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Beasts, Men and Gods

Chapter 8 THE RIVER OF THE DEVIL

Word Count: 1680    |    Released on: 28/11/2017

d grazing lands stretched away. In places there were groves of larch. We crossed some very rapid streams but they were not deep and they had hard beds. After two days o

etween these two points to reach Van Kure farther to the east. We took leave of our Soyot guide and, after having sent three scouts in advance, moved forward. From the mountains around the Kosogol we admired the splendid view of this broad Alpine lake. It was set like a sapphire in the old gold of the surrounding hills, chased with lovely bits of rich dark forestry. At night w

o many obo?" we

ied the Mongol. "Two days ago a train of carts went throug

frightened eyes ever on the ice at their feet. I looked down and understood their fear. Through the cover of one foot of transparent ice one could clearly see the bottom of the river. Under the lighting of the moon all the stones, the holes and even some of the grasses were distinctly visible, even though

ed our Mongol, waving u

fell, many of them striking their heads severely on the ice. In a second it opened up two feet wide, so that I could f

ry!" shoute

ge and to continue on further. They trembled and disobeyed and only

ater. All the men and animals on the river at such times must perish. The furious current of cold water will always carry them down under the ice. At other times a crack has been kn

traveled over a mile before making out distinctly the lines of a group of yurtas. But nobody came out to meet us and, what astonished us more, we were not surrounded by the angry black Mongolian dogs with fiery eyes. Still, from the distance we had seen the fire and so there must be someone there. We dismounted from our horses and approached on foot. From out of the yurta rushed two Russian soldiers, one of whom shot at me with his pistol but missed me and wounded my horse in the back through the saddle. I brought him to earth with my Mauser and the other was killed by the butt end of my friend's rifle.

g the whole Russian-Mongolian border the Bolshevik troops were scattered; also that Communist agitators had penetrated to Kiakhta, Ulankom and Kobdo and had persuaded the Chinese authorities to surrender to the Soviet authorities all the refugees from Russia. We knew that in the neighborhood of Urga and Van Kure engagements were taking place between

tu Khan, enter the Gobi in the western part of Inner Mongolia, strike as rapidly as possible through sixty miles of Chinese territory in the Province of Kansu and penetrate into Tibet. Here I hoped to search out one of the English Consuls and with his help to reach some English port in India. I understood thoroughly all the difficulties incident to such an e

of Jassaktu Khan, cross the Naron Khuhu Gobi and strike for the mountains of Boro. Here we should be able to take a long rest to recuperate the strength of our horses and of ourselves. The second section of our journey would be the passage through the western part of Inner Mongolia, through the Little Gobi, through the lands of the Torguts, over the Khara Mountains, across Kansu, where our road must be chosen to the west of the Chinese town of Suchow. From ther

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1 Chapter 1 INTO THE FORESTS2 Chapter 2 THE SECRET OF MY FELLOW TRAVELER3 Chapter 3 THREE DAYS ON THE EDGE OF A PRECIPICE4 Chapter 4 TO THE SAYANS AND SAFETY5 Chapter 5 THE BATTLE ON THE SEYBI6 Chapter 6 IN THE COUNTRY OF ETERNAL PEACE7 Chapter 7 MYSTERIES, MIRACLES AND A NEW FIGHT8 Chapter 8 THE RIVER OF THE DEVIL9 Chapter 9 THE MARCH OF GHOSTS10 Chapter 10 IN MYSTERIOUS TIBET11 Chapter 11 MYSTERIOUS MONGOLIA12 Chapter 12 THE MYSTERIOUS LAMA AVENGER13 Chapter 13 THE DEMON OF JAGISSTAI14 Chapter 14 AMONG THE MURDERERS15 Chapter 15 ON A VOLCANO16 Chapter 16 A BLOODY CHASTISEMENT17 Chapter 17 HARASSING DAYS18 Chapter 18 THE BAND OF WHITE HUNGHUTZES19 Chapter 19 MYSTERY IN A SMALL TEMPLE20 Chapter 20 THE BREATH OF DEATH21 Chapter 21 ON THE ROAD OF GREAT CONQUERORS22 Chapter 22 ARRESTED!23 Chapter 23 TRAVELING BY "URGA"24 Chapter 24 AN OLD FORTUNE TELLER25 Chapter 25 "DEATH FROM THE WHITE MAN WILL STAND BEHIND YOU"26 Chapter 26 THE HORROR OF WAR!27 Chapter 27 IN THE CITY OF LIVING GODS, OF 30,000 BUDDHAS AND 60,000 MONKS28 Chapter 28 A SON OF CRUSADERS AND PRIVATEERS29 Chapter 29 THE CAMP OF MARTYRS30 Chapter 30 BEFORE THE FACE OF BUDDHA31 Chapter 31 "THE MAN WITH A HEAD LIKE A SADDLE"32 Chapter 32 IN THE BLISSFUL GARDEN OF A THOUSAND JOYS33 Chapter 33 THE DUST OF CENTURIES34 Chapter 34 THE BOOKS OF MIRACLES35 Chapter 35 THE VISION OF THE LIVING BUDDHA OF MAY 17, 192136 Chapter 36 THE SUBTERRANEAN KINGDOM37 Chapter 37 REALITY OR RELIGIOUS FANTASY 38 Chapter 38 THE PROPHECY OF THE KING OF THE WORLD IN 1890