beasts, men and gods-第21章

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es。

〃Where　can　we　go　now　in　winter　with　women　and　children　and　no　homes　of　our　own？〃　asked　the　distraught　refugees。

〃That　is　of　no　moment　to　us；〃　answered　the　Mongolian　officials。　〃The　Chinese　authorities　are　angry　and　have　ordered　us　to　drive　you　away。　　We　cannot　help　you　at　all。〃

The　refugees　had　to　leave　Muren　Kure　and　so　erected　their　tents　in　the　open　not　far　away。　　Plavako　and　Maklakoff　bought　horses　and　started　out　for　Van　Kure。　　Long　afterwards　I　learned　that　both　had　been　killed　by　the　Chinese　along　the　road。

We　secured　three　camels　and　started　out　with　a　large　group　of　Chinese　merchants　and　Russian　refugees　to　make　Uliassutai；　preserving　the　warmest　recollections　of　our　courteous　hosts；　T。　V。　and　D。　A。　Teternikoff。　　For　the　trip　we　had　to　pay　for　our　camels　the　very　high　price　of　33　lan　of　the　silver　bullion　which　had　been　supplied　us　by　an　American　firm　in　Uliassutai；　the　equivalent　roughly　of　2。7　pounds　of　the　white　metal。


CHAPTER　XXIV

A　BLOODY　CHASTISEMENT


Before　long　we　struck　the　road　which　we　had　travelled　coming　north　and　saw　again　the　kindly　rows　of　chopped　down　telegraph　poles　which　had　once　so　warmly　protected　us。　　Over　the　timbered　hillocks　north　of　the　valley　of　Tisingol　we　wended　just　as　it　was　growing　dark。　We　decided　to　stay　in　Bobroff's　house　and　our　companions　thought　to　seek　the　hospitality　of　Kanine　in　the　telegraph　station。　　At　the　station　gate　we　found　a　soldier　with　a　rifle；　who　questioned　us　as　to　who　we　were　and　whence　we　had　come　and；　being　apparently　satisfied；　whistled　out　a　young　officer　from　the　house。

〃Lieutenant　Ivanoff；〃　he　introduced　himself。　　〃I　am　staying　here　with　my　detachment　of　White　Partisans。〃

He　had　come　from　near　Irkutsk　with　his　following　of　ten　men　and　had　formed　a　connection　with　Lieutenant…Colonel　Michailoff　at　Uliassutai；　who　commanded　him　to　take　possession　of　this　blockhouse。

〃Enter；　please；〃　he　said　hospitably。

I　explained　to　him　that　I　wanted　to　stay　with　Bobroff；　whereat　he　made　a　despairing　gesture　with　his　hand　and　said：

〃Don't　trouble　yourself。　　The　Bobroffs　are　killed　and　their　house　burned。〃

I　could　not　keep　back　a　cry　of　horror。

The　Lieutenant　continued：　　〃Kanine　and　the　Pouzikoffs　killed　them；　pillaged　the　place　and　afterwards　burned　the　house　with　their　dead　bodies　in　it。　　Do　you　want　to　see　it？〃

My　friend　and　I　went　with　the　Lieutenant　and　looked　over　the　ominous　site。　　Blackened　uprights　stood　among　charred　beams　and　planks　while　crockery　and　iron　pots　and　pans　were　scattered　all　around。　　A　little　to　one　side　under　some　felt　lay　the　remains　of　the　four　unfortunate　individuals。　　The　Lieutenant　first　spoke：

〃I　reported　the　case　to　Uliassutai　and　received　word　back　that　the　relatives　of　the　deceased　would　come　with　two　officers；　who　would　investigate　the　affair。　　That　is　why　I　cannot　bury　the　bodies。〃

〃How　did　it　happen？〃　we　asked；　oppressed　by　the　sad　picture。

〃It　was　like　this；〃　he　began。　　〃I　was　approaching　Tisingol　at　night　with　my　ten　soldiers。　　Fearing　that　there　might　be　Reds　here；　we　sneaked　up　to　the　station　and　looked　into　the　windows。　　We　saw　Pouzikoff；　Kanine　and　the　short…haired　girl；　looking　over　and　dividing　clothes　and　other　things　and　weighing　lumps　of　silver。　　I　did　not　at　once　grasp　the　significance　of　all　this；　but；　feeling　the　need　for　continued　caution；　ordered　one　of　my　soldiers　to　climb　the　fence　and　open　the　gate。　　We　rushed　into　the　court。　　The　first　to　run　from　the　house　was　Kanine's　wife；　who　threw　up　her　hands　and　shrieked　in　fear：　　〃I　knew　that　misfortune　would　come　of　all　this！〃　and　then　fainted。　　One　of　the　men　ran　out　of　a　side　door　to　a　shed　in　the　yard　and　there　tried　to　get　over　the　fence。　　I　had　not　noticed　him　but　one　of　my　soldiers　caught　him。　　We　were　met　at　the　door　by　Kanine；　who　was　white　and　trembling。　　I　realized　that　something　important　had　taken　place；　placed　them　all　under　arrest；　ordered　the　men　tied　and　placed　a　close　guard。　　All　my　questions　were　met　with　silence　save　by　Madame　Kanine　who　cried：　　'Pity；　pity　for　the　children！　　They　are　innocent！'　as　she　dropped　on　her　knees　and　stretched　out　her　hands　in　supplication　to　us。　　The　short…　haired　girl　laughed　out　of　impudent　eyes　and　blew　a　puff　of　smoke　into　my　face。　　I　was　forced　to　threaten　them　and　said：

