beasts, men and gods-第5章

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sed　unarmed　officers　who　were　in　hiding　from　the　atrocious　vengeance　of　the　Bolsheviki。　　Afterwards　by　accident　we　passed　a　meadow　where　we　found　the　bodies　of　twenty…eight　officers　hung　to　the　trees；　with　their　faces　and　bodies　mutilated。　　There　we　determined　never　to　allow　ourselves　to　come　alive　into　the　hands　of　the　Boisheviki。　　To　prevent　this　we　had　our　weapons　and　a　supply　of　cyanide　of　potassium。

Passing　across　one　branch　of　the　Yenisei；　once　we　saw　a　narrow；　miry　pass；　the　entrance　to　which　was　strewn　with　the　bodies　of　men　and　horses。　　A　little　farther　along　we　found　a　broken　sleigh　with　rifled　boxes　and　papers　scattered　about。　　Near　them　were　also　torn　garments　and　bodies。　　Who　were　these　pitiful　ones？　　What　tragedy　was　staged　in　this　wild　wood？　　We　tried　to　guess　this　enigma　and　we　began　to　investigate　the　documents　and　papers。　　These　were　official　papers　addressed　to　the　Staff　of　General　Pepelaieff。　　Probably　one　part　of　the　Staff　during　the　retreat　of　Kolchak's　army　went　through　this　wood；　striving　to　hide　from　the　enemy　approaching　from　all　sides；　but　here　they　were　caught　by　the　Reds　and　killed。　　Not　far　from　here　we　found　the　body　of　a　poor　unfortunate　woman；　whose　condition　proved　clearly　what　had　happened　before　relief　came　through　the　beneficent　bullet。　　The　body　lay　beside　a　shelter　of　branches；　strewn　with　bottles　and　conserve　tins；　telling　the　tale　of　the　bantering　feast　that　had　preceded　the　destruction　of　this　life。

The　further　we　went　to　the　south；　the　more　pronouncedly　hospitable　the　people　became　toward　us　and　the　more　hostile　to　the　Bolsheviki。　At　last　we　emerged　from　the　forests　and　entered　the　spacious　vastness　of　the　Minnusinsk　steppes；　crossed　by　the　high　red　mountain　range　called　the　〃Kizill…Kaiya〃　and　dotted　here　and　there　with　salt　lakes。　　It　is　a　country　of　tombs；　thousands　of　large　and　small　dolmens；　the　tombs　of　the　earliest　proprietors　of　this　land：　pyramids　of　stone　ten　metres　high；　the　marks　set　by　Jenghiz　Khan　along　his　road　of　conquest　and　afterwards　by　the　cripple　Tamerlane…　Temur。　　Thousands　of　these　dolmens　and　stone　pyramids　stretch　in　endless　rows　to　the　north。　　In　these　plains　the　Tartars　now　live。　They　were　robbed　by　the　Bolsheviki　and　therefore　hated　them　ardently。　　We　openly　told　them　that　we　were　escaping。　　They　gave　us　food　for　nothing　and　supplied　us　with　guides；　telling　us　with　whom　we　might　stop　and　where　to　hide　in　case　of　danger。

After　several　days　we　looked　down　from　the　high　bank　of　the　Yenisei　upon　the　first　steamer；　the　〃Oriol；〃　from　Krasnoyarsk　to　Minnusinsk；　laden　with　Red　soldiers。　　Soon　we　came　to　the　mouth　of　the　river　Tuba；　which　we　were　to　follow　straight　east　to　the　Sayan　mountains；　where　Urianhai　begins。　　We　thought　the　stage　along　the　Tuba　and　its　branch；　the　Amyl；　the　most　dangerous　part　of　our　course；　because　the　valleys　of　these　two　rivers　had　a　dense　population　which　had　contributed　large　numbers　of　soldiers　to　the　celebrated　Communist　Partisans；　Schetinkin　and　Krafcheno。

A　Tartar　ferried　us　and　our　horses　over　to　the　right　bank　of　the　Yenisei　and　afterwards　sent　us　some　Cossacks　at　daybreak　who　guided　us　to　the　mouth　of　the　Tuba；　where　we　spent　the　whole　day　in　rest；　gratifying　ourselves　with　a　feast　of　wild　black　currants　and　cherries。


CHAPTER　VIII

THREE　DAYS　ON　THE　EDGE　OF　A　PRECIPICE


Armed　with　our　false　passports；　we　moved　along　up　the　valley　of　the　Tuba。　　Every　ten　or　fifteen　versts　we　came　across　large　villages　of　from　one　to　six　hundred　houses；　where　all　administration　was　in　the　hands　of　Soviets　and　where　spies　scrutinized　all　passers…by。　　We　could　not　avoid　these　villages　for　two　reasons。　　First；　our　attempts　to　avoid　them　when　we　were　constantly　meeting　the　peasants　in　the　country　would　have　aroused　suspicion　and　would　have　caused　any　Soviet　to　arrest　us　and　send　us　to　the　〃Cheka〃　in　Minnusinsk；　where　we　should　have　sung　our　last　song。　　Secondly；　in　his　documents　my　fellow　traveler　was　granted　permission　to　use　the　government　post　relays　for　forwarding　him　on　his　journey。　Therefore；　we　were　forced　to　visit　the　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　ac