the Aabai'al "ossac's. I have spent all m# life in war or in the stud# and learning of ;uddhism. (# grandfather brought ;uddhism to us from India and m# father and I accepted and professed it. In !ransbai'alia I tried to form the order of (ilitar# ;uddhists for an uncompromising fight against the depravit# of revolution. )e fell into silence and began drin'ing cup after cup of tea as strong and blac' as coffee. Depravit# of revolution@ . . . )as an#one ever thought of it besides the :rench philosopher, ;ergson, and the most learned !ashi +ama in !ibet< !he grandson of the privateer, 8uoting scientific theories, wor's, the names of scientists and writers, the )ol# ;ible and ;uddhist boo's, mi%ing together :rench, ?erman, Russian and *nglish, continued= In the ;uddhistic and ancient "hristian boo's we read stern predictions about the time when the war between the good and evil spirits must begin. !hen there must come the un'nown 9"urse9 which will con8uer the world, blot out culture, 'ill moralit# and destro# all the people. Its weapon is revolution. During ever# revolution the previousl# e%perienced intellect7creator will be replaced b# the new rough force of the destro#er. )e will place and hold in the first ran' the lower instincts and desires. (an will be farther removed from the divine and the spiritual. !he ?reat War proved that humanit# must progress upward toward higher ideals$ but then appeared that "urse which was seen and felt b# "hrist, the Apostle Bohn, ;uddha, the first "hristian mart#rs, Dante, +eonardo da /inci, ?oethe and Dosto#evs'#. It appeared, turned bac' the wheel of progress and bloc'ed our road to the Divinit#. Revolution is an infectious disease and *urope ma'ing

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the treat# with (oscow deceived itself and the other parts of the world. !he ?reat Spirit put at the threshold of our lives 6arma, who 'nows neither anger nor pardon. )e will rec'on the account, whose total will be famine, destruction, the death of culture, of glor#, of honor and of spirit, the death of states and the death of peoples. I see alread# this horror, this dar', mad destruction of humanit#. !he door of the #urta suddenl# swung open and an ad0utant snapped into a position of attention and salute. Wh# do #ou enter a room b# force< the ?eneral e%claimed in anger. .our *%cellenc#, our outpost on the border has caught a ;olshevi' reconnaissance part# and brought them here. !he ;aron arose. )is e#es spar'led and his face contracted with spasms. ;ring them in front of m# #urta@ he ordered. All was forgotten>the inspired speech, the penetrating voice>all were sun' in the austere order of the severe commander. !he ;aron put on his cap, caught up the bamboo tashur which he alwa#s carried with him and rushed from the #urta. I followed him out. !here in front of the #urta stood si% Red soldiers surrounded b# the "ossac's. !he ;aron stopped and glared sharpl# at them for several minutes. In his face one could see the strong pla# of his thoughts. Afterwards he turned awa# from them, sat down on the doorstep of the "hinese house and for a long time was buried in thought. !hen he rose, wal'ed 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= .ou to the left and #ou to the right@ as he divided the s8uad into two sections, four on the right and two on the left. Search those two@ !he# must be commissars@ commanded the ;aron and, turning to the other four, as'ed= Are #ou peasants mobilized b# the ;olshevi'i< Bust so, .our *%cellenc#@ cried the frightened soldiers. ?o to the "ommandant and tell him that I have ordered #ou to be enlisted in m# troops@ &n the two to the left the# found passports of "ommissars of the "ommunist Political Department. !he ?eneral 'nitted his brows and slowl# pronounced the following= ;eat them to death with stic's@ )e turned and entered the #urta. After this our conversation did not flow readil# and so I left the ;aron to himself.

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After dinner in the Russian firm where I was sta#ing some of 1ngern9s officers came in. We were chatting animatedl# when suddenl# we heard the horn of an automobile, which instantl# threw the officers into silence. !he ?eneral is passing somewhere near, one of them remar'ed in a strangel# altered voice. &ur interrupted conversation was soon resumed but not for long. !he cler' of the firm came running into the room and e%claimed= !he ;aron@ )e entered the door but stopped on the threshold. !he lamps had not #et been lighted and it was getting dar' inside, but the ;aron instantl# recognized us all, approached and 'issed the hand of the hostess, greeted ever#one ver# cordiall# and, accepting the cup of tea offered him, drew up to the table to drin'. Soon he spo'e= I want to steal #our guest, he said to the hostess and then, turning to me, as'ed= Do #ou want to go for a motor ride< I shall show #ou the cit# and the environs. Donning m# coat, I followed m# established custom and slipped m# revolver into it, at which the ;aron laughed. +eave that trash behind@ )ere #ou are in safet#. ;esides #ou must remember the prediction of ,arabanchi )utu'tu that :ortune will ever be with #ou. All right, I answered, also with a laugh. I remember ver# well this prediction. &nl# I do not 'now what the )utu'tu thin's 9:ortune9 means for me. (a#be it is death li'e the rest after m# hard, long trip, and I must confess that I prefer to travel farther and am not read# to die. We went out to the gate where the big :iat stood with its intruding great lights. !he chauffeur officer sat at the wheel li'e a statue and remained at salute all the time we were entering and seating ourselves. !o the wireless station@ commanded the ;aron. We veritabl# leapt forward. !he cit# swarmed, as earlier, with the &riental throng, but its appearance now was even more strange and miraculous. In among the nois# crowd (ongol, ;uriat and !ibetan riders threaded swiftl#$ caravans of camels solemnl# raised their heads as we passed$ the wooden wheels of the (ongol carts screamed in pain$ and all was illumined b# splendid great arc lights from the electric station which ;aron 1ngern had ordered erected immediatel# after the capture of 1rga, together with a telephone s#stem and wireless station. )e also ordered his men to clean and disinfect the cit# which had probabl# not felt the broom since the da#s of Benghiz 6han. )e arranged an auto7bus traffic between different parts of the cit#$ built bridges over the !ola and &r'hon$ published a newspaper$ arranged a veterinar# laborator# and hospitals$ re7

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opened the schools$ protected commerce, mercilessl# hanging Russian and (ongolian soldiers for pillaging "hinese firms. In one of these cases his "ommandant arrested two "ossac's and a (ongol soldier who had stolen brand# from one of the "hinese shops and brought them before him. )e immediatel# bundled them all into his car, drove off to the shop, delivered the brand# bac' to the proprietor and as promptl# ordered the (ongol to hang one of the Russians to the big gate of the compound. With this one swung he commanded= ,ow hang the other@ and this had onl# 0ust been accomplished when he turned to the "ommandant and ordered him to hang the (ongol beside the other two. !hat seemed e%peditious and 0ust enough until the "hinese proprietor came in dire distress to the ;aron and plead with him= ?eneral ;aron@ ?eneral ;aron@ Please ta'e those men down from m# gatewa#, for no one will enter m# shop@ After the commercial 8uarter was flashed past our e#es, we entered the Russian settlement across a small river. Several Russian soldiers and four ver# spruce7loo'ing (ongolian women stood on the bridge as we passed. !he soldiers snapped to salute li'e immobile statues and fi%ed their e#es on the severe face of their "ommander. !he women first began to run and shift about and then, infected b# the discipline and order of events, swung their hands up to salute and stood as immobile as their northern swains. !he ;aron loo'ed at me and laughed= .ou see the discipline@ *ven the (ongolian women salute me. Soon we were out on the plain with the car going li'e an arrow, with the wind whistling and tossing the folds of our coats and caps. ;ut ;aron 1ngern, sitting with closed e#es, repeated= :aster@ :aster@ :or a long time we were both silent. And #esterda# I beat m# ad0utant for rushing into m# #urta and interrupting m# stor#, he said. .ou can finish it now, I answered. And are #ou not bored b# it< Well, there isn9t much left and this happens to be the most interesting. I was telling #ou that I wanted to found an order of militar# ;uddhists in Russia. :or what< :or the protection of the processes of evolution of humanit# and for the struggle against revolution, because I am certain that evolution leads to the Divinit# and revolution to bestialit#. ;ut I wor'ed in Russia@ In Russia, where the peasants are rough, untutored, wild and constantl# angr#, hating ever#bod# and ever#thing without understanding wh#. !he# are suspicious and materialistic, having no sacred ideals. Russian intelligents live among imaginar# ideals without realities. !he# have a strong capacit# for criticising ever#thing but the# lac' creative power. Also the# have no will power, onl# the capacit# for tal'ing and tal'ing. With the peasants, the# cannot li'e an#thing or an#bod#. !heir love and feelings are imaginar#. !heir thoughts and

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sentiments pass without trace li'e futile words. (# companions, therefore, soon began to violate the regulations of the &rder. !hen I introduced the condition of celibac#, the entire negation of woman, of the comforts of life, of superfluities, according to the teachings of the .ellow :aith$ and, in order that the Russian might be able to live down his ph#sical nature, I introduced the limitless use of alcohol, hasheesh and opium. ,ow for alcohol I hang m# officers and soldiers$ then we dran' to the 9white fever,9 delirium tremens. I could not organize the &rder but I gathered round me and developed three hundred men wholl# bold and entirel# ferocious. Afterward the# were heroes in the war with ?erman# and later in the fight against the ;olshevi'i, but now onl# a few remain. !he wireless, *%cellenc#@ reported the chauffeur. !urn in there@ ordered the ?eneral. &n the top of a flat hill stood the big, powerful radio station which had been partiall# destro#ed b# the retreating "hinese but reconstructed b# the engineers of ;aron 1ngern. !he ?eneral perused the telegrams and handed them to me. !he# were from (oscow, "hita, /ladivosto' and Pe'ing. &n a separate #ellow sheet were the code messages, which the ;aron slipped into his poc'et as he said to me= !he# are from m# agents, who are stationed in "hita, Ir'uts', )arbin and /ladivosto'. !he# are all Bews, ver# s'illed and ver# bold men, friends of mine all. I have also one Bewish officer, /ulfovitch, who commands m# right flan'. )e is as ferocious as Satan but clever and brave. . . . ,ow we shall fl# into space. &nce more we rushed awa#, sin'ing into the dar'ness of night. It was a wild ride. !he car bounded over small stones and ditches, even ta'ing narrow streamlets, as the s'illed chauffeur onl# seemed to guide it round the larger roc's. &n the plain, as we sped b#, I noticed several times small bright flashes of fire which lasted but for a second and then were e%tinguished. !he e#es of wolves, smiled m# companion. We have fed them to satiet# from the flesh of ourselves and our enemies@ he 8uietl# interpolated, as he turned to continue his confession of faith. During the War we saw the gradual corruption of the Russian arm# and foresaw the treacher# of Russia to the Allies as well as the approaching danger of revolution. !o counteract this latter a plan was formed to 0oin together all the (ongolian 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 "hina, the countr# of loftiest and most ancient culture. Into this State must come the "hinese, (ongols, !ibetans, Afghans, the (ongol tribes of !ur'estan, !artars, ;uriats, 6irghiz and 6almuc's. !his State must be strong, ph#sicall# and morall#, and must erect a barrier against revolution and carefull# preserve its own spirit, philosoph# and individual polic#. If humanit#, mad and corrupted, continues to threaten the Divine Spirit in man'ind, to spread blood and to obstruct moral development, the Asiatic State must terminate this

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movement decisivel# and establish a permanent, firm peace. !his propaganda even during the War made splendid progress among the !ur'omans, 6irghiz, ;uriats and (ongols. . . . 9Stop@9 suddenl# shouted the ;aron. !he car pulled up with a 0er'. !he ?eneral 0umped out and called me to follow. We started wal'ing over the prairie and the ;aron 'ept bending down all the time as though he were loo'ing for something on the ground. Ah@ he murmured at last, )e has gone awa#. . . . I loo'ed at him in amazement. A rich (ongol formerl# had his #urta here. )e was the outfitter for the Russian merchant, ,os'off. ,os'off was a ferocious man as shown b# the name the (ongols gave him>9Satan.9 )e used to have his (ongol debtors beaten or imprisoned through the instrumentalit# of the "hinese authorities. )e ruined this (ongol, who lost ever#thing and escaped to a place thirt# miles awa#$ but ,os'off found him there, too' all that he had left of cattle and horses and left the (ongol and his famil# to die of hunger. When I captured 1rga, this (ongol appeared and brought with him thirt# other (ongol families similarl# ruined b# ,os'off. !he# demanded his death. . . . So I hung 9Satan9 . . . Anew the motor car was rushing along, sweeping a great circle on the prairie, and anew ;aron 1ngern with his sharp, nervous voice carried his thoughts round the whole circumference of Asian life. Russia turned traitor to :rance, *ngland and America, signed the ;rest7+itovs' !reat# and ushered in a reign of chaos. We then decided to mobilize Asia against ?erman#. &ur envo#s penetrated (ongolia, !ibet, !ur'estan and "hina. At this time the ;olshevi'i began to 'ill all the Russian officers and we were forced to open civil war against them, giving up our Pan7Asiatic plans$ but we hope later to awa'e all Asia and with their help to bring peace and ?od bac' to earth. I want to feel that I have helped this idea b# the liberation of (ongolia. )e became silent and thought for a moment. ;ut some of m# associates in the movement do not li'e me because of m# atrocities and severit#, he remar'ed in a sad voice. !he# cannot understand as #et that we are not fighting a political part# but a sect of murderers of all contemporar# spiritual culture. Wh# do the Italians e%ecute the 9;lac' )and9 gang< Wh# are the Americans electrocuting anarchistic bomb throwers< and I am not allowed to rid the world of those who would 'ill the soul of the people< I, a !euton, descendant of crusaders and privateers, I recognize onl# death for murderers@ . . . Return@ he commanded the chauffeur. An hour and a half later we saw the electric lights of 1rga.

