beasts, men and gods-第6部分

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d　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　have　passed　here。　　Perhaps　they　were　soldiers。〃

His　anxiety　was　terminated　when　he　discovered　that　the　tracks　led　off　to　one　side　and　then　returned　to　the　trail。

〃They　did　not　proceed　farther；〃　he　remarked；　slyly　smiling。

〃That's　too　bad；〃　we　answered。　　〃It　would　have　been　more　lively　to　travel　in　company。〃

But　the　peasant　only　stroked　his　beard　and　laughed。　　Evidently　he　was　not　taken　in　by　our　statement。

We　passed　on　the　way　a　gold　mine　that　had　been　formerly　planned　and　equipped　on　splendid　lines　but　was　now　abandoned　and　the　buildings　all　destroyed。　　The　Bolsheviki　had　taken　away　the　machinery；　supplies　and　also　some　parts　of　the　buildings。　　Nearby　stood　a　dark　and　gloomy　church　with　windows　broken；　the　crucifix　torn　off　and　the　tower　burned；　a　pitifully　typical　emblem　of　the　Russia　of　today。　　The　starving　family　of　the　watchman　lived　at　the　mine　in　continuing　danger　and　privation。　　They　told　us　that　in　this　forest　region　were　wandering　about　a　band　of　Reds　who　were　robbing　anything　that　remained　on　the　property　of　the　gold　mine；　were　working　the　pay　dirt　in　the　richest　part　of　the　mine　and；　with　a　little　gold　washed；　were　going　to　drink　and　gamble　it　away　in　some　distant　villages　where　the　peasants　were　making　the　forbidden　vodka　out　of　berries　and　potatoes　and　selling　it　for　its　weight　in　gold。　A　meeting　with　this　band　meant　death。　　After　three　days　we　crossed　the　northern　ridge　of　the　Sayan　chain；　passed　the　border　river　Algiak　and；　after　this　day；　were　abroad　in　the　territory　of　Urianhai。

This　wonderful　land；　rich　in　most　diverse　forms　of　natural　wealth；　is　inhabited　by　a　branch　of　the　Mongols；　which　is　now　only　sixty　thousand　and　which　is　gradually　dying　off；　speaking　a　language　quite　different　from　any　of　the　other　dialects　of　this　folk　and　holding　as　their　life　ideal　the　tenet　of　〃Eternal　Peace。〃　　Urianhai　long　ago　became　the　scene　of　administrative　attempts　by　Russians；　Mongols　and　Chinese；　all　of　whom　claimed　sovereignty　over　the　region　whose　unfortunate　inhabitants；　the　Soyots；　had　to　pay　tribute　to　all　three　of　these　overlords。　　It　was　due　to　this　that　the　land　was　not　an　entirely　safe　refuge　for　us。　　We　had　heard　already　from　our　militiaman　about　the　expedition　preparing　to　go　into　Urianhai　and　from　the　peasants　we　learned　that　the　villages　along　the　Little　Yenisei　and　farther　south　had　formed　Red　detachments；　who　were　robbing　and　killing　everyone　who　fell　into　their　hands。　　Recently　they　had　killed　sixty…two　officers　attempting　to　pass　Urianhai　into　Mongolia；　robbed　and　killed　a　caravan　of　Chinese　merchants；　and　killed　some　German　war　prisoners　who　escaped　from　the　Soviet　paradise。　　On　the　fourth　day　we　reached　a　swampy　valley　where；　among　open　forests；　stood　a　single　Russian　house。　　Here　we　took　leave　of　our　guide；　who　hastened　away　to　get　back　before　the　snows　should　block　his　road　over　the　Sayans。　　The　master　of　the　establishment　agreed　to　guide　us　to　the　Seybi　River　for　ten　thousand　roubles　in　Soviet　notes。　　Our　horses　were　tired　and　we　were　forced　to　give　them　a　rest；　so　we　decided　to　spend　twenty…four　hours　here。

We　were　drinking　tea　when　the　daughter　of　our　host　cried：

〃The　Soyots　are　coming！〃　　Into　the　room　with　their　rifles　and　pointed　hats　came　suddenly　four　of　them。

〃Mende；〃　they　grunted　to　us　and　then；　without　ceremony；　began　examining　us　critically。　　Not　a　button　or　a　seam　in　our　entire　outfit　escaped　their　penetrating　gaze。　　Afterwards　one　of　them；　who　appeared　to　be　the　local　〃Merin〃　or　governor；　began　to　investigate　our　political　views。　　Listening　to　our　criticisms　of　the　Bolsheviki；　he　was　evidently　pleased　and　began　talking　freely。

〃You　are　good　people。　　You　do　not　like　Bolsheviki。　　We　will　help　you。〃

I　thanked　him　and　presented　him　with　the　thick　silk　cord　which　I　was　wearing　as　a　girdle。　　Before　night　they　left　us　saying　that　they　would　return　in　the　morning。　　It　grew　dark。　　We　went　to　the　meadow　to　look　after　our　exhausted　horses　grazing　there　and　came　back　to　the　house。　　We　were　gaily　chatting　with　the　hospitable　host　when　suddenly　we　heard　horses'　hoo