beasts, men and gods-第13节

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　they　got　out　of　control。　　Also　our　rifles　took　toll　of　any　bold　man　who　showed　his　head　from　behind　his　rock。　　We　heard　the　angry　shouting　and　maledictions　of　Red　soldiers　who　shot　up　our　position　more　and　more　animatedly。

Suddenly　I　saw　our　Soyot　kick　up　three　of　the　horses　and　spring　into　the　saddle　of　one　with　the　others　in　leash　behind。　　Behind　him　sprang　up　the　Tartar　and　the　Kalmuck。　　I　had　already　drawn　my　rifle　on　the　Soyot　but；　as　soon　as　I　saw　the　Tartar　and　Kalmuck　on　their　lovely　horses　behind　him；　I　dropped　my　gun　and　knew　all　was　well。　The　Reds　let　off　a　volley　at　the　trio　but　they　made　good　their　escape　behind　the　rocks　and　disappeared。　　The　firing　continued　more　and　more　lively　and　I　did　not　know　what　to　do。　　From　our　side　we　shot　rarely；　saving　our　cartridges。　　Watching　carefully　the　enemy；　I　noticed　two　black　points　on　the　snow　high　above　the　Reds。　　They　slowly　approached　our　antagonists　and　finally　were　hidden　from　view　behind　some　sharp　hillocks。　　When　they　emerged　from　these；　they　were　right　on　the　edge　of　some　overhanging　rocks　at　the　foot　of　which　the　Reds　lay　concealed　from　us。　　By　this　time　I　had　no　doubt　that　these　were　the　heads　of　two　men。　　Suddenly　these　men　rose　up　and　I　watched　them　flourish　and　throw　something　that　was　followed　by　two　deafening　roars　which　re…echoed　across　the　mountain　valley。　Immediately　a　third　explosion　was　followed　by　wild　shouts　and　disorderly　firing　among　the　Reds。　　Some　of　the　horses　rolled　down　the　slope　into　the　snow　below　and　the　soldiers；　chased　by　our　shots；　made　off　as　fast　as　they　could　down　into　the　valley　out　of　which　we　had　come。

Afterward　the　Tartar　told　me　the　Soyot　had　proposed　to　guide　them　around　behind　the　Reds　to　fall　upon　their　rear　with　the　bombs。　When　I　had　bound　up　the　wounded　shoulder　of　the　officer　and　we　had　taken　the　pack　off　the　killed　animal；　we　continued　our　journey。　Our　position　was　complicated。　　We　had　no　doubt　that　the　Red　detachment　came　up　from　Mongolia。　　Therefore；　were　there　Red　troops　in　Mongolia？　　What　was　their　strength？　　Where　might　we　meet　them？　Consequently；　Mongolia　was　no　more　the　Promised　Land？　　Very　sad　thoughts　took　possession　of　us。

But　Nature　pleased　us。　　The　wind　gradually　fell。　　The　storm　ceased。　The　sun　more　and　more　frequently　broke　through　the　scudding　clouds。　We　were　traveling　upon　a　high；　snow…covered　plateau；　where　in　one　place　the　wind　blew　it　clean　and　in　another　piled　it　high　with　drifts　which　caught　our　horses　and　held　them　so　that　they　could　hardly　extricate　themselves　at　times。　　We　had　to　dismount　and　wade　through　the　white　piles　up　to　our　waists　and　often　a　man　or　horse　was　down　and　had　to　be　helped　to　his　feet。　　At　last　the　descent　began　and　at　sunset　we　stopped　in　the　small　larch　grove；　spent　the　night　at　the　fire　among　the　trees　and　drank　the　tea　boiled　in　the　water　carried　from　the　open　mountain　brook。　　In　various　places　we　came　across　the　tracks　of　our　recent　antagonists。

Everything；　even　Nature　herself　and　the　angry　demons　of　Darkhat　Ola；　had　helped　us：　but　we　were　not　gay；　because　again　before　us　lay　the　dread　uncertainty　that　threatened　us　with　new　and　possibly　destructive　dangers。