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C$APTER XXX%!!
T$E CAMP OF MARTYRS
,ear the entrance to the town, a motor car stood before a small house. What does that mean< e%claimed the ;aron. ?o over there@ &ur car drew up beside the other. !he house door opened sharpl#, several officers rushed out and tried to hide. Stand@ commanded the ?eneral. ?o bac' inside. !he# obe#ed and he entered after them, leaning on his tashur. As the door remained open, I could see and hear ever#thing. Woe to them@ whispered the chauffeur. &ur officers 'new that the ;aron had gone out of the town with me, which means alwa#s a long 0ourne#, and must have decided to have a good time. )e will order them beaten to death with stic's. I could see the end of the table covered with bottles and tinned things. At the side two #oung women were seated, who sprang up at the appearance of the ?eneral. I could hear the hoarse voice of ;aron 1ngern pronouncing sharp, short, stern phrases. .our native land is perishing. . . . !he shame of it is upon all #ou Russians . . . and #ou cannot understand it . . . nor feel it. . . . .ou need wine and women. . . . Scoundrels@ ;rutes@ . . . &ne hundred fift# tashur for ever# man of #ou. !he voice fell to a whisper. And #ou, (esdames, do #ou not realize the ruin of #our people< ,o< :or #ou it is of no moment. And have #ou no feeling for #our husbands at the front who ma# even now be 'illed< .ou are not women. . . . I honor woman, who feels more deepl# and strongl# than man$ but #ou are not women@ . . . +isten to me, (esdames. &nce more and I will hang #ou. . . . )e came bac' to the car and himself sounded the horn several times. Immediatel# (ongol horsemen galloped up. !a'e these men to the "ommandant. I will send m# orders later. &n the wa# to the ;aron9s #urta we were silent. )e was e%cited and breathed heavil#, lighting cigarette after cigarette and throwing them aside after but a single puff or two. !a'e supper with me, he proposed. )e also invited his "hief of Staff, a ver# retiring, oppressed but splendidl# educated man. !he servants spread a "hinese hot course for us followed b# cold meat and fruit compote 123

from "alifornia with the inevitable tea. We ate with chopstic's. !he ;aron was greatl# distraught. /er# cautiousl# I began spea'ing of the offending officers and tried to 0ustif# their actions b# the e%tremel# tr#ing circumstances under which the# were living. !he# are rotten through and through, demoralized, sun' into the depths, murmured the ?eneral. !he "hief of Staff helped me out and at last the ;aron directed him to telephone the "ommandant to release these gentlemen. !he following da# I spent with m# friends, wal'ing a great deal about the streets and watching their bus# life. !he great energ# of the ;aron demanded constant nervous activit# from himself and ever# one round him. )e was ever#where, seeing ever#thing but never, interfering with the wor' of his subordinate administrators. *ver# one was at wor'. In the evening I was invited b# the "hief of Staff to his 8uarters, where I met man# intelligent officers. I related again the stor# of m# trip and we were all chatting along animatedl# when suddenl# "olonel Sepailoff entered, singing to himself. All the others at once became silent and one b# one under various prete%ts the# slipped out. )e handed our host some papers and, turning to us, said= I shall send #ou for supper a splendid fish pie and some hot tomato soup. As he left, m# host clasped his head in desperation and said= With such scum of the earth are we now forced after this revolution to wor'@ 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 "hief motioned me with his e#es and slipped to me the words= ,otice his face. When the man went out, m# host sat attentivel# listening until the sounds of the man9s steps ceased. )e is Sepailoff9s e%ecutioner who hangs and strangles the unfortunate condemned ones. !hen, to m# amazement, he began to pour out the soup on the ground beside the brazier and, going out of the #urta, threw the pie over the fence. It is Sepailoff9s feast and, though it ma# be ver# tast#, it ma# also be poison. In Sepailoff9s house it is dangerous to eat or drin' an#thing.

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Distinctl# oppressed b# these doings, I returned to m# house. (# host was not #et asleep and met me with a frightened loo'. (# friends were also there. ?od be than'ed@ the# all e%claimed. )as nothing happened to #ou< What is the matter< I as'ed. .ou see, began the host, after #our departure a soldier came from Sepailoff and too' #our luggage, sa#ing that #ou had sent him for it$ but we 'new what it meant>that the# would first search it and afterwards. . . . I at once understood the danger. Sepailoff could place an#thing he wanted in m# luggage and afterwards accuse me. (# old friend, the agronome, and I started at once for Sepailoff9s, where I left him at the door while I went in and was met b# the same soldier who had brought the supper to us. Sepailoff received me immediatel#. In answer to m# protest he said that it was a mista'e and, as'ing me to wait for a moment, went out. I waited five, ten, fifteen minutes but nobod# came. I 'noc'ed on the door but no one answered me. !hen I decided to go to ;aron 1ngern and started for the e%it. !he door was loc'ed. !hen I tried the other door and found that also loc'ed. I had been trapped@ I wanted at once to whistle to m# friend but 0ust then noticed a telephone on the wall and called up ;aron 1ngern. In a few minutes he appeared together with Sepailoff. What is this< he as'ed Sepailoff in a severe, threatening voice$ and, without waiting for an answer, struc' him a blow with his tashur that sent him to the floor. We went out and the ?eneral ordered m# luggage produced. !hen he brought me to his own #urta. +ive here, now, he said. I am ver# glad of this accident, he remar'ed with a smile, for now I can sa# all that I want to. !his drew from me the 8uestion= (a# I describe all that I have heard and seen here< )e thought a moment before repl#ing= ?ive me #our noteboo'. I handed him the album with m# s'etches of the trip and he wrote therein= After m# death, ;aron 1ngern. ;ut I am older than #ou and I shall die before #ou, I remar'ed. )e shut his e#es, bowed his head and whispered= &h, no@ &ne hundred thirt# da#s #et and it is finished$ then . . . ,irvana@ )ow wearied I am with sorrow, woe and hate@

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We were silent for a long time. I felt that I had now a mortal enem# in "olonel Sepailoff and that I should get out of 1rga at the earliest possible moment. It was two o9cloc' at night. Suddenl# ;aron 1ngern stood up. +et us go to the great, good ;uddha, he said with a countenance held in deep thought and with e#es aflame, his whole face contracted b# a mournful, bitter smile. )e ordered the car brought. !hus lived this camp of mart#rs, refugees pursued b# events to their tr#st with Death, driven on b# the hate and contempt of this offspring of !eutons and privateers@ And he, mart#ring them, 'new neither da# nor night of peace. :ired b# impelling, poisonous thoughts, he tormented himself with the pains of a !itan, 'nowing that ever# da# in this shortening chain of one hundred thirt# lin's brought him nearer to the precipice called Death.

C$APTER XXX%!!!
BEFORE T$E FACE OF B&DD$A
As we came to the monaster# we left the automobile and dipped into the lab#rinth of narrow alle#wa#s until at last we were before the greatest temple of 1rga with the !ibetan walls and windows and its pretentious "hinese roof. A single lantern burned at the entrance. !he heav# gate with the bronze and iron trimmings was shut. When the ?eneral struc' the big brass gong hanging b# the gate, frightened mon's began running up from all directions and, seeing the ?eneral ;aron, fell to the earth in fear of raising their heads. ?et up, said the ;aron, and let us into the !emple@ !he inside was li'e that of all +ama temples, the same multi7colored flags with the pra#ers, s#mbolic signs and the images of hol# saints$ the big bands of sil' cloth hanging from the ceiling$ the images of the gods and goddesses. &n both sides of the approach to the altar were the low red benches for the +amas and choir. &n the altar small lamps threw their ra#s on the gold and silver vessels and candlestic's. ;ehind it hung a heav# #ellow sil' curtain with !ibetan inscriptions. !he +amas drew the curtain aside. &ut of the dim light from the flic'ering lamps graduall# appeared the great gilded statue of ;uddha seated in the ?olden +otus. !he face of the god was indifferent and calm with onl# a soft gleam of light animating it. &n either side he was guarded b# man# thousands of lesser ;uddhas brought b# the faithful as offerings in pra#er. !he ;aron struc' the gong to attract ?reat ;uddha9s attention to his pra#er 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 e#es, placed his hands together before his face and pra#ed. I noticed a blac' rosar# on his left wrist. )e pra#ed about ten minutes. Afterwards he led me to the other end of the monaster# and, during our passage, said to me=

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I do not li'e this temple. It is new, erected b# the +amas when the +iving ;uddha became blind. I do not find on the face of the golden ;uddha either tears, hopes, distress or than's of the people. !he# have not #et had time to leave these traces on the face of the god. We shall go now to the old Shrine of Prophecies. !his was a small building, blac'ened with age and resembling a tower with a plain round roof. !he doors stood open. At both sides of the door were pra#er wheels read# to be spun$ over it a slab of copper with the signs of the zodiac. Inside two mon's, who were intoning the sacred sutras, did not lift their e#es as we entered. !he ?eneral approached them and said= "ast the dice for the number of m# da#s@ !he priests brought two bowls with man# dice therein and rolled them out on their low table. !he ;aron loo'ed and rec'oned with them the sum before he spo'e= &ne hundred thirt#@ Again one hundred thirt#@ Approaching the altar carr#ing an ancient stone statue of ;uddha brought all the wa# from India, he again pra#ed. As da# dawned, we wandered out through the monaster#, visited all the temples and shrines, the museum of the medical school, the astrological tower and then the court where the ;andi and #oung +amas have their dail# morning wrestling e%ercises. In other places the +amas were practising with the bow and arrow. Some of the higher +amas feasted us with hot mutton, tea and wild onions. After we returned to the #urta I tried to sleep but in vain. !oo man# different 8uestions were troubling me. Where am I< In what epoch am I living< I 'new not but I diml# felt the unseen touch of some great idea, some enormous plan, some indescribable human woe. After our noon meal the ?eneral said he wanted to introduce me to the +iving ;uddha. It is so difficult to secure audience with the +iving ;uddha that I was ver# glad to have this opportunit# offered me. &ur auto soon drew up at the gate of the red and white striped wall surrounding the palace of the god. !wo hundred +amas in #ellow and red robes rushed to greet the arriving "hiang "hun, ?eneral, with the low7toned, respectful whisper 6han@ ?od of War@ As a regiment of formal ushers the# led us to a spacious great hall softened b# its semi7dar'ness. )eav# carved doors opened to the interior parts of the palace. In the depths of the hall stood a dais with the throne covered with #ellow sil' cushions. !he bac' of the throne was red inside a gold framing$ at either side stood #ellow sil' screens set in highl# ornamented frames of blac' "hinese wood$ while against the walls at either side of the throne stood glass cases filled with varied ob0ects from "hina, Bapan, India and Russia. I noticed also among them a pair of e%8uisite (ar8uis and (ar8uises in the fine porcelain of Sevres. ;efore the throne stood a long, low table at which eight noble (ongols were seated, their chairman, a highl# esteemed old man with a clever, energetic face and with large penetrating e#es. )is appearance reminded me of the authentic wooden images of the ;uddhist hol#men with e#es of precious stones which I saw at the !o'#o Imperial (useum in the department devoted to

