Beasts, Men and Gods

are the eternal enemies of war and of the shedding of blood. Away back in the thirteenth century they preferred to move out from their native land and take refuge in the

pply here in this country of peace the full measure of their implacable laws. In the same manner the Soyots conducted themselves when the Russian people, mad with blood and crime, brought this infection into their land. They avoided persistently meetings and encounters with the Red troops

he edge of the precipices where the horses started great slides of stones and sand. I remember one whole mountain covered with these moving sands. We had to leave our saddles and, taking the bridles in our hands, to trot for a mile or more over these sliding beds, sometimes sinking in up to our knees and going down the mountain side with them toward the precipices below. One imprudent move at times would have sent us over the brink. This destiny met one of our horses. Belly down in the moving trap, he could not work free to change his direction and so slipped on down with a mass of it until he rolled over the precipice and was lost to us forever. We heard onl

ther. His brain is dried ou

ed the yurtas of some Soyot hunters, covered with bark instead of the usual felt. Out of these ten men with rifles rushed toward us as we approached.

hich you came," they advised

tween an old Soyot and one of my officers. I pointed to the s

the border of the principality a

ou will allow us to warm an

e hospitable Soyots, and

and to another a box of matches. We were all walking along together save one

ill?" I

is my son. He has been losing blood from th

called the y

and turn your face up as far as you can." I pressed the jugular

ur nose any more. Go into your t

ed on the Soyots a strong impression. The o

a Lama! (Gr

at thinking deeply about something. Afterwards he to

I lead the 'Ta Lama' to him. He will not punish me, for he ordered that no 'bad people'

rently. "As a matter of fact, I know how to trea

xclaimed with fear. "I

endship. Soon in our yurta many persons piled up around us, men, women, children and dogs. It was impossible to move. From among them emerged a Lama with shaved face and close cropped hair, dressed in the flowing red garment of his caste. His clothes and his expression were very different from the common mass of dirty Soyots

?" he asked. "But I do not accept Russia

we knew that the mounts of my friend and myself, together with three others, were too worn down to make Kosogol and determined to try to buy others in Soldjak. Soon we began to meet little groups of Soyot yurtas with their cattle and horses round about. Finally we approached the shifting capital of the Prince. Our guide rode on ahead for the parley with him after assuring us that the Prince would be glad to welcome the

) asks you to come

ed off with a dark red button with the long peacock feathers streaming out behind. On his nose were big Chinese spectacles. He was sitting on a low divan, nervously clicking the beads of his rosary. This was Ta Lama, Prince of Soldjak and High Priest of the Buddhist Temple. He welcomed us very cordially and invited us to sit down before the fire burning in the copper brazier. His surprisingly beautiful Princess served us with tea and Chinese confections and cakes. We smoked our pipes, though the Prin

n Noyon," the Prince sa

some medicines," I answered, "but I am not a

. In his simple directness a man who k

ble for two months with her ey

ke of the yurta and the general uncleanliness. The Tartar brought me my medicine case. I washed her ey

ou sheep, milk and flour for all your company. I weep now very often because I had very nice eyes and

ped her foot and, coquetti

nt to cure

adway, along the stately Thames, on the vivacious boulevards of gay Paris and in

ry," assuringly answ

Prince. The eyes of the Princess, which eight years ago had seduced the already old Prince

one of the Soyots to guide us to the Kosogol. The whole family of the Prince conducted us to the monastery ten kilometres from the "capital." We did not visit the monastery but we stopped at the "Dugun," a Chinese trading establishment. The Chinese merchants looked at us in a very hostile manner though they simultaneously offered us all