CHAPTER　XIV

THE　RIVER　OF　THE　DEVIL


Ulan　Taiga　with　Darkhat　Ola　lay　behind　us。　　We　went　forward　very　rapidly　because　the　Mongol　plains　began　here；　free　from　the　impediments　of　mountains。　　Everywhere　splendid　grazing　lands　stretched　away。　　In　places　there　were　groves　of　larch。　　We　crossed　some　very　rapid　streams　but　they　were　not　deep　and　they　had　hard　beds。　　After　two　days　of　travel　over　the　Darkhat　plain　we　began　meeting　Soyots　driving　their　cattle　rapidly　toward　the　northwest　into　Orgarkha　Ola。　　They　communicated　to　us　very　unpleasant　news。

The　Bolsheviki　from　the　Irkutsk　district　had　crossed　the　Mongolian　border；　captured　the　Russian　colony　at　Khathyl　on　the　southern　shore　of　Lake　Kosogol　and　turned；　off　south　toward　Muren　Kure；　a　Russian　settlement　beside　a　big　Lamaite　monastery　sixty　miles　south　of　Kosogol。　　The　Mongols　told　us　there　were　no　Russian　troops　between　Khathyl　and　Muren　Kure；　so　we　decided　to　pass　between　these　two　points　to　reach　Van　Kure　farther　to　the　east。　　We　took　leave　of　our　Soyot　guide　and；　after　having　sent　three　scouts　in　advance；　moved　forward。　　From　the　mountains　around　the　Kosogol　we　admired　the　splendid　view　of　this　broad　Alpine　lake。　　It　was　set　like　a　sapphire　in　the　old　gold　of　the　surrounding　hills；　chased　with　lovely　bits　of　rich　dark　forestry。　　At　night　we　approached　Khathyl　with　great　precaution　and　stopped　on　the　shore　of　the　river　that　flows　from　Kosogol；　the　Yaga　or　Egingol。　　We　found　a　Mongol　who　agreed　to　transport　us　to　the　other　bank　of　the　frozen　stream　and　to　lead　us　by　a　safe　road　between　Khathyl　and　Muren　Kure。　Everywhere　along　the　shore　of　the　river　were　found　large　obo　and　small　shrines　to　the　demons　of　the　stream。

〃Why　are　there　so　many　obo？〃　we　asked　the　Mongol。

〃It　is　the　River　of　the　Devil；　dangerous　and　crafty；〃　replied　the　Mongol。　　〃Two　days　ago　a　train　of　carts　went　through　the　ice　and　three　of　them　with　five　soldiers　were　lost。〃

We　started　to　cross。　　The　surface　of　the　river　resembled　a　thick　piece　of　looking…glass；　being　clear　and　without　snow。　　Our　horses　walked　very　carefully　but　some　fell　and　floundered　before　they　could　regain　their　feet。　　We　were　leading　them　by　the　bridle。　　With　bowed　heads　and　trembling　all　over　they　kept　their　frightened　eyes　ever　on　the　ice　at　their　feet。　　I　looked　down　and　understood　their　fear。　　Through　the　cover　of　one　foot　of　transparent　ice　one　could　clearly　see　the　bottom　of　the　river。　　Under　the　lighting　of　the　moon　all　the　stones；　the　holes　and　even　some　of　the　grasses　were　distinctly　visible；　even　though　the　depth　was　ten　metres　and　more。　The　Yaga　rushed　under　the　ice　with　a　furious　speed；　swirling　and　marking　its　course　with　long　bands　of　foam　and　bubbles。　　Suddenly　I　jumped　and　stopped　as　though　fastened　to　the　spot。　　Along　the　surface　of　the　river　ran　the　boom　of　a　cannon；　followed　by　a　second　and　a　third。