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;uddhism, where the Bapanese show the ancient statues of Amida, Daunichi7;uddha, the ?oddess 6wannon and the 0oll# old )otei. !his man was the )utu'tu Bahantsi, "hairman of the (ongolian "ouncil of (inisters, and honored and revered far be#ond the bournes of (ongolia. !he others were the (inisters>6hans and the )ighest Princes of 6hal'ha. Bahantsi )utu'tu invited ;aron 1ngern to the place at his side, while the# brought in a *uropean chair for me. ;aron 1ngern announced to the "ouncil of (inisters through an interpreter that he would leave (ongolia in a few da#s and urged them to protect the freedom won for the lands inhabited b# the successors of Benghiz 6han, whose soul still lives and calls upon the (ongols to become anew a powerful people and reunite again into one great (id7Asiatic State all the Asian 'ingdoms he had ruled. !he ?eneral rose and all the others followed him. )e too' leave of each one separatel# and sternl#. &nl# before Bahantsi +ama he bent low while the )utu'tu placed his hands on the ;aron9s head and blessed him. :rom the "ouncil "hamber we passed at once to the Russian st#le house which is the personal dwelling of the +iving ;uddha. !he house was wholl# surrounded b# a crowd of red and #ellow +amas$ servants, councilors of ;ogdo, officials, fortune tellers, doctors and favorites. :rom the front entrance stretched a long red rope whose outer end was thrown over the wall beside the gate. "rowds of pilgrims crawling up on their 'nees touch this end of the rope outside the gate and hand the mon' a sil'en hat#' or a bit of silver. !his touching of the rope whose inner end is in the hand of the ;ogdo establishes direct communication with the hol#, incarnated +iving ?od. A current of blessing is supposed to flow through this cable of camel9s wool and horse hair. An# (ongol who has touched the m#stic rope receives and wears about his nec' a red band as the sign of his accomplished pilgrimage. I had heard ver# much about the ;ogdo 6han before this opportunit# to see him. I had heard of his love of alcohol, which had brought on blindness, about his leaning toward e%terior western culture and about his wife drin'ing deep with him and receiving in his name numerous delegations and envo#s. In the room which the ;ogdo used as his private stud#, where two +ama secretaries watched da# and night over the chest that contained his great seals, there was the severest simplicit#. &n a low, plain, "hinese lac8uered table la# his writing implements, a case of seals given b# the "hinese ?overnment and b# the Dalai +ama and wrapped in a cloth of #ellow sil'. ,earb# was a low eas# chair, a bronze brazier with an iron stovepipe leading up from it$ on the walls were the signs of the swasti'a, !ibetan and (ongolian inscriptions$ behind the eas# chair a small altar with a golden statue of ;uddha before which two tallow lamps were burning$ the floor was covered with a thic' #ellow carpet. When we entered, onl# the two +ama secretaries were there, for the +iving ;uddha was in the small private shrine in an ad0oining chamber, where no one is allowed to enter save the ;ogdo 6han himself and one +ama, 6anpo7?elong, who cares for the temple arrangements and assists the +iving ;uddha during his pra#ers of solitude. !he secretar# told us that the ;ogdo had been greatl# e%cited this morning. At noon he had entered his

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shrine. :or a long time the voice of the head of the .ellow :aith was heard in earnest pra#er and after his another un'nown voice came clearl# forth. In the shrine had ta'en place a conversation between the ;uddha on earth and the ;uddha of heaven>thus the +amas phrased it to us. +et us wait a little, the ;aron proposed. Perhaps he will soon come out. As we waited the ?eneral began telling me about Bahantsi +ama, sa#ing that, when Bahantsi is calm, he is an ordinar# man but, when he is disturbed and thin's ver# deepl#, a nimbus appears about his head. After half an hour the +ama secretaries suddenl# showed signs of deep fear and began listening closel# b# the entrance to the shrine. Shortl# the# fell on their faces on the ground. !he door slowl# opened and there entered the *mperor of (ongolia, the +iving ;uddha, )is )oliness ;ogdo D0ebtsung Damba )utu'tu, 6han of &uter (ongolia. )e was a stout old man with a heav# shaven face resembling those of the "ardinals of Rome. )e was dressed in the #ellow sil'en (ongolian coat with a blac' binding. !he e#es of the blind man stood widel# open. :ear and amazement were pictured in them. )e lowered himself heavil# into the eas# chair and whispered= Write@ A secretar# immediatel# too' paper and a "hinese pen as the ;ogdo began to dictate his vision, ver# complicated and far from clear. )e finished with the following words= !his I, ;ogdo )utu'tu 6han, saw, spea'ing with the great wise ;uddha, surrounded b# the good and evil spirits. Wise +amas, )utu'tus, 6anpos, (arambas and )ol# ?heghens, give the answer to m# vision@ As he finished, he wiped the perspiration from his head and as'ed who were present. 6han "hiang "hin ;aron 1ngern and a stranger, one of the secretaries answered on his 'nees. !he ?eneral presented me to the ;ogdo, who bowed his head as a sign of greeting. !he# began spea'ing together in low tones. !hrough the open door I saw a part of the shrine. I made out a big table with a heap of boo's on it, some open and others l#ing on the floor below$ a brazier with the red charcoal in it$ a bas'et containing the shoulder blades and entrails of sheep for telling fortunes. Soon the ;aron rose and bowed before the ;ogdo. !he !ibetan placed his hands on the ;aron9s head and whispered a pra#er. !hen he too' from his own nec' a heav# i'on and hung it around that of the ;aron. .ou will not die but #ou will be incarnated in the highest form of being. Remember that, Incarnated ?od of War, 6han of grateful (ongolia@ I understood that the +iving ;uddha blessed the ;lood# ?eneral before death.

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During the ne%t two da#s I had the opportunit# to visit the +iving ;uddha three times together with a friend of the ;ogdo, the ;uriat Prince D0am ;olon. I shall describe these visits in Part I/. ;aron 1ngern organized the trip for me and m# part# to the shore of the Pacific. We were to go on camels to northern (anchuria, because there it was eas# to avoid cavilling with the "hinese authorities so badl# oriented in the international relationship with Poland. )aving sent a letter from 1liassutai to the :rench +egation at Pe'ing and bearing with me a letter from the "hinese "hamber of "ommerce, e%pressing than's for the saving of 1liassutai from a pogrom, I intended to ma'e for the nearest station on the "hinese *astern Railwa# and from there proceed to Pe'ing. !he Danish merchant *. /. &lufsen was to have traveled out with me and also a learned +ama !urgut, who was headed for "hina. ,ever shall I forget the night of (a# 23th to 45th of 2342@ After dinner ;aron 1ngern proposed that we go to the #urta of D0am ;olon, whose ac8uaintance I had made on the first da# after m# arrival in 1rga. )is #urta was placed on a raised wooden platform in a compound located behind the Russian settlement. !wo ;uriat officers met us and too' us in. D0am ;olon was a man of middle age, tall and thin with an unusuall# long face. ;efore the ?reat War he had been a simple shepherd but had fought together with ;aron 1ngern on the ?erman front and afterwards against the ;olshevi'i. )e was a ?rand Du'e of the ;uriats, the successor of former ;uriat 'ings who had been dethroned b# the Russian ?overnment after their attempt to establish the Independence of the ;uriat people. !he servants brought us dishes with nuts, raisins, dates and cheese and served us tea. !his is the last night, D0am ;olon@ said ;aron 1ngern. .ou promised me . . . I remember, answered the ;uriat, all is read#. :or a long time I listened to their reminiscences about former battles and friends who had been lost. !he cloc' pointed to midnight when D0am ;olon got up and went out of the #urta. I want to have m# fortune told once more, said ;aron 1ngern, as though he were 0ustif#ing himself. :or the good of our cause it is too earl# for me to die. . . . D0am ;olon came bac' with a little woman of middle #ears, who s8uatted down eastern st#le before the brazier, bowed low and began to stare at ;aron 1ngern. )er face was whiter, narrower and thinner than that of a (ongol woman. )er e#es were blac' and sharp. )er dress resembled that of a g#ps# woman. Afterwards I learned that she was a famous fortune teller and prophet among the ;uriats, the daughter of a g#ps# woman and a ;uriat. She drew a small bag ver# slowl# from her girdle, too' from it some small bird bones and a handful of dr# grass. She began whispering at intervals unintelligible words, as she threw occasional handfuls of the grass into the fire, which graduall# filled the tent with a soft fragrance. I felt a distinct palpitation of m# heart and a swimming in m# head.

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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 blac'ened, she began to e%amine them and then suddenl# her face too' on an e%pression of fear and pain. She nervousl# tore off the 'erchief which bound her head and, contracted with convulsions, began snapping out short, sharp phrases. I see . . . I see the ?od of War. . . . )is life runs out . . . horribl#. . . . After it a shadow . . . blac' li'e the night. . . . Shadow. . . . &ne hundred thirt# steps remain. . . . ;e#ond dar'ness. . . . ,othing . . . I see nothing. . . . !he ?od of War has disappeared. . . . ;aron 1ngern dropped his head. !he woman fell over on her bac' with her arms stretched out. She had fainted, but it seemed to me that I noticed once a bright pupil of one of her e#es showing from under the closed lashes. !wo ;uriats carried out the lifeless form, after which a long silence reigned in the #urta of the ;uriat Prince. ;aron 1ngern finall# got up and began to wal' around the brazier, whispering to himself. Afterwards he stopped and began spea'ing rapidl#= I shall die@ I shall die@ . . . but no matter, no matter. . . . !he cause has been launched and will not die. . . . I 'now the roads this cause will travel. !he tribes of Benghiz 6han9s successors are awa'ened. ,obod# shall e%tinguish the fire in the heart of the (ongols@ In Asia there will be a great State from the Pacific and Indian &ceans to the shore of the /olga. !he wise religion of ;uddha shall run to the north and the west. It will be the victor# of the spirit. A con8ueror and leader will appear stronger and more stalwart than Benghiz 6han and 1gadai. )e will be more clever and more merciful than Sultan ;aber and he will 'eep power in his hands until the happ# da# when, from his subterranean capital, shall emerge the 6ing of the World. Wh#, wh# shall I not be in the first ran's of the warriors of ;uddhism< Wh# has 6arma decided so< ;ut so it must be@ And Russia must first wash herself from the insult of revolution, purif#ing herself with blood and death$ and all people accepting "ommunism must perish with their families in order that all their offspring ma# be rooted out@ !he ;aron raised his hand above his head and shoo' it, as though he were giving his orders and be8uests to some invisible person. Da# was dawning. (# time has come@ said the ?eneral. In a little while I shall leave 1rga. )e 8uic'l# and firml# shoo' hands with us and said= ?ood7b#e 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. . . . !he door of the #urta slammed shut and he was gone. I never saw him again.

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I must go also, for I am li'ewise leaving 1rga toda#. I 'now it, answered the Prince, the ;aron has left #ou with me for some purpose. I will give #ou a fourth companion, the (ongol (inister of War. .ou will accompan# him to #our #urta. It is necessar# for #ou. . . . D0am ;olon pronounced this last with an accent on ever# word. I did not 8uestion him about it, as I was accustomed to the m#ster# of this countr# of the m#steries of good and evil spirits.

