beasts, men and gods-第19部分

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〃'I　am　the　demon　of　Tarbagatai；　Jagasstai。　　I　am　mighty　and　beloved　of　the　Gods　but；　because　you　doubted　the　powers　of　the　miracle…　speaking　mouse；　from　this　day　the　Jagasstai　will　be　dangerous　for　the　good　and　bad　alike。'

〃The　Khan's　widow　and　son　were　saved　but　Jagasstai　has　ever　remained　merciless。　　During　the　journey　over　this　pass　one　must　always　be　on　one's　guard。　　The　demon　of　the　mountain　is　ever　ready　to　lead　the　traveler　to　destruction。〃

All　the　tops　of　the　ridges　of　the　Tarbagatai　are　thickly　dotted　with　the　obo　of　rocks　and　branches。　　In　one　place　there　was　even　erected　a　tower　of　stones　as　an　altar　to　propitiate　the　Gods　for　the　doubts　of　Ta　Sin　Lo。　　Evidently　the　demon　expected　us。　　When　we　began　our　ascent　of　the　main　ridge；　he　blew　into　our　faces　with　a　sharp；　cold　wind；　whistled　and　roared　and　afterwards　began　casting　over　us　whole　blocks　of　snow　torn　off　the　drifts　above。　　We　could　not　distinguish　anything　around　us；　scarcely　seeing　the　camel　immediately　in　front。　　Suddenly　I　felt　a　shock　and　looked　about　me。　Nothing　unusual　was　visible。　　I　was　seated　comfortably　between　two　leather　saddle　bags　filled　with　meat　and　bread　but　。　。　。　I　could　not　see　the　head　of　my　camel。　　He　had　disappeared。　　It　seemed　that　he　had　slipped　and　fallen　to　the　bottom　of　a　shallow　ravine；　while　the　bags　which　were　slung　across　his　back　without　straps　had　caught　on　a　rock　and　stopped　with　myself　there　in　the　snow。　　This　time　the　demon　of　Jagasstai　only　played　a　joke　but　one　that　did　not　satisfy　him。　　He　began　to　show　more　and　more　anger。　　With　furious　gusts　of　wind　he　almost　dragged　us　and　our　bags　from　the　camels　and　nearly　knocked　over　our　humped　steeds；　blinded　us　with　frozen　snow　and　prevented　us　from　breathing。　　Through　long　hours　we　dragged　slowly　on　in　the　deep　snow；　often　falling　over　the　edge　of　the　rocks。　　At　last　we　entered　a　small　valley　where　the　wind　whistled　and　roared　with　a　thousand　voices。　　It　had　grown　dark。　　The　Mongol　wandered　around　searching　for　the　trail　and　finally　came　back　to　us；　flourishing　his　arms　and　saying：

〃We　have　lost　the　road。　　We　must　spend　the　night　here。　　It　is　very　bad　because　we　shall　have　no　wood　for　our　stove　and　the　cold　will　grow　worse。

With　great　difficulties　and　with　frozen　hands　we　managed　to　set　up　our　tent　in　the　wind；　placing　in　it　the　now　useless　stove。　　We　covered　the　tent　with　snow；　dug　deep；　long　ditches　in　the　drifts　and　forced　our　camels　to　lie　down　in　them　by　shouting　the　〃Dzuk！　Dzuk！〃　command　to　kneel。　　Then　we　brought　our　packs　into　the　tent。

My　companion　rebelled　against　the　thought　of　spending　a　cold　night　with　a　stove　hard　by。

〃I　am　going　out　to　look　for　firewood；〃　said　he　very　decisively；　and　at　that　took　up　the　ax　and　started。　　He　returned　after　an　hour　with　a　big　section　of　a　telegraph　pole。

〃You；　Jenghiz　Khans；〃　said　he；　rubbing　his　frozen　hands；　〃take　your　axes　and　go　up　there　to　the　left　on　the　mountain　and　you　will　find　the　telegraph　poles　that　have　been　cut　down。　　I　made　acquaintance　with　the　old　Jagasstai　and　he　showed　me　the　poles。〃

