beasts, men and gods-第35章

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d　no　one　dared　to　pass　through　his　town。　All　the　other　Princes　and　rich　Mongols　surrounded　Uliassutai；　where　Beltis　raged；　cut　off　communication　on　every　road　and　allowed　none　to　pass　in　or　out。　　Famine　developed　in　the　town。　　They　consumed　all　the　oxen；　sheep　and　horses　and　finally　Beltis　Van　determined　to　make　a　dash　with　his　soldiers　through　to　the　west　to　the　land　of　one　of　his　tribes；　the　Olets。　　He　and　his　men　all　perished　in　the　fight。　　The　Princes；　following　the　advice　of　the　Hutuktu　Buyantu；　buried　the　dead　on　the　slopes　of　the　mountains　surrounding　Uliassutai。　　They　buried　them　with　incantations　and　exorcisings　in　order　that　Death　by　Violence　might　be　kept　from　a　further　visitation　to　their　land。　　The　tombs　were　covered　with　heavy　stones　and　the　Hutuktu　predicted　that　the　bad　demon　of　Death　by　Violence　would　only　leave　the　earth　when　the　blood　of　a　man　should　he　spilled　upon　the　covering　stone。　　Such　a　legend　lived　among　us。　Now　it　is　fulfilled。　　The　Russians　shot　there　three　Bolsheviki　and　the　Chinese　two　Mongols。　　The　evil　spirit　of　Beltis　Van　broke　loose　from　beneath　the　heavy　stone　and　now　mows　down　the　people　with　his　scythe。　　The　noble　Chultun　Beyli　has　perished；　the　Russian　Noyon　Michailoff　also　has　fallen；　and　death　has　flowed　out　from　Uliassutai　all　over　our　boundless　plains。　　Who　shall　be　able　to　stem　it　now？　　Who　shall　tie　the　ferocious　hands？　　An　evil　time　has　fallen　upon　the　Gods　and　the　Good　Spirits。　　The　Evil　Demons　have　made　war　upon　the　Good　Spirits。　　What　can　man　now　do？　　Only　perish；　only　perish。　。　。　。〃



Part　III

THE　STRAINING　HEART　OF　ASIA


CHAPTER　XXIX

ON　THE　ROAD　OF　GREAT　CONQUERORS


The　great　conqueror；　Jenghiz　Khan；　the　son　of　sad；　stern；　severe　Mongolia；　according　to　an　old　Mongolian　legend　〃mounted　to　the　top　of　Karasu　Togol　and　with　his　eyes　of　an　eagle　looked　to　the　west　and　the　east。　　In　the　west　he　saw　whole　seas　of　human　blood　over　which　floated　a　bloody　fog　that　blanketed　all　the　horizon。　　There　he　could　not　discern　his　fate。　　But　the　gods　ordered　him　to　proceed　to　the　west；　leading　with　him　all　his　warriors　and　Mongolian　tribes。　　To　the　east　he　saw　wealthy　towns；　shining　temples；　crowds　of　happy　people；　gardens　and　fields　of　rich　earth；　all　of　which　pleased　the　great　Mongol。　　He　said　to　his　sons：　　'There　in　the　west　I　shall　be　fire　and　sword；　destroyer；　avenging　Fate；　in　the　east　I　shall　come　as　the　merciful；　great　builder；　bringing　happiness　to　the　people　and　to　the　land。'〃

Thus　runs　the　legend。　　I　found　much　of　truth　in　it。　　I　had　passed　over　much　of　his　road　to　the　west　and　always　identified　it　by　the　old　tombs　and　the　impertinent　monuments　of　stone　to　the　merciless　conqueror。　　I　saw　also　a　part　of　the　eastern　road　of　the　hero；　over　which　he　traveled　to　China。　　Once　when　we　were　making　a　trip　out　of　Uliassutai　we　stopped　the　night　in　Djirgalantu。　　The　old　host　of　the　ourton；　knowing　me　from　my　previous　trip　to　Narabanchi；　welcomed　us　very　kindly　and　regaled　us　with　stories　during　our　evening　meal。　　Among　other　things　he　led　us　out　of　the　yurta　and　pointed　out　a　mountain　peak　brightly　lighted　by　the　full　moon　and　recounted　to　us　the　story　of　one　of　the　sons　of　Jenghiz；　afterwards　Emperor　of　China；　Indo…China　and　Mongolia；　who　had　been　attracted　by　the　beautiful　scenery　and　grazing　lands　of　Djirgalantu　and　had　founded　here　a　town。　　This　was　soon　left　without　inhabitants；　for　the　Mongol　is　a　nomad　who　cannot　live　in　artificial　cities。　　The　plain　is　his　house　and　the　world　his　town。　　For　a　time　this　town　witnessed　battles　between　the　Chinese　and　the　troops　of　Jenghiz　Khan　but　afterwards　it　was　forgotten。　　At　present　there　remains　only　a　half…ruined　tower；　from　which　in　the　early　days　the　heavy　rocks　were　hurled　down　upon　the　heads　of　the　enemy；　and　the　dilapidated　gate　of　Kublai；　the　grandson　of　Jenghiz　Khan。　　Against　the　greenish　sky　drenched　with　the　rays　of　the　moon　stood　out　the　jagged　line　of　the　mountains　and　the　black　silhouette　of　the　tower　with　its　loopholes；　through　which　the　alternate　scudding　clouds　and　light　flashed。