C$APTER XXX!X
-T$E MAN #!T$ A $EAD L!(E A SADDLEAfter drin'ing tea at D0am ;olon9s #urta I rode bac' to m# 8uarters and pac'ed m# few belongings. !he +ama !urgut was alread# there. !he (inister of War will travel with us, he whispered. It is necessar#. All right, I answered, and rode off to &lufsen to summon him. ;ut &lufsen une%pectedl# announced that he was forced to spend some few da#s more in 1rga>a fatal decision for him, for a month later he was reported 'illed b# Sepailoff who remained as "ommandant of the cit# after ;aron 1ngern9s departure. !he War (inister, a stout, #oung (ongol, 0oined our caravan. When we had gone about si% miles from the cit#, we saw an automobile coming up behind us. !he +ama shrun' up inside his coat and loo'ed at me with fear. I felt the now familiar atmosphere of danger and so opened m# holster and threw over the safet# catch of m# revolver. Soon the motor stopped alongside our caravan. In it sat Sepailoff with a smiling face and beside him his two e%ecutioners, "hestia'off and Bdanoff. Sepailoff greeted us ver# warml# and as'ed= .ou are changing #our horses in 6hazahudu'< Does the road cross that pass ahead< I don9t 'now the wa# and must overta'e an envo# who went there. !he (inister of War answered that we would be in 6hazahudu' that evening and gave Sepailoff directions as to the road. !he motor rushed awa# and, when it had topped the pass, he ordered one of the (ongols to gallop forward to see whether it had not stopped somewhere near the other side. !he (ongol whipped his steed and sped awa#. We followed slowl#. What is the matter< I as'ed. Please e%plain@ !he (inister told me that D0am ;olon #esterda# received information that Sepailoff planned to overta'e me on the wa# and 'ill me. Sepailoff suspected that I had stirred up the ;aron against him. D0am ;olon reported the matter to the ;aron, who organized this

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column for m# safet#. !he returning (ongol reported that the motor car had gone on out of sight. ,ow, said the (inister, we shall ta'e 8uite another route so that the "olonel will wait in vain for us at 6hazahudu'. We turned north at 1ndur Dobo and at night were in the camp of a local prince. )ere we too' leave of our (inister, received splendid fresh horses and 8uic'l# continued our trip to the east, leaving behind us the man with the head li'e a saddle against whom I had been warned b# the old fortune teller in the vicinit# of /an 6ure. After twelve da#s without further adventures we reached the first railwa# station on the "hinese *astern Railwa#, from where I traveled in unbelievable lu%ur# to Pe'ing.

Surrounded b# the comforts and conveniences of the splendid hotel at Pe'ing, while shedding all the attributes of traveler, hunter and warrior, I could not, however, throw off the spell of those nine da#s spent in 1rga, where I had dail# met ;aron 1ngern, Incarnated ?od of War. !he newspapers carr#ing accounts of the blood# march of the ;aron through !ransbai'alia brought the pictures ever fresh to m# mind. *ven now, although more than seven months have elapsed, I cannot forget those nights of madness, inspiration and hate. !he predictions are fulfilled. Appro%imatel# one hundred thirt# da#s afterwards ;aron 1ngern was captured b# the ;olshevi'i through the treacher# of his officers and, it is reported, was e%ecuted at the end of September. ;aron R. :. 1ngern von Sternberg. . . . +i'e a blood# storm of avenging 6arma he spread over "entral Asia. What did he leave behind him< !he severe order to his soldiers closing with the words of the Revelations of St. Bohn= +et no one chec' the revenge against the corrupter and sla#er of the soul of the Russian people. Revolution must be eradicated from the World. Against it the Revelations of St. Bohn have warned us thus= 9And the woman was arra#ed in purple and scarlet, and dec'ed 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, (.S!*R., ;A;.+&, !)* ?R*A!, !)* (&!)*R &: !)* )AR+&!S A,D &: !)* A;&(I,A!I&,S &: !)* *AR!). And I saw the woman drun'en with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the mart#rs of Besus.9 It is a human document, a document of Russian and, perhaps, of world traged#. ;ut there remained another and more important trace. In the (ongol #urtas and at the fires of ;uriat, (ongol, D0ungar, 6ir'hiz, 6almuc' and !ibetan shepherds still spea' the legend born of this son of crusaders and privateers=

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:rom the north a white warrior came and called on the (ongols to brea' their chains of slaver#, which fell upon our freed soil. !his white warrior was the Incarnated Benghiz 6han and he predicted the coming of the greatest of all (ongols who will spread the fair faith of ;uddha and the glor# and power of the offspring of Benghiz, 1gadai and 6ublai 6han. So it shall be@ Asia is awa'ened and her sons utter bold words. It were well for the peace of the world if the# go forth as disciples of the wise creators, 1gadai and Sultan ;aber, rather than under the spell of the bad demons of the destructive !amerlane.

Par !%
T$E L!%!NG B&DD$A

C$APTER XL
!N T$E BL!SSF&L GARDEN OF A T$O&SAND )OYS
In (ongolia, the countr# of miracles and m#steries, lives the custodian of all the m#sterious and un'nown, the +iving ;uddha, )is )oliness D0ebtsung Damba )utu'tu 6han or ;ogdo ?heghen, Pontiff of !a 6ure. )e is the incarnation of the never7d#ing ;uddha, the representative of the unbro'en, m#steriousl# continued line of spiritual emperors ruling since 2IH5, concealing in themselves the ever refining spirit of ;uddha Amitabha 0oined with "han7ra7zi or the "ompassionate Spirit of the (ountains. In him is ever#thing, even the Sun (#th and the fascination of the m#sterious pea's of the )imala#as, tales of the Indian pagoda, the stern ma0est# of the (ongolian "on8uerors> *mperors of All Asia>and the ancient, haz# legends of the "hinese sages$ immersion in the thoughts of the ;rahmans$ the severities of life of the mon's of the /irtuous &rder $ the vengeance of the eternall# wandering warriors, the &lets, with their 6hans, ;atur )un !aigi and ?ushi$ the proud be8uests of Benghiz and 6ublai 6han$ the clerical reactionar# ps#cholog# of the +amas$ the m#ster# of !ibetan 'ings beginning from Srong7!sang ?ampo$ and the mercilessness of the .ellow Sect of Paspa. All the haz# histor# of Asia, of (ongolia, Pamir, )imala#as, (esopotamia, Persia and "hina, surrounds the +iving ?od of 1rga. It is little wonder that his name is honored along the /olga, in Siberia, Arabia, between the !igris and *uphrates, in Indo7"hina and on the shores of the Arctic &cean. During m# sta# in 1rga I visited the abode of the +iving ;uddha several times, spo'e with him and observed his life. )is favorite learned (arambas gave me long accounts of him. I saw him reading horoscopes, I heard his predictions, I loo'ed over his archives of ancient boo's and the manuscripts containing the lives and predictions of all the ;ogdo 134

6hans. !he +amas were ver# fran' and open with me, because the letter of the )utu'tu of ,arabanchi won for me their confidence. !he personalit# of the +iving ;uddha is double, 0ust as ever#thing in +amaism is double. "lever, penetrating, energetic, he at the same time indulges in the drun'enness which has brought on blindness. When he became blind, the +amas were thrown into a state of desperation. Some of them maintained that ;ogdo 6han must be poisoned and another Incarnate ;uddha set in his place$ while the others pointed out the great merits of the Pontiff in the e#es of (ongolians and the followers of the .ellow :aith. !he# finall# decided to propitiate the gods b# building a great temple with a gigantic statue of ;uddha. )owever, this did not help the ;ogdo9s sight but the whole incident gave him the opportunit# of hurr#ing on to their higher life those among the +amas who had shown too much radicalism in their proposed method of solving his problem. )e never ceases to ponder upon the cause of the church and of (ongolia and at the same time li'es to indulge himself with useless trifles. )e amuses himself with artiller#. A retired Russian officer presented him with two old guns, for which the donor received the title of !umbaiir )un, that is, Prince Dear7to7m#7)eart. &n holida#s these cannon were fired to the great amusement of the blind man. (otorcars, gramophones, telephones, cr#stals, porcelains, pictures, perfumes, musical instruments, rare animals and birds$ elephants, )imala#an bears, mon'e#s, Indian sna'es and parrots>all these were in the palace of the god but all were soon cast aside and forgotten. !o 1rga come pilgrims and presents from all the +amaite and ;uddhist world. &nce the treasurer of the palace, the )onorable ;alma Dor0i, too' me into the great hall where the presents were 'ept. It was a most uni8ue museum of precious articles. )ere were gathered together rare ob0ects un'nown to the museums of *urope. !he treasurer, as he opened a case with a silver loc', said to me= !hese are pure gold nuggets from ;ei 6em$ here are blac' sables from 6emchic'$ these the miraculous deer horns$ this a bo% sent b# the &rochons and filled with precious ginseng roots and fragrant mus'$ this a bit of amber from the coast of the 9frozen sea9 and it weighs 24L lans Dabout ten poundsE$ these are precious stones from India, fragrant zebet and carved ivor# from "hina. )e showed the e%hibits and tal'ed of them for a long time and evidentl# en0o#ed the telling. And reall# it was wonderful@ ;efore m# e#es la# the bundles of rare furs$ white beaver, blac' sables, white, blue and blac' fo% and blac' panthers$ small beautifull# carved tortoise shell bo%es containing hat#'s ten or fifteen #ards long, woven from Indian sil' as fine as the webs of the spider$ small bags made of golden thread filled with pearls, the presents of Indian Ra0ahs$ precious rings with sapphires and rubies from "hina and India$ big pieces of 0ade, rough diamonds$ ivor# tus's ornamented with gold, pearls and precious stones$ bright clothes sewn with gold and silver thread$ walrus tus's carved in bas7relief b# the primitive artists on the shores of the ;ehring Sea$ and much more that one cannot recall or recount. In a separate room stood the cases with the statues of

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;uddha, made of gold, silver, bronze, ivor#, coral, mother of pearl and from a rare colored and fragrant species of wood. .ou 'now when con8uerors come into a countr# where the gods are honored, the# brea' the images and throw them down. So it was more than three hundred #ears ago when the 6almuc's went into !ibet and the same was repeated in Pe'ing when the *uropean troops looted the place in 2355. ;ut do #ou 'now wh# this is done< !a'e one of the statues and e%amine it. I pic'ed up one nearest the edge, a wooden ;uddha, and began e%amining it. Inside something was loose and rattled. Do #ou hear it< the +ama as'ed. !hese are precious stones and bits of gold, the entrails of the god. !his is the reason wh# the con8uerors at once brea' up the statues of the gods. (an# famous precious stones have appeared from the interior of the statues of the gods in India, ;ab#lon and "hina. Some rooms were devoted to the librar#, where manuscripts and volumes of different epochs in different languages and with man# diverse themes fill the shelves. Some of them are mouldering or pulverizing awa# and the +amas cover these now with a solution which partiall# solidifies li'e a 0ell# to protect what remains from the ravages of the air. !here also we saw tablets of cla# with the cuneiform inscriptions, evidentl# from ;ab#lonia$ "hinese, Indian and !ibetan boo's shelved beside those of (ongolia$ tomes of the ancient pure ;uddhism$ boo's of the Red "aps or corrupt ;uddhism$ boo's of the .ellow or +amaite ;uddhism$ boo's of traditions, legends and parables. ?roups of +amas were perusing, stud#ing and cop#ing these boo's, preserving and spreading the ancient wisdom for their successors. &ne department is devoted to the m#sterious boo's on magic, the historical lives and wor's of all the thirt#7one +iving ;uddhas, with the bulls of the Dalai +ama, of the Pontiff from !ashi +umpo, of the )utu'tu of 1tai in "hina, of the Pandita ?heghen of Dolo ,or in Inner (ongolia and of the )undred "hinese Wise (en. &nl# the ;ogdo )utu'tu and (aramba !a7Rimpo7"ha can enter this room of m#sterious lore. !he 'e#s to it rest with the seals of the +iving ;uddha and the rub# ring of Benghiz 6han ornamented with the sign of the swasti'a in the chest in the private stud# of the ;ogdo. !he person of )is )oliness is surrounded b# five thousand +amas. !he# are divided into man# ran's from simple servants to the "ouncillors of ?od, of which latter the ?overnment consists. Among these "ouncillors are all the four 6hans of (ongolia and the five highest Princes. &f all the +amas there are three classes of peculiar interest, about which the +iving ;uddha himself told me when I visited him with D0am ;olon.

