e。　　The　town　was　burned　and　the　walls　of　the　fortress　destroyed。　　Afterwards　Hun　Baldon　came　to　Uliassutai　and　also　destroyed　the　Chinese　fortress　there。　　The　ruins　of　it　still　stand　with　the　broken　embattlements　and　towers；　the　useless　gates　and　the　remnants　of　the　burned　official　quarters　and　soldiers'　barracks。
  CHAPTER　XIX
  WILD　CHAHARS
  After　our　return　to　Uliassutai　we　heard　that　disquieting　news　had　been　received　by　the　Mongol　Sait　from　Muren　Kure。　　The　letter　stated　that　Red　Troops　were　pressing　Colonel　Kazagrandi　very　hard　in　the　region　of　Lake　Kosogol。　　The　Sait　feared　the　advance　of　the　Red　troops　southward　to　Uliassutai。　　Both　the　American　firms　liquidated　their　affairs　and　all　our　friends　were　prepared　for　a　quick　exit；　though　they　hesitated　at　the　thought　of　leaving　the　town；　as　they　were　afraid　of　meeting　the　detachment　of　Chahars　sent　from　the　east。　　We　decided　to　await　the　arrival　of　this　detachment；　as　their　coming　could　change　the　whole　course　of　events。　　In　a　few　days　they　came；　two　hundred　warlike　Chahar　brigands　under　the　command　of　a　former　Chinese　hunghutze。　　He　was　a　tall；　skinny　man　with　hands　that　reached　almost　to　his　knees；　a　face　blackened　by　wind　and　sun　and　mutilated　with　two　long　scars　down　over　his　forehead　and　cheek；　the　making　of　one　of　which　had　also　closed　one　of　his　hawklike　eyes；　topped　off　with　a　shaggy　coonskin　capsuch　was　the　commander　of　the　detachment　of　Chahars。　　A　personage　very　dark　and　stern；　with　whom　a　night　meeting　on　a　lonely　street　could　not　be　considered　a　pleasure　by　any　bent　of　the　imagination。
  The　detachment　made　camp　within　the　destroyed　fortress；　near　to　the　single　Chinese　building　that　had　not　been　razed　and　which　was　now　serving　as　headquarters　for　the　Chinese　Commissioner。　　On　the　very　day　of　their　arrival　the　Chahars　pillaged　a　Chinese　dugun　or　trading　house　not　half　a　mile　from　the　fortress　and　also　offended　the　wife　of　the　Chinese　Commissioner　by　calling　her　a　〃traitor。〃　The　Chahars；　like　the　Mongols；　were　quite　right　in　their　stand；　because　the　Chinese　Commissioner　Wang　Tsao…tsun　had　on　his　arrival　in　Uliassutai　followed　the　Chinese　custom　of　demanding　a　Mongolian　wife。　　The　servile　new　Sait　had　given　orders　that　a　beautiful　and　suitable　Mongolian　girl　be　found　for　him。　　One　was　so　run　down　and　placed　in　his　yamen；　together　with　her　big　wrestling　Mongol　brother　who　was　to　be　a　guard　for　the　Commissioner　but　who　developed　into　the　nurse　for　the　little　white　Pekingese　pug　which　the　official　presented　to　his　new　wife。
  Burglaries；　squabbles　and　drunken　orgies　of　the　Chahars　followed；　so　that　Wang　Tsoa…tsun　exerted　all　his　efforts　to　hurry　the　detachment　westward　to　Kobdo　and　farther　into　Urianhai。