When　our　party　left　Uliassutai；　we　traveled　on　leisurely；　making　thirty…five　to　fifty　miles　a　day　until　we　were　within　sixty　miles　of　Zain　Shabi；　where　I　took　leave　of　the　others　to　go　south　to　this　place　in　order　to　keep　my　engagement　with　Colonel　Kazagrandi。　　The　sun　had　just　risen　as　my　single　Mongol　guide　and　I　without　any　pack　animals　began　to　ascend　the　low；　timbered　ridges；　from　the　top　of　which　I　caught　the　last　glimpses　of　my　companions　disappearing　down　the　valley。　　I　had　no　idea　then　of　the　many　and　almost　fatal　dangers　which　I　should　have　to　pass　through　during　this　trip　by　myself；　which　was　destined　to　prove　much　longer　than　I　had　anticipated。　　As　we　were　crossing　a　small　river　with　sandy　shores；　my　Mongol　guide　told　me　how　the　Mongolians　came　there　during　the　summer　to　wash　gold；　in　spite　of　the　prohibitions　of　the　Lamas。　The　manner　of　working　the　placer　was　very　primitive　but　the　results　testified　clearly　to　the　richness　of　these　sands。　　The　Mongol　lies　flat　on　the　ground；　brushes　the　sand　aside　with　a　feather　and　keeps　blowing　into　the　little　excavation　so　formed。　　From　time　to　time　he　wets　his　finger　and　picks　up　on　it　a　small　bit　of　grain　gold　or　a　diminutive　nugget　and　drops　these　into　a　little　bag　hanging　under　his　chin。　　In　such　manner　this　primitive　dredge　wins　about　a　quarter　of　an　ounce　or　five　dollars'　worth　of　the　yellow　metal　per　day。

I　determined　to　make　the　whole　distance　to　Zain　Shabi　in　a　single　day。　　At　the　ourtons　I　hurried　them　through　the　catching　and　saddling　of　the　horses　as　fast　as　I　could。　　At　one　of　these　stations　about　twenty…five　miles　from　the　monastery　the　Mongols　gave　me　a　wild　horse；　a　big；　strong　white　stallion。　　Just　as　I　was　about　to　mount　him　and　had　already　touched　my　foot　to　the　stirrup；　he　jumped　and　kicked　me　right　on　the　leg　which　had　been　wounded　in　the　Ma…chu　fight。　　The　leg　soon　began　to　swell　and　ache。　　At　sunset　I　made　out　the　first　Russian　and　Chinese　buildings　and　later　the　monastery　at　Zain。　　We　dropped　into　the　valley　of　a　small　stream　which　flowed　along　a　mountain　on　whose　peak　were　set　white　rocks　forming　the　words　of　a　Tibetan　prayer。　　At　the　bottom　of　this　mountain　was　a　cemetery　for　the　Lamas；　that　is；　piles　of　bones　and　a　pack　of　dogs。　　At　last　the　monastery　lay　right　below　us；　a　common　square　surrounded　with　wooden　fences。　　In　the　middle　rose　a　large　temple　quite　different　from　all　those　of　western　Mongolia；　not　in　the　Chinese　but　in　the　Tibetan　style　of　architecture；　a　white　building　with　perpendicular　walls　and　regular　rows　of　windows　in　black　frames；　with　a　roof　of　black　tiles　and　with　a　most　unusual　damp　course　laid　between　the　stone　walls　and　the　roof　timbers　and　made　of　bundles　of　twigs　from　a　Tibetan　tree　which　never　rots。　Another　small　quadrangle　lay　a　little　to　the　east　and　contained　Russian　buildings　connected　with　the　monastery　by　telephone。

〃That　is　the　house　of　the　Living　God　of　Zain；〃　the　Mongol　explained；　pointing　to　this　smaller　quadrangle。　　〃He　likes　Russian　customs　and　manners。〃

To　the　north　on　a　conical…shaped　hill　rose　a　tower　that　recalled　the　Babylonian　zikkurat。　　It　was　the　temple　where　the　ancient　books　and　manuscripts　were　kept　and　the　broken　ornaments　and　objects　used　in　the　religious　ceremonies　together　with　the　robes　of　deceased　Hutuktus　preserved。　　A　sheer　cliff　rose　behind　this　museum；　which　it　was　impossible　for　one　to　climb。　　On　the　face　of　this　were　carved　images　of　the　Lamaite　gods；　scattered　about　without　any　special　order。　　They　were　from　one　to　two　and　a　half　metres　high。　At　night　the　monks　lighted　lamps　before　them；　so　that　one　could　see　these　images　of　the　gods　and　goddesses　from　far　away。

We　entered　the　trading　settlement。　　The　streets　were　deserted　and　from　the　windows　only　women　and　children　looked　out。　　I　stopped　with　a　Russian　firm　whose　other　branches　I　had　known　throughout　the　country。　　Much　to　my　astonishment　they　welcomed　me　as　an　acquaintance。　　It　appeared　that　the　Hutuktu　of　Narabanchi　had　sent　word　to　all　the　monasteries　that；　whenever　I　should　come；　they　must　all　render　me　aid；　inasmuch　as　I　had　saved　the　Narabanchi　Monastery　and；　by　the　clear　signs　of　the　divinations；　I　was　an　incarnate　Buddha　beloved　of　the