beasts, men and gods-第30节

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！


this　crisis　of　his　country　but　the　Hutuktu　only　waved　his　hand　in　an　expression　of　fear　and　refused。　　When　I　asked　the　Hutuktu　for　the　reason　of　his　refusal；　suggesting　to　him　that　it　might　calm　and　help　Chultun　Beyli　as　the　vision　of　my　beloved　had　strengthened　me；　the　Hutuktu　knitted　his　brow　and　answered：

〃No！　　The　vision　would　not　please　the　Prince。　　His　fate　is　black。　Yesterday　I　thrice　sought　his　fortune　on　the　burned　shoulder　blades　and　with　the　entrails　of　sheep　and　each　time　came　to　the　same　dire　result；　the　same　dire　result！　。　。　。〃

He　did　not　really　finish　speaking　but　covered　his　face　with　his　hands　in　fear。　　He　was　convinced　that　the　lot　of　Chultun　Beyli　was　black　as　the　night。

In　an　hour　we　were　behind　the　low　hills　that　hid　the　Narabanchi　Kure　from　our　sight。


CHAPTER　XXVIII

THE　BREATH　OF　DEATH


We　arrived　at　Uliassutai　on　the　day　of　the　return　of　the　detachment　which　had　gone　out　to　disarm　the　convoy　of　Wang　Tsao…tsun。　　This　detachment　had　met　Colonel　Domojiroff；　who　ordered　them　not　only　to　disarm　but　to　pillage　the　convoy　and；　unfortunately；　Lieutenant　Strigine　executed　this　illegal　and　unwarranted　command。　　It　was　compromising　and　ignominious　to　see　Russian　officers　and　soldiers　wearing　the　Chinese　overcoats；　boots　and　wrist　watches　which　had　been　taken　from　the　Chinese　officials　and　the　convoy。　　Everyone　had　Chinese　silver　and　gold　also　from　the　loot。　　The　Mongol　wife　of　Wang　Tsao…tsun　and　her　brother　returned　with　the　detachment　and　entered　a　complaint　of　having　been　robbed　by　the　Russians。　　The　Chinese　officials　and　their　convoy；　deprived　of　their　supplies；　reached　the　Chinese　border　only　after　great　distress　from　hunger　and　cold。　　We　foreigners　were　astounded　that　Lt。…Colonel　Michailoff　received　Strigine　with　military　honors　but　we　caught　the　explanation　of　it　later　when　we　learned　that　Michailoff　had　been　given　some　of　the　Chinese　silver　and　his　wife　the　handsomely　decorated　saddle　of　Fu　Hsiang。　　Chultun　Beyli　demanded　that　all　the　weapons　taken　from　the　Chinese　and　all　the　stolen　property　be　turned　over　to　him；　as　it　must　later　be　returned　to　the　Chinese　authorities；　but　Michailoff　refused。　　Afterwards　we　foreigners　cut　off　all　contact　with　the　Russian　detachment。　　The　relations　between　the　Russians　and　Mongols　became　very　strained。　　Several　of　the　Russian　officers　protested　against　the　acts　of　Michailoff　and　Strigine　and　controversies　became　more　and　more　serious。

At　this　time；　one　morning　in　April；　an　extraordinary　group　of　armed　horsemen　arrived　at　Uliassutai。　　They　stayed　at　the　house　of　the　Bolshevik　Bourdukoff；　who　gave　them；　so　we　were　told；　a　great　quantity　of　silver。　　This　group　explained　that　they　were　former　officers　in　the　Imperial　Guard。　　They　were　Colonels　Poletika；　N。　N。　Philipoff　and　three　of　the　latter's　brothers。　　They　announced　that　they　wanted　to　collect　all　the　White　officers　and　soldiers　then　in　Mongolia　and　China　and　lead　them　to　Urianhai　to　fight　the　Bolsheviki；　but　that　first　they　wanted　to　wipe　out　Ungern　and　return　Mongolia　to　China。　　They　called　themselves　the　representatives　of　the　Central　Organization　of　the　Whites　in　Russia。

