beasts, men and gods-第7章

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e　village　Soviets　and　change　our　horses。　　Our　own　mounts　we　had　given　to　the　Tartar　and　Cossack　who　helped　us　at　the　mouth　of　the　Tuba；　and　the　Cossack　brought　us　in　his　wagon　to　the　first　village；　where　we　received　the　post　horses。　　All　except　a　small　minority　of　the　peasants　were　against　the　Bolsheviki　and　voluntarily　assisted　us。　　I　paid　them　for　their　help　by　treating　their　sick　and　my　fellow　traveler　gave　them　practical　advice　in　the　management　of　their　agriculture。　　Those　who　helped　us　chiefly　were　the　old　dissenters　and　the　Cossacks。

Sometimes　we　came　across　villages　entirely　Communistic　but　very　soon　we　learned　to　distinguish　them。　　When　we　entered　a　village　with　our　horse　bells　tinkling　and　found　the　peasants　who　happened　to　be　sitting　in　front　of　their　houses　ready　to　get　up　with　a　frown　and　a　grumble　that　here　were　more　new　devils　coming；　we　knew　that　this　was　a　village　opposed　to　the　Communists　and　that　here　we　could　stop　in　safety。　　But；　if　the　peasants　approached　and　greeted　us　with　pleasure；　calling　us　〃Comrades；〃　we　knew　at　once　that　we　were　among　the　enemy　and　took　great　precautions。　　Such　villages　were　inhabited　by　people　who　were　not　the　Siberian　liberty…loving　peasants　but　by　emigrants　from　the　Ukraine；　idle　and　drunk；　living　in　poor　dirty　huts；　though　their　village　were　surrounded　with　the　black　and　fertile　soil　of　the　steppes。　　Very　dangerous　and　pleasant　moments　we　spent　in　the　large　village　of　Karatuz。　　It　is　rather　a　town。　　In　the　year　1912　two　colleges　were　opened　here　and　the　population　reached　15；000　people。　　It　is　the　capital　of　the　South　Yenisei　Cossacks。　　But　by　now　it　is　very　difficult　to　recognize　this　town。　　The　peasant　emigrants　and　Red　army　murdered　all　the　Cossack　population　and　destroyed　and　burned　most　of　the　houses；　and　it　is　at　present　the　center　of　Bolshevism　and　Communism　in　the　eastern　part　of　the　Minnusinsk　district。　　In　the　building　of　the　Soviet；　where　we　came　to　exchange　our　horses；　there　was　being　held　a　meeting　of　the　〃Cheka。〃　　We　were　immediately　surrounded　and　questioned　about　our　documents。　　We　were　not　any　too　calm　about　the　impression　which　might　be　made　by　our　papers　and　attempted　to　avoid　this　examination。　　My　fellow　traveler　afterwards　often　said　to　me：

〃It　is　great　good　fortune　that　among　the　Bolsheviki　the　good…for…　nothing　shoemaker　of　yesterday　is　the　Governor　of　today　and　scientists　sweep　the　streets　or　clean　the　stables　of　the　Red　cavalry。　　I　can　talk　with　the　Bolsheviki　because　they　do　not　know　the　difference　between　'disinfection'　and　'diphtheria；'　'anthracite'　and　'appendicitis'　and　can　talk　them　round　in　all　things；　even　up　to　persuading　them　not　to　put　a　bullet　into　me。〃

And　so　we　talked　the　members　of　the　〃Cheka〃　round　to　everything　that　we　wanted。　　We　presented　to　them　a　bright　scheme　for　the　future　development　of　their　district；　when　we　would　build　the　roads　and　bridges　which　would　allow　them　to　export　the　wood　from　Urianhai；　iron　and　gold　from　the　Sayan　Mountains；　cattle　and　furs　from　Mongolia。　　What　a　triumph　of　creative　work　for　the　Soviet　Government！　　Our　ode　occupied　about　an　hour　and　afterwards　the　members　of　the　〃Cheka；〃　forgetting　about　our　documents；　personally　changed　our　horses；　placed　our　luggage　on　the　wagon　and　wished　us　success。　　It　was　the　last　ordeal　within　the　borders　of　Russia。

When　we　had　crossed　the　valley　of　the　river　Amyl；　Happiness　smiled　on　us。　　Near　the　ferry　we　met　a　member　of　the　militia　from　Karatuz。　He　had　on　his　wagon　several　rifles　and　automatic　pistols；　mostly　Mausers；　for　outfitting　an　expedition　through　Urianhai　in　quest　of　some　Cossack　officers　who　had　been　greatly　troubling　the　Bolsheviki。　　We　stood　upon　our　guard。　　We　could　very　easily　have　met　this　expedition　and　we　were　not　quite　assured　that　the　soldiers　would　be　so　appreciative　of　our　high…sounding　phrases　as　were　the　members　of　the　〃Cheka。〃　　Carefully　questioning　the　militiaman；　we　ferreted　out　the　route　their　expedition　was　to　take。　　In　the　next　village　we　stayed　in　the　same　house　with　him。　　I　had　to　open　my　luggage　and　suddenly　I　noticed　his　admiring　glance　fixed　upon　my　bag。

