beasts, men and gods-第37节

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room。

Sleep　then　entirely　deserted　me；　so　I　dressed　and　began　smoking　pipe　after　pipe　of　tobacco；　as　I　thought：　　〃How　much　easier　to　fight　the　Bolsheviki　on　the　swamps　of　Seybi　and　to　cross　the　snowy　peaks　of　Ulan　Taiga；　where　the　bad　demons　kill　all　the　travelers　they　can！　　There　everything　was　simple　and　comprehensible；　but　here　it　is　all　a　mad　nightmare；　a　dark　and　foreboding　storm！〃　　I　felt　some　tragedy；　some　horror　in　every　movement　of　Baron　Ungern；　behind　whom　paced　this　silent；　white…faced　Veseloffsky　and　Death。


CHAPTER　XXXIV

THE　HORROR　OF　WAR！


At　dawn　of　the　following　morning　they　led　up　the　splendid　white　camel　for　me　and　we　moved　away。　　My　company　consisted　of　the　two　Cossacks；　two　Mongol　soldiers　and　one　Lama　with　two　pack　camels　carrying　the　tent　and　food。　　I　still　apprehended　that　the　Baron　had　it　in　mind　not　to　dispose　of　me　before　my　friends　there　in　Van　Kure　but　to　prepare　this　journey　for　me　under　the　guise　of　which　it　would　be　so　easy　to　do　away　with　me　by　the　road。　　A　bullet　in　the　back　and　all　would　be　finished。　　Consequently　I　was　momentarily　ready　to　draw　my　revolver　and　defend　myself。　　I　took　care　all　the　time　to　have　the　Cossacks　either　ahead　of　me　or　at　the　side。　　About　noon　we　heard　the　distant　honk　of　a　motor　car　and　soon　saw　Baron　Ungern　whizzing　by　us　at　full　speed。　　With　him　were　two　adjutants　and　Prince　Daichin　Van。　　The　Baron　greeted　me　very　kindly　and　shouted：

〃Shall　see　you　again　in　Urga！〃

〃Ah！〃　I　thought；　〃evidently　I　shall　reach　Urga。　　So　I　can　be　at　ease　during　my　trip；　and　in　Urga　I　have　many　friends　beside　the　presence　there　of　the　bold　Polish　soldiers　whom　I　had　worked　with　in　Uliassutai　and　who　had　outdistanced　me　in　this　journey。〃

After　the　meeting　with　the　Baron　my　Cossacks　became　very　attentive　to　me　and　sought　to　distract　me　with　stories。　　They　told　me　about　their　very　severe　struggles　with　the　Bolsheviki　in　Transbaikalia　and　Mongolia；　about　the　battle　with　the　Chinese　near　Urga；　about　finding　communistic　passports　on　several　Chinese　soldiers　from　Moscow；　about　the　bravery　of　Baron　Ungern　and　how　he　would　sit　at　the　campfire　smoking　and　drinking　tea　right　on　the　battle　line　without　ever　being　touched　by　a　bullet。　　At　one　fight　seventy…four　bullets　entered　his　overcoat；　saddle　and　the　boxes　by　his　side　and　again　left　him　untouched。　　This　is　one　of　the　reasons　for　his　great　influence　over　the　Mongols。　　They　related　how　before　the　battle　he　had　made　a　reconnaissance　in　Urga　with　only　one　Cossack　and　on　his　way　back　had　killed　a　Chinese　officer　and　two　soldiers　with　his　bamboo　stick　or　tashur；　how　he　had　no　outfit　save　one　change　of　linen　and　one　extra　pair　of　boots；　how　he　was　always　calm　and　jovial　in　battle　and　severe　and　morose　in　the　rare　days　of　peace；　and　how　he　was　everywhere　his　soldiers　were　fighting。