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!he ?od sorrowfull# mourned over the demoralized and sumptuous life led b# the +amas which decreased rapidl# the number of fortune tellers and clairvo#ants among their ran's, sa#ing of it= If the Bahantsi and ,arabanchi monasteries had not preserved their strict regime and rules, !a 6ure would have been left without prophets and fortune tellers. ;arun Abaga ,ar, Dorchiul7Burdo' and the other hol# +amas 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. !his class of +amas is a ver# important one, because ever# important personage visiting the monasteries at 1rga is shown to the +ama !zuren or fortune teller without the 'nowledge of the visitor for the stud# of his destin# and fate, which are then communicated to the ;ogdo )utu'tu, so that with these facts in his possession the ;ogdo 'nows in what wa# to treat his guest and what polic# to follow toward him. !he !zurens are mostl# old men, s'inn#, e%hausted and severe ascetics. ;ut I have met some who were #oung, almost bo#s. !he# were the )ubilgan, incarnate gods, the future )utu'tus and ?heghens of the various (ongolian monasteries. !he second class is the doctors or !a +ama. !he# observe the actions of plants and certain products from animals upon people, preserve !ibetan medicines and cures, and stud# anatom# ver# carefull# but without ma'ing use of vivisection and the scalpel. !he# are s'ilful bone setters, masseurs and great connoisseurs of h#pnotism and animal magnetism. !he third class is the highest ran' of doctors, consisting chiefl# of !ibetans and 6almuc's>poisoners. !he# ma# be said to be doctors of political medicine. !he# live b# themselves, apart from an# associates, and are the great silent weapon in the hands of the +iving ;uddha. I was informed that a large portion of them are dumb. I saw one such doctor,>the ver# person who poisoned the "hinese ph#sician sent b# the "hinese *mperor from Pe'ing to li8uidate the +iving ;uddha,>a small white old fellow with a deepl# wrin'led face, a curl of white hairs on his chin and with vivacious e#es that were ever shifting in8uiringl# about him. Whenever he comes to a monaster#, the local god ceases to eat and drin' in fear of the activities of this (ongolian +ocusta. ;ut even this cannot save the condemned, for a poisoned cap or shirt or boots, or a rosar#, a bridle, boo's or religious articles soa'ed in a poisonous solution will surel# accomplish the ob0ect of the ;ogdo76han. !he deepest esteem and religious faithfulness surround the blind Pontiff. ;efore him all fall on their faces. 6hans and )utu'tus approach him on their 'nees. *ver#thing about him is dar', full of &riental anti8uit#. !he drun'en blind man, listening to the banal arias of the gramophone or sha'ing his servants with an electric current from his d#namo, the ferocious old fellow poisoning his political enemies, the +ama 'eeping his people in dar'ness and deceiving them with his prophecies and fortune telling,>he is, however, not an entirel# ordinar# man.

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&ne da# we sat in the room of the ;ogdo and Prince D0am ;olon translated to him m# stor# of the ?reat War. !he old fellow was listening ver# carefull# but suddenl# opened his e#es widel# and began to give attention to some sounds coming in from outside the room. )is face became reverent, supplicant and frightened. !he ?ods call me, he whispered and slowl# moved into his private shrine, where he pra#ed loudl# about two hours, 'neeling immobile as a statue. )is pra#er consists of conversation with the invisible gods, to whose 8uestions he himself gave the answers. )e came out of the shrine pale and e%hausted but pleased and happ#. It was his personal pra#er. During the regular temple service he did not participate in the pra#ers, for then he is ?od. Sitting on his throne, he is carried and placed on the altar and there pra#ed to b# the +amas and the people. )e onl# receives the pra#ers, hopes, tears, woe and desperation of the people, immobilel# gazing into space with his sharp and bright but blind e#es. At various times in the service the +amas robe him in different vestments, combinations of #ellow and red, and change his caps. !he service alwa#s finishes at the solemn moment when the +iving ;uddha 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 finall# stretching out his hands toward the northwest, that is, to *urope, whither in the belief of the .ellow :aith must travel the teachings of the wise ;uddha. After earnest pra#ers or long temple services the Pontiff seems ver# deepl# sha'en and often calls his secretaries and dictates his visions and prophecies, alwa#s ver# complicated and unaccompanied b# his deductions. Sometimes with the words !heir souls are communicating, he puts on his white robes and goes to pra# in his shrine. !hen all the gates of the palace are shut and all the +amas are sun' in solemn, m#stic fear$ all are pra#ing, telling their rosaries and whispering the orison= &m@ (ani padme )ung@ or turning the pra#er wheels with their pra#ers or e%orcisings$ the fortune tellers read their horoscopes$ the clairvo#ants write out their visions$ while (arambas search the ancient boo's for e%planations of the words of the +iving ;uddha.

C$APTER XL!
T$E D&ST OF CENT&R!ES
)ave #ou ever seen the dust# cobwebs and the mould in the cellars of some ancient castle in Ital#, :rance or *ngland< !his is the dust of centuries. Perhaps it touched the faces, helmets and swords of a Roman Augustus, St. +ouis, the In8uisitor, ?alileo or 6ing Richard. .our heart is involuntaril# contracted and #ou feel a respect for these witnesses of elapsed ages. !his same impression came to me in !a 6ure, perhaps more deep, more realistic. )ere life flows on almost as it flowed eight centuries ago$ here man lives onl# in the past$ and the contemporar# onl# complicates and prevents the normal life.

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!oda# is a great da#, the +iving ;uddha once said to me, the da# of the victor# of ;uddhism over all other religions. It was a long time ago>on this da# 6ublai 6han called to him the +amas of all religions and ordered them to state to him how and what the# believed. !he# praised their ?ods and their )utu'tus. Discussions and 8uarrels began. &nl# one +ama remained silent. At last he moc'ingl# smiled and said= 9?reat *mperor@ &rder each to prove the power of his ?ods b# the performance of a miracle and afterwards 0udge and choose.9 6ublai 6han so ordered all the +amas to show him a miracle but all were silent, confused and powerless before him. 9,ow,9 said the *mperor, addressing the +ama who had tendered this suggestion, 9now #ou must prove the power of #our ?ods@9 !he +ama loo'ed long and silentl# at the *mperor, turned and gazed at the whole assembl# and then 8uietl# stretched out his hand toward them. At this instant the golden goblet of the *mperor raised itself from the table and tipped before the lips of the 6han without a visible hand supporting it. !he *mperor felt the delight of a fragrant wine. All were struc' with astonishment and the *mperor spo'e= 9I elect to pra# to #our ?ods and to them all people sub0ect to me must pra#. What is #our faith< Who are #ou and from where do #ou come<9 9(# faith is the teaching of the wise ;uddha. I am Pandita +ama, !ur0o ?amba, from the distant and glorious monaster# of Sa''ia in !ibet, where dwells incarnate in a human bod# the Spirit of ;uddha, his Wisdom and his Power. Remember, *mperor, that the peoples who hold our faith shall possess all the Western 1niverse and during eight hundred and eleven #ears shall spread their faith throughout the whole world.9 !hus it happened on this same da# man# centuries ago@ +ama !ur0o ?amba did not return to !ibet but lived here in !a 6ure, where there was then onl# a small temple. :rom here he traveled to the *mperor at 6ara'orum and afterwards with him to the capital of "hina to fortif# him in the :aith, to predict the fate of state affairs and to enlighten him according to the will of ?od. !he +iving ;uddha was silent for a time, whispered a pra#er and then continued= 1rga, the ancient nest of ;uddhism. . . . With Benghiz 6han on his *uropean con8uest went out the &lets or 6almuc's. !he# remained there almost four hundred #ears, living on the plains of Russia. !hen the# returned to (ongolia because the .ellow +amas called them to light against the 6ings of !ibet, +amas of the 9red caps,9 who were oppressing the people. !he 6almuc's helped the .ellow :aith but the# realized that +hasa was too distant from the whole world and could not spread our :aith throughout the earth. "onse8uentl# the 6almuc' ?ushi 6han brought up from !ibet a hol# +ama, 1ndur ?heghen, who had visited the 96ing of the World.9 :rom that da# the ;ogdo

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?heghen has continuousl# lived in 1rga, a protector of the freedom of (ongolia and of the "hinese *mperors of (ongolian origin. 1ndur ?heghen was the first +iving ;uddha in the land of the (ongols. )e left to us, his successors, the ring of Benghiz 6han, which was sent b# 6ublai 6han to Dalai +ama in return for the miracle shown b# the +ama !ur0o ?amba$ also the top of the s'ull of a blac', m#sterious miracle wor'er from India, using which as a bowl, Strongtsan, 6ing of !ibet, dran' during the temple ceremonies one thousand si% hundred #ears ago$ as well as an ancient stone statue of ;uddha brought from Delhi b# the founder of the .ellow :aith, Paspa. !he ;ogdo clapped his hands and one of the secretaries too' from a red 'erchief a big silver 'e# with which he unloc'ed the chest with the seals. !he +iving ;uddha slipped his hand into the chest and drew forth a small bo% of carved ivor#, from which he too' out and showed to me a large gold ring set with a magnificent rub# carved with the sign of the swasti'a. !his ring was alwa#s worn on the right hand of the 6hans Benghiz and 6ublai, said the ;ogdo. When the secretar# had closed the chest, the ;ogdo ordered him to summon his favorite (aramba, whom he directed to read some pages from an ancient boo' l#ing on the table. !he +ama began to read monotonousl#. When ?ushi 6han, the "hief of all the &lets or 6almuc's, finished the war with the 9Red "aps9 in !ibet, he carried out with him the miraculous 9blac' stone9 sent to the Dalai +ama b# the 96ing of the World.9 ?ushi 6han wanted to create in Western (ongolia the capital of the .ellow :aith$ but the &lets at that time were at war with the (anchu *mperors for the throne of "hina and suffered one defeat after another. !he last 6han of the &lets, Amursana, ran awa# into Russia but before his escape sent to 1rga the sacred 9blac' stone.9 While it remained in 1rga so that the +iving ;uddha could bless the people with it, disease and misfortune never touched the (ongolians and their cattle. About one hundred #ears ago, however, some one stole the sacred stone and since then ;uddhists have vainl# sought it throughout the whole world. With its disappearance the (ongol people began graduall# to die. *nough@ ordered ;ogdo ?heghen. &ur neighbors hold us in contempt. !he# forget that we were their sovereigns but we preserve our hol# traditions and we 'now that the da# of triumph of the (ongolian tribes and the .ellow :aith will come. We have the Protectors of the :aith, the ;uriats. !he# are the truest guardians of the be8uests of Benghiz 6han. So spo'e the +iving ;uddha and so have spo'en the ancient boo's@

C$APTER XL!!
T$E BOO(S OF M!RACLES
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Prince D0am ;olon as'ed a (aramba to show us the librar# of the +iving ;uddha. It is a big room occupied b# scores of writers who prepare the wor's dealing with the miracles of all the +iving ;uddhas, beginning with 1ndur ?heghen and ending with those of the ?heghens and )utu'tus of the different (ongol monasteries. !hese boo's are afterwards distributed through all the +ama (onasteries, temples and schools of ;andi. A (aramba read two selections= . . . !he beatific ;ogdo ?heghen breathed on a mirror. Immediatel# as through a haze there appeared the picture of a valle# in which man# thousands of thousands of warriors fought one against another. . . . !he wise and favored7of7the7gods +iving ;uddha burned incense in a brazier and pra#ed to the ?ods to reveal the lot of the Princes. In the blue smo'e all saw a dar' prison and the pallid, tortured bodies of the dead Princes. . . . A special boo', alread# done into thousands of copies, dwelt upon the miracles of the present +iving ;uddha. Prince D0am ;olon described to me some of the contents of this volume. !here e%ists an ancient wooden ;uddha with open e#es. )e was brought here from India and ;ogdo ?heghen placed him on the altar and began to pra#. When he returned from the shrine, he ordered the statue of ;uddha brought out. All were struc' with amazement, for the e#es of the ?od were shut and tears were falling from them$ from the wooden bod# green sprouts appeared$ and the ;ogdo said= 9Woe and 0o# are awaiting me. I shall become blind but (ongolia will be free.9 !he prophec# is fulfilled. At another time, on a da# when the +iving ;uddha was ver# much e%cited, he ordered a basin of water brought and set before the altar. )e called the +amas and began to pra#. Suddenl# the altar candles and lamps lighted themselves and the water in the basin became iridescent. Afterwards the Prince described to me how the ;ogdo 6han tells fortunes with fresh blood, upon whose surface appear words and pictures$ with the entrails of sheep and goats, according to whose distribution the ;ogdo reads the fate of the Princes and 'nows their thoughts$ with stones and bones from which the +iving ;uddha with great accurac# reads the lot of all men$ and b# the stars, in accordance with whose positions the ;ogdo prepares amulets against bullets and disease. !he former ;ogdo 6hans told fortunes onl# b# the use of the 9blac' stone,9 said the (aramba. &n the surface of the stone appeared !ibetan inscriptions which the ;ogdo read and thus learned the lot of whole nations. When the (aramba spo'e of the blac' stone with the !ibetan legends appearing on it, I at once recalled that it was possible. In southeastern 1rianhai, in 1lan !aiga, I came across a place where blac' slate was decomposing. All the pieces of this slate were

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covered with a special white lichen, which formed ver# complicated designs, reminding me of a /enetian lace pattern or whole pages of m#sterious runes. When the slate was wet, these designs disappeared$ and then, as the# were dried, the patterns came out again. ,obod# has the right or dares to as' the +iving ;uddha to tell his fortune. )e predicts onl# when he feels the inspiration or when a special delegate comes to him bearing a re8uest for it from the Dalai +ama or the !ashi +ama. When the Russian "zar, Ale%ander I, fell under the influence of ;aroness 6zudener and of her e%treme m#sticism, he despatched a special envo# to the +iving ;uddha to as' about his destin#. !he then ;ogdo 6han, 8uite a #oung man, told his fortune according to the blac' stone and predicted that the White "zar would finish his life in ver# painful wanderings un'nown to all and ever#where pursued. In Russia toda# there e%ists a popular belief that Ale%ander I spent the last da#s of his life as a wanderer throughout Russia and Siberia under the pseudon#m of :eodor 6usmitch, helping and consoling prisoners, beggars and other suffering people, often pursued and imprisoned b# the police and finall# d#ing at !oms' in Siberia, where even until now the# have preserved the house where he spent his last da#s and have 'ept his grave sacred, a place of pilgrimages and miracles. !he former d#nast# of Romanoff was deepl# interested in the biograph# of :eodor 6usmitch and this interest fi%ed the opinion that 6usmitch was reall# the "zar Ale%ander I, who had voluntaril# ta'en upon himself this severe penance.