〃What　pleases　you　so　much？〃　I　asked。

He　whispered：　　〃Trousers　。　。　。　Trousers。〃

I　had　received　from　my　townsmen　quite　new　trousers　of　black　thick　cloth　for　riding。　　Those　trousers　attracted　the　rapt　attention　of　the　militiaman。

〃If　you　have　no　other　trousers。　。　。　。〃　I　remarked；　reflecting　upon　my　plan　of　attack　against　my　new　friend。

〃No；〃　he　explained　with　sadness；　〃the　Soviet　does　not　furnish　trousers。　　They　tell　me　they　also　go　without　trousers。　　And　my　trousers　are　absolutely　worn　out。　　Look　at　them。〃

With　these　words　he　threw　back　the　corner　of　his　overcoat　and　I　was　astonished　how　he　could　keep　himself　inside　these　trousers；　for　they　had　such　large　holes　that　they　were　more　of　a　net　than　trousers；　a　net　through　which　a　small　shark　could　have　slipped。

〃Sell　me；〃　he　whispered；　with　a　question　in　his　voice。

〃I　cannot；　for　I　need　them　myself；〃　I　answered　decisively。

He　reflected　for　a　few　minutes　and　afterward；　approaching　me；　said：　〃Let　us　go　out　doors　and　talk。　　Here　it　is　inconvenient。〃

We　went　outside。　　〃Now；　what　about　it？〃　he　began。　　〃You　are　going　into　Urianhai。　　There　the　Soviet　bank…notes　have　no　value　and　you　will　not　be　able　to　buy　anything；　where　there　are　plenty　of　sables；　fox…skins；　ermine　and　gold　dust　to　be　purchased；　which　they　very　willingly　exchange　for　rifles　and　cartridges。　　You　have　each　of　you　a　rifle　and　I　will　give　you　one　more　rifle　with　a　hundred　cartridges　if　you　give　me　the　trousers。〃

〃We　do　not　need　weapons。　　We　are　protected　by　our　documents；〃　I　answered；　as　though　I　did　not　understand。

〃But　no；〃　he　interrupted；　〃you　can　change　that　rifle　there　into　furs　and　gold。　　I　shall　give　you　that　rifle　outright。〃

〃Ah；　that's　it；　is　it？　　But　it's　very　little　for　those　trousers。　Nowhere　in　Russia　can　you　now　find　trousers。　　All　Russia　goes　without　trousers　and　for　your　rifle　I　should　receive　a　sable　and　what　use　to　me　is　one　skin？〃

Word　by　word　I　attained　to　my　desire。　　The　militia…man　got　my　trousers　and　I　received　a　rifle　with　one　hundred　cartridges　and　two　automatic　pistols　with　forty　cartridges　each。　　We　were　armed　now　so　that　we　could　defend　ourselves。　　Moreover；　I　persuaded　the　happy　possessor　of　my　trousers　to　give　us　a　permit　to　carry　the　weapons。　Then　the　law　and　force　were　both　on　our　side。

In　a　distant　village　we　bought　three　horses；　two　for　riding　and　one　for　packing；　engaged　a　guide；　purchased　dried　bread；　meat；　salt　and　butter　and；　after　resting　twenty…four　hours；　began　our　trip　up　the　Amyl　toward　the　Sayan　Mountains　on　the　border　of　Urianhai。　　There　we　hoped　not　to　meet　Bolsheviki；　either　sly　or　silly。　　In　three　days　from　the　mouth　of　the　Tuba　we　passed　the　last　Russian　village　near　the　Mongolian…Urianhai　border；　three　days　of　constant　contact　with　a　lawless　population；　of　continuous　danger　and　of　the　ever　present　possibility　of　fortuitous　death。　　Only　iron　will　power；　presence　of　mind　and　dogged　tenacity　brought　us　through　all　the　dangers　and　saved　us　from　rolling　back　down　our　precipice　of　adventure；　at　whose　foot　lay　so　many　others　who　had　failed　to　make　this　same　climb　to　freedom　which　we　had　just　accomplished。　　Perhaps　they　lacked　the　persistence　or　the　presence　of　mind；　perhaps　they　had　not　the　poetic　ability　to　sing　odes　about　〃roads；　bridges　and　gold　mines〃　or　perhaps　they　simply　had　no　spare　trousers。


CHAPTER　IX

TO　THE　SAYANS　AND　SAFETY


Dense　virgin　wood　surrounded　us。　　In　the　high；　already　yellow　grass　the　trail　wound　hardly　noticeable　in　among　bushes　and　trees　just　beginning　to　drop　their　many　colored　leaves。　　It　is　the　old；　already　forgotten　Amyl　pass　road。　　Twenty…five　years　ago　it　carried　the　provisions；　machinery　and　workers　for　the　numerous；　now　abandoned；　gold　mines　of　the　Amyl　valley。　　The　road　now　wound　along　the　wide　and　rapid　Amyl；　then　penetrated　into　the　deep　forest；　guiding　us　round　the　swampy　ground　filled　with　those　dangerous　Siberian　quagmires；　through　the　dense　bushes；　across　mountains　and　wide　meadows。　　Our　guide　probably　did　not　surmise　our　real　intention　and　sometimes；　apprehensively　looking　down　at　the　ground；　would　say：

〃Three　riders　on　horses　with　shoes　on　ha