Just　a　little　way　from　us　the　line　of　the　Russian　telegraphs　passed；　that　which　had　connected　Irkutsk　with　Uliassutai　before　the　days　of　the　Bolsheviki　and　which　the　Chinese　had　commanded　the　Mongols　to　cut　down　and　take　the　wire。　　These　poles　are　now　the　salvation　of　travelers　crossing　the　pass。　　Thus　we　spent　the　night　in　a　warm　tent；　supped　well　from　hot　meat　soup　with　vermicelli；　all　in　the　very　center　of　the　dominion　of　the　angered　Jagasstai。　　Early　the　next　morning　we　found　the　road　not　more　than　two　or　three　hundred　paces　from　our　tent　and　continued　our　hard　trip　over　the　ridge　of　Tarbagatai。　　At　the　head　of　the　Adair　River　valley　we　noticed　a　flock　of　the　Mongolian　crows　with　carmine　beaks　circling　among　the　rocks。　　We　approached　the　place　and　discovered　the　recently　fallen　bodies　of　a　horse　and　rider。　　What　had　happened　to　them　was　difficult　to　guess。　　They　lay　close　together；　the　bridle　was　wound　around　the　right　wrist　of　the　man；　no　trace　of　knife　or　bullet　was　found。　　It　was　impossible　to　make　out　the　features　of　the　man。　　His　overcoat　was　Mongolian　but　his　trousers　and　under　jacket　were　not　of　the　Mongolian　pattern。　　We　asked　ourselves　what　had　happened　to　him。

Our　Mongol　bowed　his　head　in　anxiety　and　said　in　hushed　but　assured　tones：　　〃It　is　the　vengeance　of　Jagasstai。　　The　rider　did　not　make　sacrifice　at　the　southern　obo　and　the　demon　has　strangled　him　and　his　horse。〃

At　last　Tarbagatai　was　behind　us。　　Before　us　lay　the　valley　of　the　Adair。　　It　was　a　narrow　zigzagging　plain　following　along　the　river　bed　between　close　mountain　ranges　and　covered　with　a　rich　grass。　It　was　cut　into　two　parts　by　the　road　along　which　the　prostrate　telegraph　poles　now　lay；　as　the　stumps　of　varying　heights　and　long　stretches　of　wire　completed　the　debris。　　This　destruction　of　the　telegraph　line　between　Irkutsk　and　Uliassutai　was　necessary　and　incident　to　the　aggressive　Chinese　policy　in　Mongolia。

Soon　we　began　to　meet　large　herds　of　sheep；　which　were　digging　through　the　snow　to　the　dry　but　very　nutritious　grass。　　In　some　places　yaks　and　oxen　were　seen　on　the　high　slopes　of　the　mountains。　Only　once；　however；　did　we　see　a　shepherd；　for　all　of　them；　spying　us　first；　had　made　off　to　the　mountains　or　hidden　in　the　ravines。　We　did　not　even　discover　any　yurtas　along　the　way。　　The　Mongols　had　also　concealed　all　their　movable　homes　in　the　folds　of　the　mountains　out　of　sight　and　away　from　the　reach　of　the　strong　winds。　Nomads　are　very　skilful　in　choosing　the　places　for　their　winter　dwellings。　　I　had　often　in　winter　visited　the　Mongolian　yurtas　set　in　such　sheltered　places　that；　as　I　came　off　the　windy　plains；　I　felt　as　though　I　were　in　a　conservatory。　　Once　we　came　up　to　a　big　herd　of　sheep。　　But　as　we　approached　most　of　the　herd　gradually　withdrew；　leaving　one　part　that　remained　unmoved　as　the　other　worked　off　across　the　plains。　　From　this　section　soon　about　thirty　of　forty　head　emerged　and　went　scrambling　and　leaping　right　up　the　mountain　side。　　I　took　up　my　glasses　and　began　to　observe　them。　The　part　of　the　herd　that　remained　behind　were　common　sheep；　the　large　section　that　had　drawn　off　over　the　plain　were　Mongolian　antelopes　（gazella　gutturosa）；　while　the　few　that　had　taken　to　the　mountain　were　the　big　horned　sheep　（ovis　argali）。　　All　this　company　had　been　grazing　together　with　the　domestic　sheep　on　the　plains　of　the　Adair；　which　attracted　them　with　its　good　grass　and　clear　water。　　In　many　places　the　river　was　not　frozen　and　in　some　places　I　saw　great　clouds　of　steam　over　the　surface　of　the　open　water。　　In　the　meantime　some　of　the　antelopes　and　the　mountain　sheep　began　looking　at　us。

