beasts, men and gods-第14章

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torm　and　cold。　　Look！　　It　is　beginning　already。　。　。　。　　Go　back　to　our　Noyon；　wait　for　the　warmer　days　and　then。　。　。　。〃

I　did　not　listen　further　to　the　Soyot　but　turned　back　to　the　fire；　which　I　could　hardly　see　through　the　blinding　snow。　　Fearing　our　guide　might　run　away；　I　ordered　a　sentry　to　be　stationed　for　the　night　to　watch　him。　　Later　in　the　night　I　was　awakened　by　the　sentry；　who　said　to　me：　　〃Maybe　I　am　mistaken；　but　I　think　I　heard　a　rifle。〃

What　could　I　say　to　it？　　Maybe　some　stragglers　like　ourselves　were　giving　a　sign　of　their　whereabouts　to　their　lost　companions；　or　perhaps　the　sentry　had　mistaken　for　a　rifle　shot　the　sound　of　some　falling　rock　or　frozen　ice　and　snow。　　Soon　I　fell　asleep　again　and　suddenly　saw　in　a　dream　a　very　clear　vision。　　Out　on　the　plain；　blanketed　deep　with　snow；　was　moving　a　line　of　riders。　　They　were　our　pack　horses；　our　Kalmuck　and　the　funny　pied　horse　with　the　Roman　nose。　　I　saw　us　descending　from　this　snowy　plateau　into　a　fold　in　the　mountains。　　Here　some　larch　trees　were　growing；　close　to　which　gurgled　a　small；　open　brook。　　Afterwards　I　noticed　a　fire　burning　among　the　trees　and　then　woke　up。

It　grew　light。　　I　shook　up　the　others　and　asked　them　to　prepare　quickly　so　as　not　to　lose　time　in　getting　under　way。　　The　storm　was　raging。　　The　snow　blinded　us　and　blotted　out　all　traces　of　the　road。　　The　cold　also　became　more　intense。　　At　last　we　were　in　the　saddles。　　The　Soyot　went　ahead　trying　to　make　out　the　trail。　　As　we　worked　higher　the　guide　less　seldom　lost　the　way。　　Frequently　we　fell　into　deep　holes　covered　with　snow；　we　scrambled　up　over　slippery　rocks。　　At　last　the　Soyot　swung　his　horse　round　and；　coming　up　to　me；　announced　very　positively：　　〃I　do　not　want　to　die　with　you　and　I　will　not　go　further。〃

My　first　motion　was　the　swing　of　my　whip　back　over　my　head。　　I　was　so　close　to　the　〃Promised　Land〃　of　Mongolia　that　this　Soyot；　standing　in　the　way　of　fulfilment　of　my　wishes；　seemed　to　me　my　worst　enemy。　　But　I　lowered　my　flourishing　hand。　　Into　my　head　flashed　a　quite　wild　thought。

〃Listen；〃　I　said。　　〃If　you　move　your　horses；　you　will　receive　a　bullet　in　the　back　and　you　will　perish　not　at　the　top　of　the　mountain　but　at　the　bottom。　　And　now　I　will　tell　you　what　will　happen　to　us。　　When　we　shall　have　reached　these　rocks　above；　the　wind　will　have　ceased　and　the　snowstorm　will　have　subsided。　　The　sun　will　shine　as　we　cross　the　snowy　plain　above　and　afterwards　we　shall　descend　into　a　small　valley　where　there　are　larches　growing　and　a　stream　of　open　running　water。　　There　we　shall　light　our　fires　and　spend　the　night。〃

The　Soyot　began　to　tremble　with　fright。

〃Noyon　has　already　passed　these　mountains　of　Darkhat　Ola？〃　he　asked　in　amazement。

〃No；〃　I　answered；　〃but　last　night　I　had　a　vision　and　I　know　that　we　shall　fortunately　win　over　this　ridge。〃

〃I　will　guide　you！〃　exclaimed　the　Soyot；　and；　whipping　his　horse；　led　the　way　up　the　steep　slope　to　the　top　of　the　ridge　of　eternal　snows。

As　we　were　passing　along　the　narrow　edge　of　a　precipice；　the　Soyot　stopped　and　attentively　examined　the　trail。

〃Today　many　shod　horses　have　passed　here！〃　he　cried　through　the　roar　of　the　storm。　　〃Yonder　on　the　snow　the　lash　of　a　whip　has　been　dragged。　　These　are　not　Soyots。〃

The　solution　of　this　enigma　appeared　instantly。　　A　volley　rang　out。　One　of　my　companions　cried　out；　as　he　caught　hold　of　his　right　shoulder；　one　pack　horse　fell　dead　with　a　bullet　behind　his　ear。　We　quickly　tumbled　out　of　our　saddles；　lay　down　behind　the　rocks　and　began　to　study　the　situation。　　We　were　separated　from　a　parallel　spur　of　the　mountain　by　a　small　valley　about　one　thousand　paces　across。　　There　we　made　out　about　thirty　riders　already　dismounted　and　firing　at　us。　　I　had　never　allowed　any　fighting　to　be　done　until　the　initiative　had　been　taken　by　the　other　side。　　Our　enemy　fell　upon　us　unawares　and　I　ordered　my　company　to　answer。

〃Aim　at　the　horses！〃　cried　Colonel　Ostrovsky。　　Then　he　ordered　the　Tartar　and　Soyot　to　throw　our　own　animals。　　We　killed　six　of　theirs　and　probably　wounded　others；　as　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　lea