〃'I　know　that　you　have　committed　some　crime；　but　you　do　not　want　to　confess。　　If　you　do　not；　I　shall　shoot　the　men　and　take　the　women　to　Uliassutai　to　try　them　there。'

〃I　spoke　with　definiteness　of　voice　and　intention；　for　they　roused　my　deepest　anger。　　Quite　to　my　surprise　the　short…haired　girl　first　began　to　speak。

〃'I　want　to　tell　you　about　everything；'　she　said。

〃I　ordered　ink；　paper　and　pen　brought　me。　　My　soldiers　were　the　witnesses。　　Then　I　prepared　the　protocol　of　the　confession　of　Pouzikoff's　wife。　　This　was　her　dark　and　bloody　tale。

〃'My　husband　and　I　are　Bolshevik　commissars　and　we　have　been　sent　to　find　out　how　many　White　officers　are　hidden　in　Mongolia。　　But　the　old　fellow　Bobroff　knew　us。　　We　wanted　to　go　away　but　Kanine　kept　us；　telling　us　that　Bobroff　was　rich　and　that　he　had　for　a　long　time　wanted　to　kill　him　and　pillage　his　place。　　We　agreed　to　join　him。　　We　decoyed　the　young　Bobroff　to　come　and　play　cards　with　us。　　When　he　was　going　home　my　husband　stole　along　behind　and　shot　him。　　Afterwards　we　all　went　to　Bobroff's　place。　　I　climbed　upon　the　fence　and　threw　some　poisoned　meat　to　the　dogs；　who　were　dead　in　a　few　minutes。　　Then　we　all　climbed　over。　　The　first　person　to　emerge　from　the　house　was　Bobroff's　wife。　　Pouzikoff；　who　was　hidden　behind　the　door；　killed　her　with　his　ax。　　The　old　fellow　we　killed　with　a　blow　of　the　ax　as　he　slept。　　The　little　girl　ran　out　into　the　room　as　she　heard　the　noise　and　Kanine　shot　her　in　the　head　with　buckshot。　　Afterwards　we　looted　the　house　and　burned　it；　even　destroying　the　horses　and　cattle。　　Later　all　would　have　been　completely　burned；　so　that　no　traces　remained；　but　you　suddenly　arrived　and　these　stupid　fellows　at　once　betrayed　us。'

〃It　was　a　dastardly　affair；〃　continued　the　Lieutenant；　as　we　returned　to　the　station。　　〃The　hair　raised　on　my　head　as　I　listened　to　the　calm　description　of　this　young　woman；　hardly　more　than　a　girl。　　Only　then　did　I　fully　realize　what　depravity　Bolshevism　had　brought　into　the　world；　crushing　out　faith；　fear　of　God　and　conscience。　　Only　then　did　I　understand　that　all　honest　people　must　fight　without　compromise　against　this　most　dangerous　enemy　of　mankind；　so　long　as　life　and　strength　endure。〃

As　we　walked　I　noticed　at　the　side　of　the　road　a　black　spot。　　It　attracted　and　fixed　my　attention。

〃What　is　that？〃　I　asked；　pointing　to　the　spot。

〃It　is　the　murderer　Pouzikoff　whom　I　shot；〃　answered　the　Lieutenant。　　〃I　would　have　shot　both　Kanine　and　the　wife　of　Pouzikoff　but　I　was　sorry　for　Kanine's　wife　and　children　and　I　haven't　learned　the　lesson　of　shooting　women。　　Now　I　shall　send　them　along　with　you　under　the　surveillance　of　my　soldiers　to　Uliassutai。　　The　same　result　will　come；　for　the　Mongols　who　try　them　for　the　murder　will　surely　kill　them。〃

This　is　what　happened　at　Tisingol；　on　whose　shores　the　will…o'…the…　wisp　flits　over　the　marshy　pools　and　near　which　runs　the　cleavage　of　over　two　hundred　miles　that　the　last　earthquake　left　in　the　surface　of　the　land。　　Maybe　it　was　out　of　this　cleavage　that　Pouzikoff；　Kanine　and　the　others　who　have　sought　to　infect　the　whole　world　with　horror　and　crime　made　their　appearance　from　the　land　of　the　inferno。　　One　of　Lieutenant　Ivanoff's　soldiers；　who　was　always　praying　and　pale；　called　them　all　〃the　servants　of　Satan。〃

