beasts, men and gods-第10节

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led　that　Noyon　（Prince）　of　Todji　had　ordered　them　to　drive　the　herds　along　the　Buret　Hei　into　Mongolia；　apprehending　the　pillaging　of　the　Red　Partisans。　　They　proceeded　but　were　informed　by　some　Soyot　hunters　that　this　part　of　the　Tannu　Ola　was　occupied　by　the　Partisans　from　the　village　of　Vladimirovka。　　Consequently　they　were　forced　to　return。　　We　inquired　from　them　the　whereabouts　of　these　outposts　and　how　many　Partisans　were　holding　the　mountain　pass　over　into　Mongolia。　　We　sent　out　the　Tartar　and　the　Kalmuck　for　a　reconnaissance　while　all　of　us　prepared　for　the　further　advance　by　wrapping　the　feet　of　our　horses　in　our　shirts　and　by　muzzling　their　noses　with　straps　and　bits　of　rope　so　that　they　could　not　neigh。　It　was　dark　when　our　investigators　returned　and　reported　to　us　that　about　thirty　Partisans　had　a　camp　some　ten　kilometers　from　us；　occupying　the　yurtas　of　the　Soyots。　　At　the　pass　were　two　outposts；　one　of　two　soldiers　and　the　other　of　three。　　From　the　outposts　to　the　camp　was　a　little　over　a　mile。　　Our　trail　lay　between　the　two　outposts。　　From　the　top　of　the　mountain　one　could　plainly　see　the　two　posts　and　could　shoot　them　all。　　When　we　had　come　near　to　the　top　of　this　mountain；　I　left　our　party　and；　taking　with　me　my　friend；　the　Tartar；　the　Kalmuck　and　two　of　the　young　officers；　advanced。　　From　the　mountain　I　saw　about　five　hundred　yards　ahead　two　fires。　　At　each　of　the　fires　sat　a　soldier　with　his　rifle　and　the　others　slept。　　I　did　not　want　to　fight　with　the　Partisans　but　we　had　to　do　away　with　these　outposts　and　that　without　firing　or　we　never　should　get　through　the　pass。　　I　did　not　believe　the　Partisans　could　afterwards　track　us　because　the　whole　trail　was　thickly　marked　with　the　spoors　of　horses　and　cattle。

〃I　shall　take　for　my　share　these　two；〃　whispered　my　friend；　pointing　to　the　left　outpost。

The　rest　of　us　were　to　take　care　of　the　second　post。　　I　crept　along　through　the　bushes　behind　my　friend　in　order　to　help　him　in　case　of　need；　but　I　am　bound　to　admit　that　I　was　not　at　all　worried　about　him。　　He　was　about　seven　feet　tall　and　so　strong　that；　when　a　horse　used　to　refuse　sometimes　to　take　the　bit；　he　would　wrap　his　arm　around　its　neck；　kick　its　forefeet　out　from　under　it　and　throw　it　so　that　he　could　easily　bridle　it　on　the　ground。　　When　only　a　hundred　paces　remained；　I　stood　behind　the　bushes　and　watched。　　I　could　see　very　distinctly　the　fire　and　the　dozing　sentinel。　　He　sat　with　his　rifle　on　his　knees。　　His　companion；　asleep　beside　him；　did　not　move。　　Their　white　felt　boots　were　plainly　visible　to　me。　　For　a　long　time　I　did　not　remark　my　friend。　　At　the　fire　all　was　quiet。　Suddenly　from　the　other　outpost　floated　over　a　few　dim　shouts　and　all　was　still。　　Our　sentinel　slowly　raised　his　head。　　But　just　at　this　moment　the　huge　body　of　my　friend　rose　up　and　blanketed　the　fire　from　me　and　in　a　twinkling　the　feet　of　the　sentinel　flashed　through　the　air；　as　my　companion　had　seized　him　by　the　throat　and　swung　him　clear　into　the　bushes；　where　both　figures　disappeared。　In　a　second　he　re…appeared；　flourished　the　rifle　of　the　Partisan　over　his　head　and　I　heard　the　dull　blow　which　was　followed　by　an　absolute　calm。　　He　came　back　toward　me　and；　confusedly　smiling；　said：