〃Quicker；　quicker！〃　cried　our　Mongol；　waving　us　forward　with　his　hand。

Another　cannon　boom　and　a　crack　ran　right　close　to　us。　　The　horses　swung　back　on　their　haunches　in　protest；　reared　and　fell；　many　of　them　striking　their　heads　severely　on　the　ice。　　In　a　second　it　opened　up　two　feet　wide；　so　that　I　could　follow　its　jagged　course　along　the　surface。　　Immediately　up　out　of　the　opening　the　water　spread　over　the　ice　with　a　rush。

〃Hurry；　hurry！〃　shouted　the　guide。

With　great　difficulty　we　forced　our　horses　to　jump　over　this　cleavage　and　to　continue　on　further。　　They　trembled　and　disobeyed　and　only　the　strong　lash　forced　them　to　forget　this　panic　of　fear　and　go　on。

When　we　were　safe　on　the　farther　bank　and　well　into　the　woods；　our　Mongol　guide　recounted　to　us　how　the　river　at　times　opens　in　this　mysterious　way　and　leaves　great　areas　of　clear　water。　　All　the　men　and　animals　on　the　river　at　such　times　must　perish。　　The　furious　current　of　cold　water　will　always　carry　them　down　under　the　ice。　At　other　times　a　crack　has　been　known　to　pass　right　under　a　horse　and；　where　he　fell　in　with　his　front　feet　in　the　attempt　to　get　back　to　the　other　side；　the　crack　has　closed　up　and　ground　his　legs　or　feet　right　off。

The　valley　of　Kosogol　is　the　crater　of　an　extinct　volcano。　　Its　outlines　may　be　followed　from　the　high　west　shore　of　the　lake。　However；　the　Plutonic　force　still　acts　and；　asserting　the　glory　of　the　Devil；　forces　the　Mongols　to　build　obo　and　offer　sacrifices　at　his　shrines。　　We　spent　all　the　night　and　all　the　next　day　hurrying　away　eastward　to　avoid　a　meeting　with　the　Reds　and　seeking　good　pasturage　for　our　horses。　　At　about　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening　a　fire　shone　out　of　the　distance。　　My　friend　and　I　made　toward　it　with　the　feeling　that　it　was　surely　a　Mongol　yurta　beside　which　we　could　camp　in　safety。　　We　traveled　over　a　mile　before　making　out　distinctly　the　lines　of　a　group　of　yurtas。　　But　nobody　came　out　to　meet　us　and；　what　astonished　us　more；　we　were　not　surrounded　by　the　angry　black　Mongolian　dogs　with　fiery　eyes。　　Still；　from　the　distance　we　had　seen　the　fire　and　so　there　must　be　someone　there。　We　dismounted　from　our　horses　and　approached　on　foot。　　From　out　of　the　yurta　rushed　two　Russian　soldiers；　one　of　whom　shot　at　me　with　his　pistol　but　missed　me　and　wounded　my　horse　in　the　back　through　the　saddle。　　I　brought　him　to　earth　with　my　Mauser　and　the　other　was　killed　by　the　butt　end　of　my　friend's　rifle。　　We　examined　the　bodies　and　found　in　their　pockets　the　papers　of　soldiers　of　the　Second　Squadron　of　the　Communist　Interior　Defence。　　Here　we　spent　the　night。　　The　owners　of　the　yurtas　had　evidently　run　away；　for　the　Red　soldiers　had　collected　and　packed　in　sacks　the　property　of　the　Mongols。　　Probably　they　were　just　planning　to　leave；　as　they　were　fully　dressed。　　We　acquired　two　horses；　which　we　found　in　the　bushes；　two　rifles　and　two　automatic　pistols　with　cartridges。　　In　the　saddle　bags　we　also　found　tea；　tobacco；　matches　and　cartridges　all　of　these　valuable　supplies　to　help　us　keep　further　hold　on　our　lives。

Two　days　later　we　were　approaching　the　shore　of　the　River　Uri　when　we　met　two　Russian　riders；　who　were　the　Cossacks　of　a　certain　Ataman　Sutunin；　acting　against　the　Bolsheviki　i