C$APTER XL!!!
T$E B!RT$ OF T$E L!%!NG B&DD$A
!he +iving ;uddha does not die. )is soul sometimes passes into that of a child born on the da# of his death and sometimes transfers itself to another being during the life of the ;uddha. !his new mortal dwelling of the sacred spirit of the ;uddha almost alwa#s appears in the #urta of some poor !ibetan or (ongol famil#. !here is a reason of polic# for this. If the ;uddha appears in the famil# of a rich prince, it could result in the elevation of a famil# that would not #ield obedience to the clerg# Dand such has happened in the pastE, while on the other hand an# poor, un'nown famil# that becomes the heritor of the throne of Benghiz 6han ac8uires riches and is readil# submissive to the +amas. &nl# three or four +iving ;uddhas were of purel# (ongolian origin$ the remainder were !ibetans. &ne of the "ouncillors of the +iving ;uddha, +ama76han Bassa'tu, told me the following= In the monasteries at +hasa and !ashi +umpo the# are 'ept constantl# informed through letters from 1rga about the health of the +iving ;uddha. When his human bod# becomes old and the Spirit of ;uddha strives to e%tricate itself, special solemn services begin in the !ibetan temples together with the telling of fortunes b# astrolog#. !hese rites indicate the speciall# pious +amas who must discover where the Spirit of the ;uddha will be re7 incarnated. :or this purpose the# travel throughout the whole land and observe. &ften 142

?od himself gives them signs and indications. Sometimes the white wolf appears near the #urta of a poor shepherd or a lamb with two heads is born or a meteor falls from the s'#. Some +amas ta'e fish from the sacred la'e !angri ,or and read on the scales thereof the name of the new ;ogdo 6han$ others pic' out stones whose crac's indicate to them where the# must search and whom the# 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 ?ods. When he is found, all the possible information about his famil# is secretl# collected and presented to the (ost +earned !ashi +ama, having the name of *rdeni, !he ?reat ?em of +earning, 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 +ama, who holds a special sacrifice in the !emple of the 9Spirit of the (ountains9 and confirms the election b# putting his great seal on this letter of the !ashi +ama. If the old +iving ;uddha be still alive, the name of his successor is 'ept a deep secret$ if the Spirit of ;uddha has alread# gone out from the bod# of ;ogdo 6han, a special legation appears from !ibet with the new +iving ;uddha. !he same process accompanies the election of the ?heghen and )utu'tus in all the +amaite monasteries in (ongolia$ but confirmation of the election resides with the +iving ;uddha and is onl# announced to +hasa after the event.

C$APTER XL!%
A PAGE !N T$E $!STORY OF T$E PRESENT L!%!NG B&DD$A
!he present ;ogdo 6han of &uter (ongolia is a !ibetan. )e sprang from a poor famil# living in the neighborhood of Sa''ia 6ure in western !ibet. :rom earliest #outh he had a storm#, 8uite unaesthetic nature. )e was fired with the idea of the independence and glorification of (ongolia and the successors of Benghiz 6han. !his gave him at once a great influence among the +amas, Princes and 6hans of (ongolia and also with the Russian ?overnment which alwa#s tried to attract him to their side. )e did not fear to arraign himself against the (anchu d#nast# in "hina and alwa#s had the help of Russia, !ibet, the ;uriats and 6irghiz, furnishing him with mone#, weapons, warriors and diplomatic aid. !he "hinese *mperors avoided open war with the +iving ?od, because it might arouse the protests of the "hinese ;uddhists. At one time the# sent to the ;ogdo 6han a s'ilful doctor7poisoner. !he +iving ;uddha, however, at once understood the meaning of this medical attention and, 'nowing the power of Asiatic poisons, decided to ma'e a 0ourne# through the (ongol monasteries and through !ibet. As his substitute he left a )ubilgan who made friends with the "hinese doctor and in8uired from him the purposes and details of his arrival. /er# soon the "hinese died from some un'nown cause and the +iving ;uddha returned to his comfortable capital. &n another occasion danger threatened the +iving ?od. It was when +hasa decided that the ;ogdo 6han was carr#ing out a polic# too independent of !ibet. !he Dalai +ama began negotiations with several 6hans and Princes with the Sain ,oion 6han and 143

Bassa'tu 6han leading the movement and persuaded them to accelerate the immigration of the Spirit of ;uddha into another human form. !he# came to 1rga where the ;ogdo 6han met them with honors and re0oicings. A great feast was made for them and the conspirators alread# felt themselves the accomplishers of the orders of the Dalai +ama. )owever, at the end of the feast, the# had different feelings and died with them during the night. !he +iving ;uddha ordered their bodies sent with full honors to their families. !he ;ogdo 6han 'nows ever# thought, ever# movement of the Princes and 6hans, the slightest conspirac# against himself, and the offender is usuall# 'indl# invited to 1rga, from where he does not return alive. !he "hinese ?overnment decided to terminate the line of the +iving ;uddhas. "easing to fight with the Pontiff of 1rga, the ?overnment contrived the following scheme for accomplishing its ends. Pe'ing invited the Pandita ?heghen from Dolo ,or and the head of the "hinese +amaites, the )utu'tu of 1tai, both of whom do not recognize the supremac# of the +iving ;uddha, to come to the capital. !he# decided, after consulting the old ;uddhistic boo's, that the present ;ogdo 6han was to be the last +iving ;uddha, because that part of the Spirit of ;uddha which dwells in the ;ogdo 6hans can abide onl# thirt#7one times in the human bod#. ;ogdo 6han is the thirt#7first Incarnated ;uddha from the time of 1ndur ?heghen and with him, therefore, the d#nast# of the 1rga Pontiffs must cease. )owever, on hearing this the ;ogdo 6han himself did some research wor' and found in the old !ibetan manuscripts that one of the !ibetan Pontiffs was married and his son was a natural Incarnated ;uddha. So the ;ogdo 6han married and now has a son, a ver# capable and energetic #oung man, and thus the religious throne of Benghiz 6han will not be left empt#. !he d#nast# of the "hinese emperors disappeared from the stage of political events but the +iving ;uddha continues to be a center for the Pan7Asiatic idea. !he new "hinese ?overnment in 2345 held the +iving ;uddha under arrest in his palace but at the beginning of 2342 ;aron 1ngern crossed the sacred ;ogdo7&l and approached the palace from the rear. !ibetan riders shot the "hinese sentries with bow and arrow and afterwards the (ongols penetrated into the palace and stole their ?od, who immediatel# stirred up all (ongolia and awa'ened the hopes of the Asiatic peoples and tribes. In the great palace of the ;ogdo a +ama showed me a special cas'et covered with a precious carpet, wherein the# 'eep the bulls of the Dalai and !ashi +amas, the decrees of the Russian and "hinese *mperors and the !reaties between (ongolia, Russia, "hina and !ibet. In this same cas'et is the copper plate bearing the m#sterious sign of the 6ing of the World and the chronicle of the last vision of the +iving ;uddha.

C$APTER XL%
T$E %!S!ON OF T$E L!%!NG B&DD$A OF MAY 12, 1341

144

I pra#ed and saw that which is hidden from the e#es of the people. A vast plain was spread before me surrounded b# distant mountains. An old +ama carried a bas'et filled with heav# stones. )e hardl# moved. :rom the north a rider appeared in white robes and mounted on a white horse. )e approached the +ama and said to him= 9?ive me #our bas'et. I shall help #ou to carr# them to the 6ure.9 !he +ama handed his heav# burden up to him but the rider could not raise it to his saddle so that the old +ama had to place it bac' on his shoulder and continue on his wa#, bent under its heav# weight. !hen from the north came another rider in blac' robes and on a blac' horse, who also approached the +ama and said= 9Stupid@ Wh# do #ou carr# these stones when the# are ever#where about the ground<9 With these words he pushed the +ama over with the breast of his horse and scattered the stones about the ground. When the stones touched the earth, the# became diamonds. All three rushed to raise them but not one of them could brea' them loose from the ground. !hen the old +ama e%claimed= 9&h ?ods@ All m# life I have carried this heav# burden and now, when there was left so little to go, I have lost it. )elp me, great, good ?ods@9 Suddenl# a tottering old man appeared. )e collected all the diamonds into the bas'et without trouble, cleaned the dust from them, raised the burden to his shoulder and started out, spea'ing with the +ama= 9Rest a while, I have 0ust carried m# burden to the goal and I am glad to help #ou with #ours.9 !he# went on and were soon out of sight, while the riders began to fight. !he# fought one whole da# 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. !his I saw, ;ogdo )utu'tu 6han, spea'ing with the ?reat and Wise ;uddha, surrounded b# the good and bad demons@ Wise +amas, )utu'tus, 6ampos, (arambas and )ol# ?heghens, give the answer to m# vision@ !his was written in m# presence on (a# 2Hth, 2342, from the words of the +iving ;uddha 0ust as he came out of his private shrine to his stud#. I do not 'now what the )utu'tu and ?heghens, the fortune tellers, sorcerers and clairvo#ants replied to him$ but does not the answer seem clear, if one realizes the present situation in Asia< Awa'ened Asia is full of enigmas but it is also full of answers to the 8uestions set b# the destin# of human'ind. !his great continent of m#sterious Pontiffs, +iving ?ods, (ahatmas and readers of the terrible boo' of 6arma is awa'ening and the ocean of hundreds of millions of human lives is lashed with monstrous waves.