〃It　is　done。　　God　and　the　Devil！　　When　I　was　a　boy；　my　mother　wanted　to　make　a　priest　out　of　me。　　When　I　grew　up；　I　became　a　trained　agronome　in　order　。　。　。　to　strangle　the　people　and　smash　their　skulls。　　Revolution　is　a　very　stupid　thing！〃

And　with　anger　and　disgust　he　spit　and　began　to　smoke　his　pipe。

At　the　other　outpost　also　all　was　finished。　　During　this　night　we　reached　the　top　of　the　Tannu　Ola　and　descended　again　into　a　valley　covered　with　dense　bushes　and　twined　with　a　whole　network　of　small　rivers　and　streams。　　It　was　the　headwaters　of　the　Buret　Hei。　　About　one　o'clock　we　stopped　and　began　to　feed　our　horses；　as　the　grass　just　there　was　very　good。　　Here　we　thought　ourselves　in　safety。　　We　saw　many　calming　indications。　　On　the　mountains　were　seen　the　grazing　herds　of　reindeers　and　yaks　and　approaching　Soyots　confirmed　our　supposition。　　Here　behind　the　Tannu　Ola　the　Soyots　had　not　seen　the　Red　soldiers。　　We　presented　to　these　Soyots　a　brick　of　tea　and　saw　them　depart　happy　and　sure　that　we　were　〃Tzagan；〃　a　〃good　people。〃

While　our　horses　rested　and　grazed　on　the　well…preserved　grass；　we　sat　by　the　fire　and　deliberated　upon　our　further　progress。　　There　developed　a　sharp　controversy　between　two　sections　of　our　company；　one　led　by　a　Colonel　who　with　four　officers　were　so　impressed　by　the　absence　of　Reds　south　of　the　Tannu　Ola　that　they　determined　to　work　westward　to　Kobdo　and　then　on　to　the　camp　on　the　Emil　River　where　the　Chinese　authorities　had　interned　six　thousand　of　the　forces　of　General　Bakitch；　which　had　come　over　into　Mongolian　territory。　　My　friend　and　I　with　sixteen　of　the　officers　chose　to　carry　through　our　old　plan　to　strike　for　the　shores　of　Lake　Kosogol　and　thence　out　to　the　Far　East。　　As　neither　side　could　persuade　the　other　to　abandon　its　ideas；　our　company　was　divided　and　the　next　day　at　noon　we　took　leave　of　one　another。　　It　turned　out　that　our　own　wing　of　eighteen　had　many　fights　and　difficulties　on　the　way；　which　cost　us　the　lives　of　six　of　our　comrades；　but　that　the　remainder　of　us　came　through　to　the　goal　of　our　journey　so　closely　knit　by　the　ties　of　devotion　which　fighting　and　struggling　for　our　very　lives　entailed　that　we　have　ever　preserved　for　one　another　the　warmest　feelings　of　friendship。　　The　other　group　under　Colonel　Jukoff　perished。　　He　met　a　big　detachment　of　Red　cavalry　and　was　defeated　by　them　in　two　fights。　　Only　two　officers　escaped。　　They　related　to　me　this　sad　news　and　the　details　of　the　fights　when　we　met　four　months　later　in　Urga。

Our　band　of　eighteen　riders　with　five　packhorses　moved　up　the　valley　of　the　Buret　Hei。　　We　floundered　in　the　swamps；　passed　innumerable　miry　streams；　were　frozen　by　the　cold　winds　and　were　soaked　through　by　the　snow　and　sleet；　but　we　persisted　indefatigably　toward　the　south　end　of　Kosogol。　　As　a　guide　our　Tartar　led　us　confidently　over　these　trails　well　marked　by　the　feet　of　many　cattle　being　run　out　of　Urianhai　to　Mongolia。