The　society　of　Russian　officers　in　Uliassutai　invited　them　to　a　meeting；　examined　their　documents　and　interrogated　them。　Investigation　proved　that　all　the　statements　of　these　officers　about　their　former　connections　were　entirely　wrong；　that　Poletika　occupied　an　important　position　in　the　war　commissariat　of　the　Bolsheviki；　that　one　of　the　Philipoff　brothers　was　the　assistant　of　Kameneff　in　his　first　attempt　to　reach　England；　that　the　Central　White　Organization　in　Russia　did　not　exist；　that　the　proposed　fighting　in　Urianhai　was　but　a　trap　for　the　White　officers　and　that　this　group　was　in　close　relations　with　the　Bolshevik　Bourdukoff。

A　discussion　at　once　sprang　up　among　the　officers　as　to　what　they　should　do　with　this　group；　which　split　the　detachment　into　two　distinct　parties。　　Lt。…Colonel　Michailoff　with　several　officers　joined　themselves　to　Poletika's　group　just　as　Colonel　Domojiroff　arrived　with　his　detachment。　　He　began　to　get　in　touch　with　both　factions　and　to　feel　out　the　politics　of　the　situation；　finally　appointing　Poletika　to　the　post　of　Commandant　of　Uliassutai　and　sending　to　Baron　Ungern　a　full　report　of　the　events　in　the　town。　In　this　document　he　devoted　much　space　to　me；　accusing　me　of　standing　in　the　way　of　the　execution　of　his　orders。　　His　officers　watched　me　continuously。　　From　different　quarters　I　received　warnings　to　take　great　care。　　This　band　and　its　leader　openly　demanded　to　know　what　right　this　foreigner　had　to　interfere　in　the　affairs　of　Mongolia；　one　of　Domojiroff's　officers　directly　giving　me　the　challenge　in　a　meeting　in　the　attempt　to　provoke　a　controversy。　　I　quietly　answered　him：

〃And　on　what　basis　do　the　Russian　refugees　interfere；　they　who　have　rights　neither　at　home　nor　abroad？〃

The　officer　made　no　verbal　reply　but　in　his　eyes　burned　a　definite　answer。　　My　huge　friend　who　sat　beside　me　noticed　this；　strode　over　toward　him　and；　towering　over　him；　stretched　his　arms　and　hands　as　though　just　waking　from　sleep　and　remarked：　　〃I'm　looking　for　a　little　boxing　exercise。〃

On　one　occasion　Domojiroff's　men　would　have　succeeded　in　taking　me　if　I　had　not　been　saved　by　the　watchfulness　of　our　foreign　group。　I　had　gone　to　the　fortress　to　negotiate　with　the　Mongol　Sait　for　the　departure　of　the　foreigners　from　Uliassutai。　　Chultun　Beyli　detained　me　for　a　long　time；　so　that　I　was　forced　to　return　about　nine　in　the　evening。　　My　horse　was　walking。　　Half　a　mile　from　the　town　three　men　sprang　up　out　of　the　ditch　and　ran　at　me。　　I　whipped　up　my　horse　but　noticed　several　more　men　coming　out　of　the　other　ditch　as　though　to　head　me　off。　　They；　however；　made　for　the　other　group　and　captured　them　and　I　heard　the　voice　of　a　foreigner　calling　me　back。　　There　I　found　three　of　Domojiroff's　officers　surrounded　by　the　Polish　soldiers　and　other　foreigners　under　the　leadership　of　my　old　trusted　agronome；　who　was　occupied　with　tying　the　hands　of　the　officers　behind　their　backs　so　strongly　that　the　bones　cracked。　　Ending　his　work　and　still　smoking　his　perpetual　pipe；　he　announced　in　a　serious　and　important　manner：　　〃I　think　it　best　to　throw　them　into　the　river。〃