145

Par %
MYSTERY OF MYSTER!ES'T$E (!NG OF T$E #ORLD

C$APTER XL%!
T$E S&BTERRANEAN (!NGDOM
Stop@ whispered m# old (ongol guide, as we were one da# crossing the plain near !zagan +u'. Stop@ )e slipped from his camel which la# down without his bidding. !he (ongol raised his hands in pra#er before his face and began to repeat the sacred phrase= &m@ (ani padme )ung@ !he other (ongols immediatel# stopped their camels and began to pra#. What has happened< I thought, as I gazed round over the tender green grass, up to the cloudless s'# and out toward the dream# soft ra#s of the evening sun. !he (ongols pra#ed for some time, whispered among themselves and, after tightening up the pac's on the camels, moved on. Did #ou see, as'ed the (ongol, how our camels moved their ears in fear< )ow the herd of horses on the plain stood fi%ed in attention and how the herds of sheep and cattle la# crouched close to the ground< Did #ou notice that the birds did not fl#, the marmots did not run and the dogs did not bar'< !he air trembled softl# and bore from afar the music of a song which penetrated to the hearts of men, animals and birds ali'e. *arth and s'# ceased breathing. !he 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 stealth# crawl$ the frightened herd of antelopes suddenl# chec's its wild course$ the 'nife of the shepherd cutting the sheep9s throat falls from his hand$ the rapacious ermine ceases to stal' the unsuspecting salga. All living beings in fear are involuntaril# thrown into pra#er and waiting for their fate. So it was 0ust now. !hus it has alwa#s been whenever the 6ing of the World in his subterranean palace pra#s and searches out the destin# of all peoples on the earth. In this wise the old (ongol, a simple, coarse shepherd and hunter, spo'e to me. (ongolia with her nude and terrible mountains, her limitless plains, covered with the widel# strewn bones of the forefathers, gave birth to (#ster#. )er people, frightened b# the storm# passions of ,ature or lulled b# her deathli'e peace, feel her m#ster#. )er Red and .ellow +amas preserve and poetize her m#ster#. !he Pontiffs of +hasa and 1rga 'now and possess her m#ster#. &n m# 0ourne# into "entral Asia I came to 'now for the first time about the (#ster# of (#steries, which I can call b# no other name. At the outset I did not pa# much attention 146

to it and did not attach to it such importance as I afterwards realized belonged to it, when I had anal#zed and connoted man# sporadic, haz# and often controversial bits of evidence. !he old people on the shore of the River Am#l related to me an ancient legend to the effect that a certain (ongolian tribe in their escape from the demands of Benghiz 6han hid themselves in a subterranean countr#. Afterwards a So#ot from near the +a'e of ,ogan 6ul showed me the smo'ing gate that serves as the entrance to the 6ingdom of Agharti. !hrough this gate a hunter formerl# entered into the 6ingdom and, after his return, began to relate what he had seen there. !he +amas cut out his tongue in order to prevent him from telling about the (#ster# of (#steries. When he arrived at old age, he came bac' to the entrance of this cave and disappeared into the subterranean 'ingdom, the memor# of which had ornamented and lightened his nomad heart. I received more realistic information about this from )utu'tu Bel#b D0amsrap in ,arabanchi 6ure. )e told me the stor# of the semi7realistic arrival of the powerful 6ing of the World from the subterranean 'ingdom, of his appearance, of his miracles and of his prophecies$ and onl# then did I begin to understand that in that legend, h#pnosis or mass vision, whichever it ma# be, is hidden not onl# m#ster# but a realistic and powerful force capable of influencing the course of the political life of Asia. :rom that moment I began ma'ing some investigations. !he favorite ?elong +ama of Prince "hultun ;e#li and the Prince himself gave me an account of the subterranean 'ingdom. *ver#thing in the world, said the ?elong, is constantl# in a state of change and transition>peoples science, religions, laws and customs. )ow man# great empires and brilliant cultures have perished@ And that alone which remains unchanged is *vil, the tool of ;ad Spirits. (ore than si%t# thousand #ears ago a )ol#man disappeared with a whole tribe of people under the ground and never appeared again on the surface of the earth. (an# people, however, have since visited this 'ingdom, Sa''ia (ouni, 1ndur ?heghen, Paspa, 6han ;aber and others. ,o one 'nows where this place is. &ne sa#s Afghanistan, others India. All the people there are protected against *vil and crimes do not e%ist within its bournes. Science has there developed calml# and nothing is threatened with destruction. !he subterranean people have reached the highest 'nowledge. ,ow it is a large 'ingdom, millions of men with the 6ing of the World as their ruler. )e 'nows all the forces of the world and reads all the souls of human'ind and the great boo' of their destin#. Invisibl# he rules eight hundred million men on the surface of the earth and the# will accomplish his ever# order. Prince "hultun ;e#li added= !his 'ingdom is Agharti. It e%tends throughout all the subterranean passages of the whole world. I heard a learned +ama of "hina relating to ;ogdo 6han that all the subterranean caves of America are inhabited b# the ancient people who have disappeared underground. !races of them are still found on the surface of the land. !hese subterranean peoples and spaces are governed b# rulers owing allegiance to the 6ing of the World. In it there is not much of the wonderful. .ou 'now

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that in the two greatest oceans of the east and the west there were formerl# two continents. !he# disappeared under the water but their people went into the subterranean 'ingdom. In underground caves there e%ists a peculiar light which affords growth to the grains and vegetables and long life without disease to the people. !here are man# different peoples and man# different tribes. An old ;uddhist ;rahman in ,epal was carr#ing out the will of the ?ods in ma'ing a visit to the ancient 'ingdom of Benghiz,> Siam,>where he met a fisherman who ordered him to ta'e a place in his boat and sail with him upon the sea. &n the third da# the# reached an island where he met a people having two tongues which could spea' separatel# in different languages. !he# showed to him peculiar, unfamiliar animals, tortoises with si%teen feet and one e#e, huge sna'es with a ver# tast# flesh and birds with teeth which caught fish for their masters in the sea. !hese people told him that the# had come up out of the subterranean 'ingdom and described to him certain parts of the underground countr#. !he +ama !urgut traveling with me from 1rga to Pe'ing gave me further details. !he capital of Agharti is surrounded with towns of high priests and scientists. It reminds one of +hasa where the palace of the Dalai +ama, the Potala, is the top of a mountain covered with monasteries and temples. !he throne of the 6ing of the World is surrounded b# millions of incarnated ?ods. !he# are the )ol# Panditas. !he palace itself is encircled b# the palaces of the ?oro, who possess all the visible and invisible forces of the earth, of inferno and of the s'# and who can do ever#thing for the life and death of man. If our mad human'ind should begin a war against them, the# would be able to e%plode the whole surface of our planet and transform it into deserts. !he# can dr# up the seas, transform lands into oceans and scatter the mountains into the sands of the deserts. ;# his order trees, grasses and bushes can be made to grow$ old and feeble men can become #oung and stalwart$ and the dead can be resurrected. In cars strange and un'nown to us the# rush through the narrow cleavages inside our planet. Some Indian ;rahmans and !ibetan Dalai +amas during their laborious struggles to the pea's of mountains which no other human feet had trod have found there inscriptions carved on the roc's, footprints in the snow and the trac's of wheels. !he blissful Sa''ia (ouni found on one mountain top tablets of stone carr#ing words which he onl# understood in his old age and afterwards penetrated into the 6ingdom of Agharti, from which he brought bac' crumbs of the sacred learning preserved in his memor#. !here in palaces of wonderful cr#stal live the invisible rulers of all pious people, the 6ing of the World or ;rah#tma, who can spea' with ?od as I spea' with #ou, and his two assistants, (ah#tma, 'nowing the purposes of future events, and (ah#nga, ruling the causes of these events. !he )ol# Panditas stud# the world and all its forces. Sometimes the most learned among them collect together and send envo#s to that place where the human e#es have never penetrated. !his is described b# the !ashi +ama living eight hundred and fift# #ears ago. !he highest Panditas place their hands on their e#es and at the base of the brain of #ounger ones and force them into a deep sleep, wash their bodies with an infusion of grass and ma'e them immune to pain and harder than stones, wrap them in magic cloths, bind them and then pra# to the ?reat ?od. !he petrified #ouths lie with e#es and ears open and alert, seeing, hearing and remembering ever#thing. Afterwards a ?oro

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approaches and fastens a long, stead# gaze upon them. /er# slowl# the bodies lift themselves from the earth and disappear. !he ?oro sits and stares with fi%ed e#es to the place whither he has sent them. Invisible threads 0oin them to his will. Some of them course among the stars, observe their events, their un'nown peoples, their life and their laws. !he# listen to their tal', read their boo's, understand their fortunes and woes, their holiness and sins, their piet# and evil. Some are mingled with flame and see the creature of fire, 8uic' and ferocious, eternall# fighting, melting and hammering metals in the depths of planets, boiling the water for ge#sers and springs, melting the roc's and pushing out molten streams over the surface of the earth through the holes in the mountains. &thers rush together with the ever elusive, infinitesimall# small, transparent creatures of the air and penetrate into the m#steries of their e%istence and into the purposes of their life. &thers slip into the depths of the seas and observe the 'ingdom of the wise creatures of the water, who transport and spread genial warmth all over the earth, ruling the winds, waves and storms. . . . In *rdeni Dzu formerl# lived Pandita )utu'tu, who had come from Agharti. As he was d#ing, he told about the time when he lived according to the will of the ?oro on a red star in the east, floated in the ice7covered ocean and flew among the storm# fires in the depths of the earth. !hese are the tales which I heard in the (ongolian #urtas of Princes and in the +amaite monasteries. !hese stories were all related in a solemn tone which forbade challenge and doubt. (#ster#. . . .

C$APTER XL%!!
T$E (!NG OF T$E #ORLD BEFORE T$E FACE OF GOD
During m# sta# in 1rga I tried to find an e%planation of this legend about the 6ing of the World. &f course, the +iving ;uddha could tell me most of all and so I endeavored to get the stor# from him. In a conversation with him I mentioned the name of the 6ing of the World. !he old Pontiff sharpl# turned his head toward me and fi%ed upon me his immobile, blind e#es. 1nwillingl# I became silent. &ur silence was a long one and after it the Pontiff continued the conversation in such a wa# that I understood he did not wish to accept the suggestion of m# reference. &n the faces of the others present I noticed e%pressions of astonishment and fear produced b# m# words, and especiall# was this true of the custodian of the librar# of the ;ogdo 6han. &ne can readil# understand that all this onl# made me the more an%ious to press the pursuit. As I was leaving the stud# of the ;ogdo )utu'tu, I met the librarian who had stepped out ahead of me and as'ed him if he would show me the librar# of the +iving ;uddha and used a ver# simple, sl# tric' with him. Do #ou 'now, m# dear +ama, I said, once I rode in the plain at the hour when the 6ing of the World spo'e with ?od and I felt the impressive ma0est# of this moment. 149

!o m# astonishment the old +ama ver# 8uietl# answered me= It is not right that the ;uddhist and our .ellow :aith should conceal it. !he ac'nowledgment of the e%istence of the most hol# and most powerful man, of the blissful 'ingdom, of the great temple of sacred science is such a consolation to our sinful hearts and our corrupt lives that to conceal it from human'ind is a sin. . . . Well, listen, he continued, throughout the whole #ear the 6ing of the World guides the wor' of the Panditas and ?oros of Agharti. &nl# at times he goes to the temple cave where the embalmed bod# of his predecessor lies in a blac' stone coffin. !his cave is alwa#s dar', but when the 6ing of the World enters it the walls are striped with fire and from the lid of the coffin appear tongues of flame. !he eldest ?oro stands before him with covered head and face and with hands folded across his chest. !his ?oro never removes the covering from his face, for his head is a nude s'ull with living e#es and a tongue that spea's. )e is in communion with the souls of all who have gone before. !he 6ing of the World pra#s for a long time and afterwards approaches the coffin and stretches out his hand. !he flames thereon burn brighter$ the stripes of fire on the walls disappear and revive, interlace and form m#sterious signs from the alphabet vatannan. :rom the coffin transparent bands of scarcel# noticeable light begin to flow forth. !hese are the thoughts of his predecessor. Soon the 6ing of the World stands surrounded b# an auriole of this light and fier# letters write and write upon the walls the wishes and orders of ?od. At this moment the 6ing of the World is in contact with the thoughts of all the men who influence the lot and life of all human'ind= with 6ings, "zars, 6hans, warli'e leaders, )igh Priests, scientists and other strong men. )e realizes all their thoughts and plans. If these be pleasing before ?od, the 6ing of the World will invisibl# help them$ if the# are unpleasant in the sight of ?od, the 6ing will bring them to destruction. !his power is given to Agharti b# the m#sterious science of 9&m,9 with which we begin all our pra#ers. 9&m9 is the name of an ancient )ol#man, the first ?oro, who lived three hundred thirt# thousand #ears ago. )e was the first man to 'now ?od and who taught human'ind to believe, hope and struggle with *vil. !hen ?od gave him power over all forces ruling the visible world. After his conversation with his predecessor the 6ing of the World assembles the 9?reat "ouncil of ?od,9 0udges the actions and thoughts of great men, helps them or destro#s them. (ah#tma and (ah#nga find the place for these actions and thoughts in the causes ruling the world. Afterwards the 6ing of the World enters the great temple and pra#s in solitude. :ire appears on the altar, graduall# spreading to all the altars near, and through the burning flame graduall# appears the face of ?od. !he 6ing of the World reverentl# announces to ?od the decisions and awards of the 9"ouncil of ?od9 and receives in turn the Divine orders of the Almight#. As he comes forth from the temple, the 6ing of the World radiates with Divine +ight.