〃Now　they　will　soon　begin　to　cross　our　trail；〃　laughed　the　Mongol；　〃very　funny　beasts。　　Sometimes　the　antelopes　course　for　miles　in　their　endeavor　to　outrun　and　cross　in　front　of　our　horses　and　then；　when　they　have　done　so；　go　loping　quietly　off。〃

I　had　already　seen　this　strategy　of　the　antelopes　and　I　decided　to　make　use　of　it　for　the　purpose　of　the　hunt。　　We　organized　our　chase　in　the　following　manner。　　We　let　one　Mongol　with　the　pack　camel　proceed　as　we　had　been　traveling　and　the　other　three　of　us　spread　out　like　a　fan　headed　toward　the　herd　on　the　right　of　our　true　course。　　The　herd　stopped　and　looked　about　puzzled；　for　their　etiquette　required　that　they　should　cross　the　path　of　all　four　of　these　riders　at　once。　　Confusion　began。　　They　counted　about　three　thousand　heads。　　All　this　army　began　to　run　from　one　side　to　another　but　without　forming　any　distinct　groups。　　Whole　squadrons　of　them　ran　before　us　and　then；　noticing　another　rider；　came　coursing　back　and　made　anew　the　same　manoeuvre。　　One　group　of　about　fifty　head　rushed　in　two　rows　toward　my　point。　　When　they　were　about　a　hundred　and　fifty　paces　away　I　shouted　and　fired。　　They　stopped　at　once　and　began　to　whirl　round　in　one　spot；　running　into　one　another　and　even　jumping　over　one　another。　　Their　panic　cost　them　dear；　for　I　had　time　to　shoot　four　times　to　bring　down　two　beautiful　heads。　　My　friend　was　even　more　fortunate　than　I；　for　he　shot　only　once　into　the　herd　as　it　rushed　past　him　in　parallel　lines　and　dropped　two　with　the　same　bullet。

Meanwhile　the　argali　had　gone　farther　up　the　mountainside　and　taken　stand　there　in　a　row　like　so　many　soldiers；　turning　to　gaze　at　us。　Even　at　this　distance　I　could　clearly　distinguish　their　muscular　bodies　with　their　majestic　heads　and　stalwart　horns。　　Picking　up　our　prey；　we　overtook　the　Mongol　who　had　gone　on　ahead　and　continued　our　way。　　In　many　places　we　came　across　the　carcasses　of　sheep　with　necks　torn　and　the　flesh　of　the　sides　eaten　off。

〃It　is　the　work　of　wolves；〃　said　the　Mongol。　　〃They　are　always　hereabout　in　large　numbers。〃

We　came　across　several　more　herds　of　antelope；　which　ran　along　quietly　enough　until　they　had　made　a　comfortable　distance　ahead　of　us　and　then　with　tremendous　leaps　and　bounds　crossed　our　bows　like　the　proverbial　chicken　on　the　road。　　Then；　after　a　couple　of　hundred　paces　at　this　speed；　they　stopped　and　began　to　graze　quite　calmly。　　Once　I　turned　my　camel　back　and　the　whole　herd　immediately　took　up　the　challenge　again；　coursed　along　parallel　with　me　until　they　had　made　sufficient　distance　for　their　ideas　of　safety　and　then　once　more　rushed　across　the　road　ahead　of　me　as　though　it　were　paved　with　red　hot　stones；　only　to　assume　their　previous　calmness　and　graze　back　on　the　same　side　of　the　trail　from　which　our　column　had　first　started　them。　　On　another　occasion　I　did　this　three　times　with　a　particular　herd　and　laughed　long　and　heartily　at　their　stupid　customs。

We　passed　a　very　unpleasant　night　in　this　valley。　　We　stopped　on　the　shore　of　the　frozen　stream　in　a　spot　where　we　found　shelter　from　the　wind　under　the　lee　of　a　high　shore。　　In　our　stove　we　did　have　a　fire　and　in　our　kettle　boiling　water。　　Also　our　tent　was　warm　and　cozy。　　We　were　quietly　resting　with　pleasant　thoughts　of　supper　to　soothe　us；　when　suddenly　a　howling　and　laughter　as　though　from　some　inferno　burst　upon　us　from　just　outside　the　tent；　while　from　the　other　side　of　the　valley　came　the　long　and　doleful　howls　in　answer。

〃Wolves；〃　calmly　explained　the　Mongol；　who　took　my　revolver　and　went　out　of　the　tent。　　He　did　not　return　for　some　time　but　a