Our　trip　from　Tisingol　to　Uliassutai　in　the　company　of　these　criminals　was　very　unpleasant。　　My　friend　and　I　entirely　lost　our　usual　strength　of　spirit　and　healthy　frame　of　mind。　　Kanine　persistently　brooded　and　thought　while　the　impudent　woman　laughed；　smoked　and　joked　with　the　soldiers　and　several　of　our　companions。　At　last　we　crossed　the　Jagisstai　and　in　a　few　hours　descried　at　first　the　fortress　and　then　the　low　adobe　houses　huddled　on　the　plain；　which　we　knew　to　be　Uliassutai。


CHAPTER　XXV

HARASSING　DAYS


Once　more　we　found　ourselves　in　the　whirl　of　events。　　During　our　fortnight　away　a　great　deal　had　happened　here。　　The　Chinese　Commissioner　Wang　Tsao…tsun　had　sent　eleven　envoys　to　Urga　but　none　had　returned。　　The　situation　in　Mongolia　remained　far　from　clear。　The　Russian　detachment　had　been　increased　by　the　arrival　of　new　colonists　and　secretly　continued　its　illegal　existence；　although　the　Chinese　knew　about　it　through　their　omnipresent　system　of　spies。　　In　the　town　no　Russian　or　foreign　citizens　left　their　houses　and　all　remained　armed　and　ready　to　act。　　At　night　armed　sentinels　stood　guard　in　all　their　court…yards。　　It　was　the　Chinese　who　induced　such　precautions。　　By　order　of　their　Commissioner　all　the　Chinese　merchants　with　stocks　of　rifles　armed　their　staffs　and　handed　over　any　surplus　guns　to　the　officials；　who　with　these　formed　and　equipped　a　force　of　two　hundred　coolies　into　a　special　garrison　of　gamins。　　Then　they　took　possession　of　the　Mongolian　arsenal　and　distributed　these　additional　guns　among　the　Chinese　vegetable　farmers　in　the　nagan　hushun；　where　there　was　always　a　floating　population　of　the　lowest　grade　of　transient　Chinese　laborers。　　This　trash　of　China　now　felt　themselves　strong；　gathered　together　in　excited　discussions　and　evidently　were　preparing　for　some　outburst　of　aggression。　　At　night　the　coolies　transported　many　boxes　of　cartridges　from　the　Chinese　shops　to　the　nagan　hushun　and　the　behaviour　of　the　Chinese　mob　became　unbearably　audacious。　These　coolies　and　gamins　impertinently　stopped　and　searched　people　right　on　the　streets　and　sought　to　provoke　fights　that　would　allow　them　to　take　anything　they　wanted。　　Through　secret　news　we　received　from　certain　Chinese　quarters　we　learned　that　the　Chinese　were　preparing　a　pogrom　for　all　the　Russians　and　Mongols　in　Uliassutai。　We　fully　realized　that　it　was　only　necessary　to　fire　one　single　house　at　the　right　part　of　the　town　and　the　entire　settlement　of　wooden　buildings　would　go　up　in　flames。　　The　whole　population　prepared　to　defend　themselves；　increased　the　sentinels　in　the　compounds；　appointed　leaders　for　certain　sections　of　the　town；　organized　a　special　fire　brigade　and　prepared　horses；　carts　and　food　for　a　hasty　flight。　　The　situation　became　worse　when　news　arrived　from　Kobdo　that　the　Chinese　there　had　made　a　pogrom；　killing　some　of　the　inhabitants　and　burning　the　whole　town　after　a　wild　looting　orgy。　　Most　of　the　people　got　away　to　the　forests　on　the　mountains　but　it　was　at　night　and　consequently　without　warm　clothes　and　without　food。　　During　the　following　days　these　mountains　around　Kobdo　heard　many　cries　of　misfortune；　woe　and　death。　　The　severe　cold　and　hunger　killed　off　the　women　and　children　out　under　the　open　sky　of　the　Mongolian　winter。　　This　news　was　soon　known　to　the　Chinese。　　They　laughed　in　mockery　and　soon　organized　a　big　meeting　at　the　nagan　hushun　to　discuss　letting　the　mob　and　gamins　loose　on　the　town。

A　young　Chinese；　the　son　of　a　cook　of　one　of　the　colonists；　revealed　this　news。　　We　immediately　decided　to　make　an　investigation。　　A　Russian　officer　and　my　friend　joined　me　with　this　young　Chinese　as　a　guide　for　a　trip　to　the　outskirts　of　the　town。　We　feigned