Laughing　at　his　seriousness　and　the　fear　of　Domojiroff's　officers；　I　asked　them　why　they　had　started　to　attack　me。　　They　dropped　their　eyes　and　were　silent。　　It　was　an　eloquent　silence　and　we　perfectly　understood　what　they　had　proposed　to　do。　　They　had　revolvers　hidden　in　their　pockets。

〃Fine！〃　I　said。　　〃All　is　perfectly　clear。　　I　shall　release　you　but　you　must　report　to　your　sender　that　he　will　not　welcome　you　back　the　next　time。　　Your　weapons　I　shall　hand　to　the　Commandant　of　Uliassutai。〃

My　friend；　using　his　former　terrifying　care；　began　to　untie　them；　repeating　over　and　over：　　〃And　I　would　have　fed　you　to　the　fishes　in　the　river！〃　　Then　we　all　returned　to　the　town；　leaving　them　to　go　their　way。

Domojiroff　continued　to　send　envoys　to　Baron　Ungern　at　Urga　with　requests　for　plenary　powers　and　money　and　with　reports　about　Michailoff；　Chultun　Beyli；　Poletika；　Philipoff　and　myself。　　With　Asiatic　cunning　he　was　then　maintaining　good　relations　with　all　those　for　whom　he　was　preparing　death　at　the　hands　of　the　severe　warrior；　Baron　Ungern；　who　was　receiving　only　one…sided　reports　about　all　the　happenings　in　Uliassutai。　　Our　whole　colony　was　greatly　agitated。　　The　officers　split　into　different　parties；　the　soldiers　collected　in　groups　and　discussed　the　events　of　the　day；　criticising　their　chiefs；　and　under　the　influence　of　some　of　Domojiroff's　men　began　making　such　statements　as：

〃We　have　now　seven　Colonels；　who　all　want　to　be　in　command　and　are　all　quarreling　among　themselves。　　They　all　ought　to　be　pegged　down　and　given　good　sound　thrashings。　　The　one　who　could　take　the　greatest　number　of　blows　ought　to　be　chosen　as　our　chief。〃

It　was　an　ominous　joke　that　proved　the　demoralization　of　the　Russian　detachment。

〃It　seems；〃　my　friend　frequently　observed；　〃that　we　shall　soon　have　the　pleasure　of　seeing　a　Council　of　Soldiers　here　in　Uliassutai。　God　and　the　Devil！　　One　thing　here　is　very　unfortunatethere　are　no　forests　near　into　which　good　Christian　men　may　dive　and　get　away　from　all　these　cursed　Soviets。　　It's　bare；　frightfully　bare；　this　wretched　Mongolia；　with　no　place　for　us　to　hide。〃

Really　this　possibility　of　the　Soviet　was　approaching。　　On　one　occasion　the　soldiers　captured　the　arsenal　containing　the　weapons　surrendered　by　the　Chinese　and　carried　them　off　to　their　barracks。　Drunkenness；　gambling　and　fighting　increased。　　We　foreigners；　carefully　watching　events　and　in　fear　of　a　catastrophe；　finally　decided　to　leave　Uliassutai；　that　caldron　of　passions；　controversies　and　denunciations。　　We　heard　that　the　group　of　Poletika　was　also　preparing　to　get　out　a　few　days　later。　　We　foreigners　separated　into　two　parties；　one　traveling　by　the　old　caravan　route　across　the　Gobi　considerably　to　the　south　of　Urga　to　Kuku…Hoto　or　Kweihuacheng　and　Kalgan；　and　mine；　consisting　of　my　friend；　two　Polish　soldiers　and　myself；　heading　for　Urga　via　Zain　Shabi；　where　Colonel　Kazagrandi　had　asked　me　in　a　recent　letter　to　meet　him。　　Thus　we　left　the　Uliassutai　where　we　had　lived　throug