I　told　them；　in　turn；　of　my　escape　from　Siberia　and　with　chatting　thus　the　day　slipped　by　very　quickly。　　Our　camels　trotted　all　the　time；　so　that　instead　of　the　ordinary　eighteen　to　twenty　miles　per　day　we　made　nearly　fifty。　　My　mount　was　the　fastest　of　them　all。　He　was　a　huge　white　animal　with　a　splendid　thick　mane　and　had　been　presented　to　Baron　Ungern　by　some　Prince　of　Inner　Mongolia　with　two　black　sables　tied　on　the　bridle。　　He　was　a　calm；　strong；　bold　giant　of　the　desert；　on　whose　back　I　felt　myself　as　though　perched　on　the　tower　of　a　building。　　Beyond　the　Orkhon　River　we　came　across　the　first　dead　body　of　a　Chinese　soldier；　which　lay　face　up　and　arms　outstretched　right　in　the　middle　of　the　road。　　When　we　had　crossed　the　Burgut　Mountains；　we　entered　the　Tola　River　valley；　farther　up　which　Urga　is　located。　　The　road　was　strewn　with　the　overcoats；　shirts；　boots；　caps　and　kettles　which　the　Chinese　had　thrown　away　in　their　flight；　and　marked　by　many　of　their　dead。　　Further　on　the　road　crossed　a　morass；　where　on　either　side　lay　great　mounds　of　the　dead　bodies　of　men；　horses　and　camels　with　broken　carts　and　military　debris　of　every　sort。　　Here　the　Tibetans　of　Baron　Ungern　had　cut　up　the　escaping　Chinese　baggage　transport；　and　it　was　a　strange　and　gloomy　contrast　to　see　the　piles　of　dead　besides　the　effervescing　awakening　life　of　spring。　　In　every　pool　wild　ducks　of　different　kinds　floated　about；　in　the　high　grass　the　cranes　performed　their　weird　dance　of　courtship；　on　the　lakes　great　flocks　of　swans　and　geese　were　swimming；　through　the　swampy　places　like　spots　of　light　moved　the　brilliantly　colored　pairs　of　the　Mongolian　sacred　bird；　the　turpan　or　〃Lama　goose〃；　on　the　higher　dry　places　flocks　of　wild　turkey　gamboled　and　fought　as　they　fed；　flocks　of　the　salga　partridge　whistled　by；　while　on　the　mountain　side　not　far　away　the　wolves　lay　basking　and　turning　in　the　lazy　warmth　of　the　sun；　whining　and　occasionally　barking　like　playful　dogs。

Nature　knows　only　life。　　Death　is　for　her　but　an　episode　whose　traces　she　rubs　out　with　sand　and　snow　or　ornaments　with　luxuriant　greenery　and　brightly　colored　bushes　and　flowers。　　What　matters　it　to　Nature　if　a　mother　at　Chefoo　or　on　the　banks　of　the　Yangtse　offers　her　bowl　of　rice　with　burning　incense　at　some　shrine　and　prays　for　the　return　of　her　son　that　has　fallen　unknown　for　all　time　on　the　plains　along　the　Tola；　where　his　bones　will　dry　beneath　the　rays　of　Nature's　dissipating　fire　and　be　scattered　by　her　winds　over　the　sands　of　the　prairie？　　It　is　splendid；　this　indifference　of　Nature　to　death；　and　her　greediness　for　life！

On　the　fourth　day　we　made　the　shores　of　the　Tola　well　after　nightfall。　　We　could　not　find　the　regular　ford　and　I　forced　my　camel　to　enter　the　stream　in　the　attempt　to　make　a　crossing　without　guidance。　　Very　fortunately　I　found　a　shallow；　though　somewhat　miry；　place　and　we　got　over　all　right。　　This　is　something　to　be　thankful　for　in　fording　a　river　with　a　camel；　because；　when　your　mount　finds　the　water　too　deep；　coming　up　around　his　neck；　he　does　not　strike　out　and　swim　like　a　horse　will　do　but　just　rolls　over　on　his　side　and　floats；　which　is　vastly　inconvenient　for　his　rider。　Down　by　the　river　we　pegged　our　tent。

