beasts, men and gods-第34节

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rses。


CHAPTER　XXX

ARRESTED！


About　twelve　miles　from　Zain　we　saw　from　a　ridge　a　snakelike　line　of　riders　crossing　the　valley；　which　detachment　we　met　half　an　hour　later　on　the　shore　of　a　deep；　swampy　stream。　　The　group　consisted　of　Mongols；　Buriats　and　Tibetans　armed　with　Russian　rifles。　　At　the　head　of　the　column　were　two　men；　one　of　whom　in　a　huge　black　Astrakhan　and　black　felt　cape　with　red　Caucasian　cowl　on　his　shoulders　blocked　my　road　and；　in　a　coarse；　harsh　voice；　demanded　of　me：　　〃Who　are　you；　where　are　you　from　and　where　are　you　going？〃

I　gave　also　a　laconic　answer。　　They　then　said　that　they　were　a　detachment　of　troops　from　Baron　Ungern　under　the　command　of　Captain　Vandaloff。　　〃I　am　Captain　Bezrodnoff；　military　judge。〃

Suddenly　he　laughed　loudly。　　His　insolent；　stupid　face　did　not　please　me　and；　bowing　to　the　officers；　I　ordered　my　riders　to　move。

〃Oh　no！〃　he　remonstrated；　as　he　blocked　the　road　again。　　〃I　cannot　allow　you　to　go　farther。　　I　want　to　have　a　long　and　serious　conversation　with　you　and　you　will　have　to　come　back　to　Zain　for　it。〃

I　protested　and　called　attention　to　the　letter　of　Colonel　Kazagrandi；　only　to　hear　Bezrodnoff　answer　with　coldness：

〃This　letter　is　a　matter　of　Colonel　Kazagrandi's　and　to　bring　you　back　to　Zain　and　talk　with　you　is　my　affair。　　Now　give　me　your　weapon。〃

But　I　could　not　yield　to　this　demand；　even　though　death　were　threatened。

〃Listen；〃　I　said。　　〃Tell　me　frankly。　　Is　yours　really　a　detachment　fighting　against　the　Boisheviki　or　is　it　a　Red　contingent？〃

〃No；　I　assure　you！〃　replied　the　Buriat　officer　Vandaloff；　approaching　me。　　〃We　have　already　been　fighting　the　Bolsheviki　for　three　years。〃

〃Then　I　cannot　hand　you　my　weapon；〃　I　calmly　replied。　　〃I　brought　it　from　Soviet　Siberia；　have　had　many　fights　with　this　faithful　weapon　and　now　I　am　to　be　disarmed　by　White　officers！　　It　is　an　offence　that　I　cannot　allow。〃

With　these　words　I　threw　my　rifle　and　my　Mauser　into　the　stream。　The　officers　were　confused。　　Bezrodnoff　turned　red　with　anger。

〃I　freed　you　and　myself　from　humiliation；〃　I　explained。

Bezrodnoff　in　silence　turned　his　horse；　the　whole　detachment　of　three　hundred　men　passed　immediately　before　me　and　only　the　last　two　riders　stopped；　ordered　my　Mongols　to　turn　my　cart　round　and　then　fell　in　behind　my　little　group。　　So　I　was　arrested！　　One　of　the　horsemen　behind　me　was　a　Russian　and　he　told　me　that　Bezrodnoff　carried　with　him　many　death　decrees。　　I　was　sure　that　mine　was　among　them。

Stupid；　very　stupid！　　What　was　the　use　of　fighting　one's　way　through　Red　detachments；　of　being　frozen　and　hungry；　of　almost　perishing　in　Tibet　only　to　die　from　a　bullet　of　one　of　Bezrodnoff's　Mongols？　　For　such　a　pleasure　it　was　not　worth　while　to　travel　so　long　and　so　far！　　In　every　Siberian　〃Cheka〃　I　could　have　had　this　end　so　joyfully　accorded　me。

When　we　arrived　at　Zain　Shabi；　my　luggage　was　examined　and　Bezrodnoff　began　to　question　me　in　minutest　detail　about　the　events　in　Uliassutai。　　We　talked　about　three　hours；　during　which　I　tried　to　defend　all　the　officers　of　Uliassutai；　maintaining　that　one　must　not　trust　only　the　reports　of　Domojiroff。　　When　our　conversation　was　finished；　the　Captain　stood　up　and　offered　his　apologies　for　detaining　me　in　my　journey。　　Afterwards　he　presented　me　a　fine　Mauser　with　silver　mountings　on　the　handle　and　said：

〃Your　pride　greatly　pleased　me。　　I　beg　you　to　receive　this　weapon　as　a　memento　of　me。〃

The　following　morning　I　set　out　anew　from　Zain　Shabi；　having　in　my　pocket　the　laissez…passer　of　Bezrodnoff　for　his　outposts。


CHAPTER　XXXI

TRAVELING　BY　〃URGA〃


Once　more　we　traveled　along　the　now　known　places；　the　mountain　from　which　I　espied　the　detachment　of　Bezrodnoff；　the　stream　into　which　I　had　thrown　my　weapon；　and　soon　all　this　lay　behind　us。　　At　the　first　ourton　we　were　disappointed　because　we　did　not　find　horses　there。　　In　the　yurtas　were　only　the　host　with　two　of　his　sons。　　I　showed　him　my　document　and　he　exclaimed：