  One　cold　morning　the　inhabitants　of　Uliassutai　rose　to　witness　a　very　stern　picture。　　Along　the　main　street　of　the　town　the　detachment　was　passing。　　They　were　riding　on　small；　shaggy　ponies；　three　abreast；　were　dressed　in　warm　blue　coats　with　sheepskin　overcoats　outside　and　crowned　with　the　regulation　coonskin　caps；　armed　from　head　to　foot。　　They　rode　with　wild　shouts　and　cheers；　very　greedily　eyeing　the　Chinese　shops　and　the　houses　of　the　Russian　colonists。　　At　their　head　rode　the　one…eyed　hunghutze　chief　with　three　horsemen　behind　him　in　white　overcoats；　who　carried　waving　banners　and　blew　what　may　have　been　meant　for　music　through　great　conch　shells。　　One　of　the　Chahars　could　not　resist　and　so　jumped　out　of　his　saddle　and　made　for　a　Chinese　shop　along　the　street。　　Immediately　the　anxious　cries　of　the　Chinese　merchants　came　from　the　shop。　　The　hunghutze　swung　round；　noticed　the　horse　at　the　door　of　the　shop　and　realized　what　was　happening。　Immediately　he　reined　his　horse　and　made　for　the　spot。　　With　his　raucous　voice　he　called　the　Chahar　out。　　As　he　came；　he　struck　him　full　in　the　face　with　his　whip　and　with　all　his　strength。　　Blood　flowed　from　the　slashed　cheek。　　But　the　Chahar　was　in　the　saddle　in　a　second　without　a　murmur　and　galloped　to　his　place　in　the　file。　During　this　exit　of　the　Chahars　all　the　people　were　hidden　in　their　houses；　anxiously　peeping　through　cracks　and　corners　of　the　windows。　　But　the　Chahars　passed　peacefully　out　and　only　when　they　met　a　caravan　carrying　Chinese　wine　about　six　miles　from　town　did　their　native　tendency　display　itself　again　in　pillaging　and　emptying　several　containers。　　Somewhere　in　the　vicinity　of　Hargana　they　were　ambushed　by　Tushegoun　Lama　and　so　treated　that　never　again　will　the　plains　of　Chahar　welcome　the　return　of　these　warrior　sons　who　were　sent　out　to　conquer　the　Soyot　descendants　of　the　ancient　Tuba。
  The　day　the　column　left　Uliassutai　a　heavy　snow　fell；　so　that　the　road　became　impassable。　　The　horses　first　were　up　to　their　knees；　tired　out　and　stopped。　　Some　Mongol　horsemen　reached　Uliassutai　the　following　day　after　great　hardship　and　exertion；　having　made　only　twenty…five　miles　in　forty…eight　hours。　　Caravans　were　compelled　to　stop　along　the　routes。　　The　Mongols　would　not　consent　even　to　attempt　journeys　with　oxen　and　yaks　which　made　but　ten　or　twelve　miles　a　day。　　Only　camels　could　be　used　but　there　were　too　few　and　their　drivers　did　not　feel　that　they　could　make　the　first　railway　station　of　Kuku…Hoto；　which　was　about　fourteen　hundred　miles　away。　We　were　forced　again　to　wait：　for　which？　　Death　or　salvation？　　Only　our　own　energy　and　force　could　save　us。　　Consequently　my　friend　and　I　started　out；　supplied　with　a　tent；　stove　and　food；　for　a　new　reconnaissance　along　the　shore　of　Lake　Kosogol；　whence　the　Mongol　Sait　expected　the　new　invasion　of　Red　troops。
  CHAPTER　XX
  THE　DEMON　OF　JAGISSTAI
  Our　small　group　consisting　of　four　mounted　and　one　pack　camel　moved　northward　along　the　valley　of　the　River　Boyagol　in　the　direction　of　the　Tarbagatai　Mountains。　　The　road　was　rocky　and　covered　deep　with　snow。　　Our　camels　walked　very　carefully；　sniffing　out　the　way　as　our　guide　shouted　the　〃Ok！　Ok！〃　of　the　camel　drivers　to　urge　them　on。　　We　left　behind　us　the　fortress　and　Chinese　dugun；　swung　round　the　shoulder　of　a　ridge　and；　after　fording　several　times　an　open　stream；　began　the　ascent　of　the　mountain。　　The　scramble　was　hard　and　dangerous。　　Our　camels　picked　their　way　most　cautiously；　moving　their　ears　constantly；　as　is　their　habit　in　such　stress。　　The　trail　zigzagged　into　mountain　ravines；　passed　over　the　tops　of　ridges；　slipped　back　down　again　into　shallower　valleys　but　ever　made　higher　and　higher　altitudes。　　At　one　place　under　the　grey　clouds　that　tipped　the　ridges　we　saw　away　up　on　the　wide　expanse　of　snow　some　black　spots。