Fifteen　miles　further　on　we　crossed　a　battlefield；　where　the　third　great　battle　for　the　independence　of　Mongolia　had　been　fought。　Here　the　troops　of　Baron　Ungern　clashed　with　six　thousand　Chinese　moving　down　from　Kiakhta　to　the　aid　of　Urga。　　The　Chinese　were　completely　defeated　and　four　thousand　prisoners　taken。　　However；　these　surrendered　Chinese　tried　to　escape　during　the　night。　　Baron　Ungern　sent　the　Transbaikal　Cossacks　and　Tibetans　in　pursuit　of　them　and　it　was　their　work　which　we　saw　on　this　field　of　death。　There　were　still　about　fifteen　hundred　unburied　and　as　many　more　interred；　according　to　the　statements　of　our　Cossacks；　who　had　participated　in　this　battle。　　The　killed　showed　terrible　sword　wounds；　everywhere　equipment　and　other　debris　were　scattered　about。　The　Mongols　with　their　herds　moved　away　from　the　neighborhood　and　their　place　was　taken　by　the　wolves　which　hid　behind　every　stone　and　in　every　ditch　as　we　passed。　　Packs　of　dogs　that　had　become　wild　fought　with　the　wolves　over　the　prey。

At　last　we　left　this　place　of　carnage　to　the　cursed　god　of　war。　Soon　we　approached　a　shallow；　rapid　stream；　where　the　Mongols　slipped　from　their　camels；　took　off　their　caps　and　began　drinking。　It　was　a　sacred　stream　which　passed　beside　the　abode　of　the　Living　Buddha。　　From　this　winding　valley　we　suddenly　turned　into　another　where　a　great　mountain　ridge　covered　with　dark；　dense　forest　loomed　up　before　us。

〃Holy　Bogdo…Ol！〃　exclaimed　the　Lama。　　〃The　abode　of　the　Gods　which　guard　our　Living　Buddha！〃

Bogdo…Ol　is　the　huge　knot　which　ties　together　here　three　mountain　chains：　Gegyl　from　the　southwest；　Gangyn　from　the　south；　and　Huntu　from　the　north。　　This　mountain　covered　with　virgin　forest　is　the　property　of　the　Living　Buddha。　　The　forests　are　full　of　nearly　all　the　varieties　of　animals　found　in　Mongolia；　but　hunting　is　not　allowed。　　Any　Mongol　violating　this　law　is　condemned　to　death；　while　foreigners　are　deported。　　Crossing　the　Bogdo…Ol　is　forbidden　under　penalty　of　death。　　This　command　was　transgressed　by　only　one　man；　Baron　Ungern；　who　crossed　the　mountain　with　fifty　Cossacks；　penetrated　to　the　palace　of　the　Living　Buddha；　where　the　Pontiff　of　Urga　was　being　held　under　arrest　by　the　Chinese；　and　stole　him。


CHAPTER　XXXV

IN　THE　CITY　OF　LIVING　GODS；　OF　30；000　BUDDHAS　AND　60；000　MONKS


At　last　before　our　eyes　the　abode　of　the　Living　Buddha！　　At　the　foot　of　Bogdo…Ol　behind　white　walls　rose　a　white　Tibetan　building　covered　with　greenish…blue　tiles　that　glittered　under　the　sunshine。　It　was　richly　set　among　groves　of　trees　dotted　here　and　there　with　the　fantastic　roofs　of　shrines　and　small　palaces；　while　further　from　the　mountain　it　was　connected　by　a　long　wooden　bridge　across　the　Tola　with　the　city　of　monks；　sacred　and　revered　throughout　all　the　East　as　Ta　Kure　or　Urga。　　Here　besides　the　Living　Buddha　live　whole　throngs　of　secondary　miracle　workers；　prophets；　sorcerers　and　wonderful　doctors。　　All　these　people　have　divine　origin　and　are　honored　as　living　gods。　　At　the　left　on　the　high　plateau　stands　an　old　monastery　with　a　huge；　dark　red　tower；　which　is　known　as　the　〃Temple　Lamas　City；〃　containing　a　gigantic　bronze　gilded　statue　of　Buddha　sitting　on　the　golden　flower　of　the　lotus；　t