CHAPTER　XII

IN　THE　COUNTRY　OF　ETERNAL　PEACE


The　inhabitants　of　Urianhai；　the　Soyots；　are　proud　of　being　the　genuine　Buddhists　and　of　retaining　the　pure　doctrine　of　holy　Rama　and　the　deep　wisdom　of　Sakkia…Mouni。　　They　are　the　eternal　enemies　of　war　and　of　the　shedding　of　blood。　　Away　back　in　the　thirteenth　century　they　preferred　to　move　out　from　their　native　land　and　take　refuge　in　the　north　rather　than　fight　or　become　a　part　of　the　empire　of　the　bloody　conqueror　Jenghiz　Khan；　who　wanted　to　add　to　his　forces　these　wonderful　horsemen　and　skilled　archers。　　Three　times　in　their　history　they　have　thus　trekked　northward　to　avoid　struggle　and　now　no　one　can　say　that　on　the　hands　of　the　Soyots　there　has　ever　been　seen　human　blood。　　With　their　love　of　peace　they　struggled　against　the　evils　of　war。　　Even　the　severe　Chinese　administrators　could　not　apply　here　in　this　country　of　peace　the　full　measure　of　their　implacable　laws。　　In　the　same　manner　the　Soyots　conducted　themselves　when　the　Russian　people；　mad　with　blood　and　crime；　brought　this　infection　into　their　land。　　They　avoided　persistently　meetings　and　encounters　with　the　Red　troops　and　Partisans；　trekking　off　with　their　families　and　cattle　southward　into　the　distant　principalities　of　Kemchik　and　Soldjak。　　The　eastern　branch　of　this　stream　of　emigration　passed　through　the　valley　of　the　Buret　Hei；　where　we　constantly　outstrode　groups　of　them　with　their　cattle　and　herds。

We　traveled　quickly　along　the　winding　trail　of　the　Buret　Hei　and　in　two　days　began　to　make　the　elevations　of　the　mountain　pass　between　the　valleys　of　the　Buret　Hei　and　Kharga。　　The　trail　was　not　only　very　steep　but　was　also　littered　with　fallen　larch　trees　and　frequently　intercepted；　incredible　as　it　may　seem；　with　swampy　places　where　the　horses　mired　badly。　　Then　again　we　picked　our　dangerous　road　over　cobbles　and　small　stones　that　rolled　away　under　our　horses'　feet　and　bumped　off　over　the　precipice　nearby。　　Our　horses　fatigued　easily　in　passing　this　moraine　that　had　been　strewn　by　ancient　glaciers　along　the　mountain　sides。　　Sometimes　the　trail　led　right　along　the　edge　of　the　precipices　where　the　horses　started　great　slides　of　stones　and　sand。　　I　remember　one　whole　mountain　covered　with　these　moving　sands。　　We　had　to　leave　our　saddles　and；　taking　the　bridles　in　our　hands；　to　trot　for　a　mile　or　more　over　these　sliding　beds；　sometimes　sinking　in　up　to　our　knees　and　going　down　the　mountain　side　with　them　toward　the　precipices　below。　　One　imprudent　move　at　times　would　have　sent　us　over　the　brink。　　This　destiny　met　one　of　our　horses。　　Belly　down　in　the　moving　trap；　he　could　not　work　free　to　change　his　direction　and　so　slipped　on　down　with　a　mass　of　it　until　he　rolled　over　the　precipice　and　was　lost　to　us　forever。　　We　heard　only　the　crackling　of　breaking　trees　along　his　road　to　death。　　Then　with　great　difficulty　we　worked　down　to　salvage　the　saddle　and　bags。　　Further　along　we　had　to　abandon　one　of　our　pack　horses　which　had　come　all　the　way　from　the　northern　border　of　Urianhai　with　us。　　We　first　unburdened　it　but　this　did　not　help；　no　more