〃Noyon　has　the　right　of　'urga。'　　Horses　will　be　brought　very　soon。〃

He　jumped　into　his　saddle；　took　two　of　my　Mongols　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　away。　　My　cart　moved　behind　them。　　We　left　the　road；　crossed　the　plain　for　an　hour　and　came　upon　a　big　herd　of　horses　grazing　there。　　The　Mongol　began　to　catch　a　quota　of　them　for　us　with　his　pole　and　noose　or　urga；　when　out　of　the　mountains　nearby　came　galloping　the　owners　of　the　herds。　　When　the　old　Mongol　showed　my　papers　to　them；　they　submissively　acquiesced　and　substituted　four　of　their　men　for　those　who　had　come　with　me　thus　far。　　In　this　manner　the　Mongols　travel；　not　along　the　ourton　or　station　road　but　directly　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　Mongols　so　effected　by　the　right　of　urga　try　to　finish　their　task　as　rapidly　as　possible　and　gallop　like　mad　for　the　nearest　herd　in　your　general　direction　of　travel　to　turn　over　their　task　to　their　neighbor。　　Any　traveler　having　this　right　of　urga　can　catch　horses　himself　and；　if　there　are　no　owners；　can　force　the　former　ones　to　carry　on　and　leave　the　animals　in　the　next　herd　he　requisitions。　　But　this　happens　very　rarely　because　the　Mongol　never　likes　to　seek　out　his　animals　in　another's　herd；　as　it　always　gives　so　many　chances　for　controversy。

It　was　from　this　custom；　according　to　one　explanation；　that　the　town　of　Urga　took　its　name　among　outsiders。　　By　the　Mongols　themselves　it　is　always　referred　to　as　Ta　Kure；　〃The　Great　Monastery。〃　　The　reason　the　Buriats　and　Russians；　who　were　the　first　to　trade　into　this　region；　called　it　Urga　was　because　it　was　the　principal　destination　of　all　the　trading　expeditions　which　crossed　the　plains　by　this　old　method　or　right　of　travel。　　A　second　explanation　is　that　the　town　lies　in　a　〃loop〃　whose　sides　are　formed　by　three　mountain　ridges；　along　one　of　which　the　River　Tola　runs　like　the　pole　or　stick　of　the　familiar　urga　of　the　plains。

Thanks　to　this　unique　ticket　of　urga　I　crossed　quite　untraveled　sections　of　Mongolia　for　about　two　hundred　miles。　　It　gave　me　the　welcome　opportunity　to　observe　the　fauna　of　this　part　of　the　country。　　I　saw　many　huge　herds　of　Mongolian　antelopes　running　from　five　to　six　thousand；　many　groups　of　bighorns；　wapiti　and　kabarga　antelopes。　　Sometimes　small　herds　of　wild　horses　and　wild　asses　flashed　as　a　vision　on　the　horizon。

In　one　place　I　observed　a　big　colony　of　marmots。　　All　over　an　area　of　several　square　miles　their　mounds　were　scattered　with　the　holes　leading　down　to　their　runways　below；　the　dwellings　of　the　marmot。　In　and　out　among　these　mounds　the　greyish…yellow　or　brown　animals　ran　in　all　sizes　up　to　half　that　of　an　average　dog。　　They　ran　heavily　and　the　skin　on　their　fat　bodies　moved　as　though　it　were　too　big　for　them。　　The　marmots　are　splendid　prospectors；　always　digging　deep　ditches；　throwing　out　on　the　surface　all　the　stones。　In　many　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　looks　like　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　curiosity　and　begins　whistling　sharply。　　This　curiosity　of　the　marmots　is　taken　advantage　of　by　the　hunters；　who　sneak　up　to　their　holes　flourishing　streamers　of　cloth　on　the　tips　of　long　poles。　　The　whole　attention　of　the　small　animals　is　concentrated　on　this　small　flag　and　only　the　bullet　that　takes　his　life　explains　to　him　the　reason　for　this　previously　unknown　object。

I　saw　a　very　exciting　picture　as　I　passed　through　a　marmot　colony　near　the　Orkhon　River。　　There　were　thousands　of　holes　here　so　that　my　Mongols　had　to　use　all　their　skill　to　keep　the　horses　from　breaking　their　legs　in　them。　　I　noticed　an　eagle　circling　high　overhead。　　All　of　a　sudden　he　dropped　like　a　stone　to　the　top　of　a　mound；　where　he　sat　motionless　as　a　rock。　　The　marmot　in　a　few　minutes　ran　out　of　his　hole　to　a　neighbor's　doorway。　　The　eagle　calmly　jumped　down　from　the　top　and　with　one　wing　closed　the　entrance　to　the　hole。　　The　rodent　heard　the　noise；　turned　back　and　rushed　to　the　attack；　trying　to　break　through　to　his　hole　where　he　had　evidently　left　his　family。　　The　struggle　began。　　The　eagle　fought　with　one　free　wing；　one　leg　and　his　beak　but　did　not　withdraw　the　bar　to　the　entrance。　　The　marmot　jumped　at　the　rapacious　bird　with　great　boldness　but　soon　fell　from　a　blow　on　the　head。　　Only　then　the　eagle　withdrew　his　wing；　approached　the　marmot；　finished　him　off　and　with　difficulty　lifted　him　in　his　talons　to　carry　him　away　to　the　mountains　for　a　tasty　luncheon。

In　the　more　barren　places　with　only　occasional　spears　of　grass　in　the　plain　another　species　of　rodent　lives；　called　imouran；　about　the　size　of　a　squirrel。　　They　have　a　coat　the　same　color　as　the　prairie　and；　running　about　it　like　snakes；　they　collect　the　seeds　that　are　blown　across　by　the　wind　and　carry　them　down　into　their　diminutive　homes。　　The　imouran　has　a　truly　faithful　friend；　the　yell