C$APTER XL%!!!
REAL!TY OR REL!G!O&S FANTASY5

150

)as an#bod# seen the 6ing of the World< I as'ed. &h, #es@ answered the +ama. During the solemn holida#s of the ancient ;uddhism in Siam and India the 6ing of the World appeared five times. )e rode in a splendid car drawn b# 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 mas'ing his face. )e blessed the people with a golden apple with the figure of a +amb above it. !he blind received their sight, the dumb spo'e, the deaf heard, the crippled freel# moved and the dead arose, wherever the e#es of the 6ing of the World rested. )e also appeared five hundred and fort# #ears ago in *rdeni Dzu, he was in the ancient Sa''ai (onaster# and in the ,arabanchi 6ure. &ne of our +iving ;uddhas and one of the !ashi +amas received a message from him, written with un'nown signs on golden tablets. ,o one could read these signs. !he !ashi +ama entered the temple, placed the golden tablet on his head and began to pra#. With this the thoughts of the 6ing of the World penetrated his brain and, without having read the enigmatical signs, he understood and accomplished the message of the 6ing. )ow man# persons have ever been to Agharti< I 8uestioned him. /er# man#, answered the +ama, but all these people have 'ept secret that which the# saw there. When the &lets destro#ed +hasa, one of their detachments in the southwestern mountains penetrated to the outs'irts of Agharti. )ere the# learned some of the lesser m#sterious sciences and brought them to the surface of our earth. !his is wh# the &lets and 6almuc's are artful sorcerers and prophets. Also from the eastern countr# some tribes of blac' people penetrated to Agharti and lived there man# centuries. Afterwards the# were thrust out from the 'ingdom and returned to the earth, bringing with them the m#ster# of predictions according to cards, grasses and the lines of the palm. !he# are the ?#psies. . . . Somewhere in the north of Asia a tribe e%ists which is now d#ing and which came from the cave of Agharti, s'illed in calling bac' the spirits of the dead as the# float through the air. !he +ama was silent and afterwards, as though answering m# thoughts, continued. In Agharti the learned Panditas write on tablets of stone all the science of our planet and of the other worlds. !he "hinese learned ;uddhists 'now this. !heir science is the highest and purest. *ver# centur# one hundred sages of "hina collect in a secret place on the shores of the sea, where from its depths come out one hundred eternall#7living tortoises. &n their shells the "hinese write all the developments of the divine science of the centur#. As I write I am involuntaril# reminded of a tale of an old "hinese bonze in the !emple of )eaven at Pe'ing. )e told me that tortoises live more than three thousand #ears without food and air and that this is the reason wh# all the columns of the blue !emple of )eaven were set on live tortoises to preserve the wood from deca#.

151

Several times the Pontiffs of +hasa and 1rga have sent envo#s to the 6ing of the World, said the +ama librarian, but the# could not find him. &nl# a certain !ibetan leader after a battle with the &lets found the cave with the inscription= 9!his is the gate to Agharti.9 :rom the cave a fine appearing man came forth, presented him with a gold tablet bearing the m#sterious signs and said= 9!he 6ing 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 #et come. !he most evil among man'ind have not #et been born. "hiang "hun ;aron 1ngern sent the #oung Prince Pounzig to see' out the 6ing of the World but he returned with a letter from the Dalai +ama from +hasa. When the ;aron sent him a second time, he did not come bac'.

C$APTER XL!X
T$E PROP$ECY OF T$E (!NG OF T$E #ORLD !N 163/
!he )utu'tu of ,arabanchi related the following to me, when I visited him in his monaster# in the beginning of 2342= When the 6ing of the World appeared before the +amas, favored of ?od, in this monaster# thirt# #ears ago he made a prophec# for the coming half centur#. It was as follows= 9(ore and more the people will forget their souls and care about their bodies. !he greatest sin and corruption will reign on the earth. People will become as ferocious animals, thirsting for the blood and death of their brothers. !he 9"rescent9 will grow dim and its followers will descend into beggar# and ceaseless war. Its con8uerors will be stric'en b# the sun but will not progress upward and twice the# will be visited with the heaviest misfortune, which will end in insult before the e#e of the other peoples. !he crowns of 'ings, great and small, will fall . . . one, two, three, four, five, si%, seven, eight. . . . !here will be a terrible battle among all the peoples. !he seas will become red . . . the earth and the bottom of the seas will be strewn with bones . . . 'ingdoms will be scattered . . . whole peoples will die . . . hunger, disease, crimes un'nown to the law, never before seen in the world. !he enemies of ?od and of the Divine Spirit in man will come. !hose who ta'e the hand of another shall also perish. !he forgotten and pursued shall rise and hold the attention of the whole world. !here will be fogs and storms. ;are mountains shall suddenl# be covered with forests. *arth8ua'es will come. . . . (illions will change the fetters of slaver# and humiliation for hunger, disease and death. !he ancient roads will be covered with crowds wandering from one place to another. !he greatest and most beautiful cities shall perish in fire . . . one, two, three. . . . :ather shall rise against son, brother against brother and mother against daughter. . . . /ice, crime and the destruction of bod# and soul shall follow. . . . :amilies shall be scattered. . . . !ruth and love shall disappear. . . . :rom ten thousand men one shall remain$ he shall be nude 152

and mad and without force and the 'nowledge to build him a house and find his food. . . . )e will howl as the raging wolf, devour dead bodies, bite his own flesh and challenge ?od to fight. . . . All the earth will be emptied. ?od will turn awa# from it and over it there will be onl# night and death. !hen I shall send a people, now un'nown, 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 *vil. !he# will found a new life on the earth purified b# the death of nations. In the fiftieth #ear onl# three great 'ingdoms will appear, which will e%ist happil# sevent#7one #ears. Afterwards there will be eighteen #ears of war and destruction. !hen the peoples of Agharti will come up from their subterranean caverns to the surface of the earth.9 Afterwards, as I traveled farther through *astern (ongolia and to Pe'ing, 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, m# e#es involuntaril# turn to this limitless )eart of Asia over which the trails of m# wanderings twine. !hrough whirling snow and driving clouds of sand of the ?obi the# travel bac' to the face of the ,arabanchi )utu'tu as, with 8uiet voice and a slender hand pointing to the horizon, he opened to me the doors of his innermost thoughts= ,ear 6ara'orum and on the shores of 1bsa ,or I see the huge, multi7colored camps, the herds of horses and cattle and the blue #urtas of the leaders. Above them I see the old banners of Benghiz 6han, of the 6ings of !ibet, Siam, Afghanistan and of Indian Princes$ the sacred signs of all the +amaite Pontiffs$ the coats of arms of the 6hans of the &lets$ and the simple signs of the north (ongolian tribes. I do not hear the noise of the animated crowd. !he singers do not sing the mournful songs of mountain, plain and desert. !he #oung riders are not delighting themselves with the races on their fleet steeds. . . . !here are innumerable crowds of old men, women and children and be#ond in the north and west, as far as the e#e can reach, the s'# is red as a flame, there is the roar and crac'ling of fire and the ferocious sound of battle. Who is leading these warriors who there beneath the reddened s'# are shedding their own and others9 blood< Who is leading these crowds of unarmed old men and women< I see severe order, deep religious understanding of purposes, patience and tenacit# . . . a new great migration of peoples, the last march of the (ongols. . . . 6arma ma# have opened a new page of histor#@ And what if the 6ing of the World be with them< ;ut this greatest (#ster# of (#steries 'eeps its own deep silence.

GLOSSARY
Agronome.>Russian for trained agriculturalist. 153

Amour sa#n.>?ood7b#e. Ataman.>)eadman or chief of the "ossac's. ;andi.>Pupil or student of theological school in the ;uddhist faith. ;uriat.>!he most civilized (ongol tribe, living in the valle# of the Selenga in !ransbai'alia. "hahars.>A warli'e (ongolian tribe living along the ?reat Wall of "hina in Inner (ongolia. "haid0e.>A high +amaite priest, but not an incarnate god. "he'a.>!he ;olshevi' "ounter7Revolutionar# "ommittee, the most relentless establishment of the ;olshevi'i, organized for the persecution of the enemies of the "ommunistic government in Russia. "hiang "hun.>"hinese for ?eneral >"hief of all "hinese troops in (ongolia. Dalai +ama.>!he first and highest Pontiff of the +amaite or .ellow :aith, living at +hasa in !ibet. D0ungar.>A West (ongolian tribe. Dugun.>"hinese commercial and militar# post. Dzu'.>+ie down@ :ang7tzu.>"hinese for house. :atil.>A ver# rare and precious root much prized in "hinese and !ibetan medicines. :elcher.>Assistant of a doctor DsurgeonE. ?elong.>+amaite priest having the right to offer sacrifices to ?od. ?etul.>!he third ran' in the +amaite mon's. ?oro.>!he high priest of the 6ing of the World. )at#'.>An oblong piece of blue Dor #ellowE sil' cloth, presented to honored guests, chiefs, +amas and gods. Also a 'ind of coin, worth from 4C to C5 cents. )ong.>A "hinese mercantile establishment.

154

)un.>!he lowest ran' of princes. )unghutze.>"hinese brigand. )ushun.>A fenced enclosure, containing the houses, paddoc's, stores, stables, etc., of Russian "ossac's in (ongolia. )utu'tu.>!he highest ran' of +amaite mon's$ the form of an# incarnated god$ hol#. Imouran.>A small rodent li'e a gopher. Izubr.>!he American el'. 6abarga.>!he mus' antelope. 6almuc'.>A (ongolian tribe, which migrated from (ongolia under Benghiz 6han Dwhere the# were 'nown as the &lets or *leuthsE, and now live in the 1rals and on the shores of the /olga in Russia. 6anpo.>!he abbot of a +amaite monaster#, a mon'$ also the first ran' of white clerg# Dnot mon'sE. 6anpo7?elong.>!he highest ran' of ?elongs D8.v.E$ an honorar# title. 6arma.>!he ;uddhist materialization of the idea of :ate, a parallel with the ?ree' and Roman ,emesis DBusticeE. 6han.>A 'ing. 6ha#rus.>A 'ind of trout. 6hirghiz.>!he great (ongol nation living between the river Irtish in western Siberia, +a'e ;alhash and the /olga in Russia. 6uropat'a.>A partridge. +ama.>!he common name for a +amaite priest. +an.>A weight of silver or gold e8uivalent to about one7eleventh of a Russian pound, or 3M225ths of a pound avoirdupois. +anhon.>A round bottle of cla#. (aramba.>A doctor of theolog#. (erin.>!he civil chief of police in ever# district of the So#ot countr# in 1rianhai.

155

&m@ (ani padme )ung@ .> &m has two meanings. It is the name of the first ?oro and also means= )ail@ In this connection= )ail@ ?reat +ama in the +otus :lower@ (ende.>So#ot greeting> ?ood Da#. ,agan7hushun.>A "hinese vegetable garden or enclosure in (ongolia. ,aida.>A form of fire used b# Siberian woodsmen. ,o#on.>A Prince or 6han. In polite address= "hief, *%cellenc#.

&bo.>!he sacred and propitiator# signs in all the dangerous places in 1rianhai and (ongolia. &lets.>/id= 6almuc'. &m.>!he name of the first ?oro D8.v.E and also of the m#sterious, magic science of the Subterranean State. It means, also= )ail@ &rochons.>A (ongolian tribe, living near the shores of the Amur River in Siberia. &ulatchen.>!he guard for the post horses$ official guide. &urton.>A post station, where the travelers change horses and oulatchens. Pandita.>!he high ran' of ;uddhist mon's. Panti.>Deer horns in the velvet, highl# prized as a !ibetan and "hinese medicine. Pogrom.>A wholesale slaughter of unarmed people$ a massacre. Paspa.>!he founder of the .ellow Sect, predominating now in the +amaite faith. Sait.>A (ongolian governor. Salga.>A sand partridge. Sa#n.> ?ood da#@ ?ood morning@ ?ood evening@ All right$ good.

!aiga.>A Siberian word for forest. !aimen.>A species of big trout, reaching 245 pounds. !a +ama.>+iterall#= the great priest, but it means now a doctor of medicine. !ashur.>A strong bamboo stic'.

156

!urpan.>!he red wild goose or +ama7goose. !zagan.>White. !zara.>A document, giving the right to receive horses and oulatchens at the post stations. !siri'.>(ongolian soldiers mobilized b# lev#. !zuren.>A doctor7poisoner. 1lan.>Red. 1rga.>!he name of the capital of (ongolia$ D4E a 'ind of (ongolian lasso. /atannen.>!he language of the Subterranean State of the 6ing of the World. Wapiti.>!he American el'. .urta.>!he common (ongolian tent or house, made of felt. Aahachine.>A West (ongolian wandering tribe. Aaberega.>!he ice7mountains formed along the shores of a river in spring. Ai''urat.>A high tower of ;ab#lonish st#le.

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