按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
urished the rifle of the Partisan over his head and I heard the dull blow which was followed by an absolute calm。 He came back toward me and； confusedly smiling； said：
〃It is done。 God and the Devil！ When I was a boy； my mother wanted to make a priest out of me。 When I grew up； I became a trained agronome in order 。 。 。 to strangle the people and smash their skulls。 Revolution is a very stupid thing！〃
And with anger and disgust he spit and began to smoke his pipe。
At the other outpost also all was finished。 During this night we reached the top of the Tannu Ola and descended again into a valley covered with dense bushes and twined with a whole network of small rivers and streams。 It was the headwaters of the Buret Hei。 About one o'clock we stopped and began to feed our horses； as the grass just there was very good。 Here we thought ourselves in safety。 We saw many calming indications。 On the mountains were seen the grazing herds of reindeers and yaks and approaching Soyots confirmed our supposition。 Here behind the Tannu Ola the Soyots had not seen the Red soldiers。 We presented to these Soyots a brick of tea and saw them depart happy and sure that we were 〃Tzagan；〃 a 〃good people。〃
While our horses rested and grazed on the well…preserved grass； we sat by the fire and deliberated upon our further progress。 There developed a sharp controversy between two sections of our company； one led by a Colonel who with four officers were so impressed by the absence of Reds south of the Tannu Ola that they determined to work westward to Kobdo and then on to the camp on the Emil River where the Chinese authorities had interned six thousand of the forces of General Bakitch； which had come over into Mongolian territory。 My friend and I with sixteen of the officers chose to carry through our old plan to strike for the shores of Lake Kosogol and thence out to the Far East。 As neither side could persuade the other to abandon its ideas； our company was divided and the next day at noon we took leave of one another。 It turned out that our own wing of eighteen had many fights and difficulties on the way； which cost us the lives of six of our comrades； but that the remainder of us came through to the goal of our journey so closely knit by the ties of devotion which fighting and struggling for our very lives entailed that we have ever preserved for one another the warmest feelings of friendship。 The other group under Colonel Jukoff perished。 He met a big detachment of Red cavalry and was defeated by them in two fights。 Only two officers escaped。 They related to me this sad news and the details of the fights when we met four months later in Urga。
Our band of eighteen riders with five packhorses moved up the valley of the Buret Hei。 We floundered in the swamps； passed innumerable miry streams； were frozen by the cold winds and were soaked through by the snow and sleet； but we persisted indefatigably toward the south end of Kosogol。 As a guide our Tartar led us confidently over these trails well marked by the feet of many cattle being run out of Urianhai to Mongolia。
CHAPTER XII
IN THE COUNTRY OF ETERNAL PEACE
The inhabitants of Urianhai； the Soyots； are proud of being the genuine Buddhists and of retaining the pure doctrine of holy Rama and the deep wisdom of Sakkia…Mouni。 They are the eternal enemies of war and of the shedding of blood。 Away back in the thirteenth century they preferred to move out from their native land and take refuge in the north rather than fight or become a part of the empire of the bloody conqueror Jenghiz Khan； who wanted to add to his forces these wonderful horsemen and skilled archers。 Three times in their history they have thus trekked northward to avoid struggle and now no one can say that on the hands of the Soyots there has ever been seen human blood。 With their love of peace they struggled against the evils of war。 Even the severe Chinese administrators could not apply here in this country of peace the full measure of their implacable laws。 In the same manner the Soyots conducted themselves when the Russian people； mad with blood and crime； brought this infection into their land。 They avoided persistently meetings and encounters with the Red troops and Partisans； trekking off with their families and cattle southward into the distant principalities of Kemchik and Soldjak。 The eastern branch of this stream of emigration passed through the valley of the Buret Hei； where we constantly outstrode groups of them with their cattle and herds。
We traveled quickly along the winding trail of the Buret Hei and in two days began to make the elevations of the mountain pass between the valleys of the Buret Hei and Kharga。 The trail was not only very steep but was also littered with fallen larch trees and frequently intercepted； incredible as it may seem； with swampy places where the horses mired badly。 Then again we picked our dangerous road over cobbles and small stones that rolled away under our horses' feet and bumped off over the precipice nearby。 Our horses fatigued easily in passing this moraine that had been strewn by ancient glaciers along the mountain sides。 Sometimes the trail led right along the edge of the precipices where the horses started great slides of stones and sand。 I remember one whole mountain covered with these moving sands。 We had to leave our saddles and； taking the bridles in our hands； to trot for a mile or more over these sliding beds； sometimes sinking in up to our knees and going down the mountain side with them toward the precipices below。 One imprudent move at times would have sent us over the brink。 This destiny met one of our horses。 Belly down in the moving trap； he could not work free to change his direction and so slipped on down with a mass of it until he rolled over the precipice and was lost to us forever。 We heard only the crackling of breaking trees along his road to death。 Then with great difficulty we worked down to salvage the saddle and bags。 Further along we had to abandon one of our pack horses which had come all the way from the northern border of Urianhai with us。 We first unburdened it but this did not help； no more did our shouting and threats。 He only stood with his head down and looked so exhausted that we realized he had reached the further bourne of his land of toil。 Some Soyots with us examined him； felt of his muscles on the fore and hind legs； took his head in their hands and moved it from side to side； examined his head carefully after that and then said：
〃That horse will not go further。 His brain is dried out。〃 So we had to leave him。
That evening we came to a beautiful change in scene when we topped a rise and found ourselves on a broad plateau covered with larch。 On it we discovered the yurtas of some Soyot hunters； covered with bark instead of the usual felt。 Out of these ten men with rifles rushed toward us as we approached。 They informed us that the Prince of Soldjak did not allow anyone to pass this way； as he feared the coming of murderers and robbers into his dominions。
〃Go back to the place from which you came；〃 they advised us with fear in their eyes。
I did not answer but I stopped