  〃Those　are　the　obo；　the　sacred　signs　and　altars　for　the　bad　demons　watching　this　pass；〃　explained　the　guide。　　〃This　pass　is　called　Jagisstai。　　Many　very　old　tales　about　it　have　been　kept　alive；　ancient　as　these　mountains　themselves。〃
  We　encouraged　him　to　tell　us　some　of　them。
  The　Mongol；　rocking　on　his　camel　and　looking　carefully　all　around　him；　began　his　tale。
  〃It　was　long　ago；　very　long　ago。　。　。　。　　The　grandson　of　the　great　Jenghiz　Khan　sat　on　the　throne　of　China　and　ruled　all　Asia。　　The　Chinese　killed　their　Khan　and　wanted　to　exterminate　all　his　family　but　a　holy　old　Lama　slipped　the　wife　and　little　son　out　of　the　palace　and　carried　them　off　on　swift　camels　beyond　the　Great　Wall；　where　they　sank　into　our　native　plains。　　The　Chinese　made　a　long　search　for　the　trails　of　our　refugees　and　at　last　found　where　they　had　gone。　　They　despatched　a　strong　detachment　on　fleet　horses　to　capture　them。　　Sometimes　the　Chinese　nearly　came　up　with　the　fleeing　heir　of　our　Khan　but　the　Lama　called　down　from　Heaven　a　deep　snow；　through　which　the　camels　could　pass　while　the　horses　were　inextricably　held。　　This　Lama　was　from　a　distant　monastery。　We　shall　pass　this　hospice　of　Jahantsi　Kure。　　In　order　to　reach　it　one　must　cross　over　the　Jagisstai。　　And　it　was　just　here　the　old　Lama　suddenly　became　ill；　rocked　in　his　saddle　and　fell　dead。　　Ta　Sin　Lo；　the　widow　of　the　Great　Khan；　burst　into　tears；　but；　seeing　the　Chinese　riders　galloping　there　below　across　the　valley；　pressed　on　toward　the　pass。　　The　camels　were　tired；　stopping　every　moment；　nor　did　the　woman　know　how　to　stimulate　and　drive　them　on。　　The　Chinese　riders　came　nearer　and　nearer。　　Already　she　heard　their　shouts　of　joy；　as　they　felt　within　their　grasp　the　prize　of　the　mandarins　for　the　murder　of　the　heir　of　the　Great　Khan。　　The　heads　of　the　mother　and　the　son　would　be　brought　to　Peking　and　exposed　on　the　Ch'ien　Men　for　the　mockery　and　insults　of　the　people。　　The　frightened　mother　lifted　her　little　son　toward　heaven　and　exclaimed：
  〃'Earth　and　Gods　of　Mongolia；　behold　the　offspring　of　the　man　who　has　glorified　the　name　of　the　Mongols　from　one　end　of　the　world　to　the　other！　　Allow　not　this　very　flesh　of　Jenghiz　Khan　to　perish！'
  〃At　this　moment　she　noticed　a　white　mouse　sitting　on　a　rock　nearby。　It　jumped　to　her　knees　and　said：
  〃'I　am　sent　to　help　you。　　Go　on　calmly　and　do　not　fear。　　The　pursuers　of　you　and　your　son；　to　whom　is　destined　a　life　of　glory；　have　come　to　the　last　bourne　of　their　lives。'
  〃Ta　Sin　Lo　did　not　see　how　one　small　mouse　could　hold　in　check　three　hundred　men。　　The　mouse　jumped　back　to　the　ground　and　again　spoke：
  〃'I　am　the　demon　of　Tarbagatai；　Jagasstai。　　I　am　mighty　and　beloved　of　the　Gods　but；　because　you　doubt