amp　gas　generated　by　the　putrefying　of　vegetable　matter　in　the　warm　damp　earth。
  〃Here　dwell　the　demons　of　Adair；　who　are　in　perpetual　war　with　those　of　Muren；〃　explained　the　Mongol。
  〃Indeed；〃　I　thought；　〃if　in　prosaic　Europe　in　our　days　the　inhabitants　of　our　villages　believe　these　flames　to　be　some　wild　sorcery；　then　surely　in　the　land　of　mystery　they　must　be　at　least　the　evidences　of　war　between　the　demons　of　two　neighboring　rivers！〃
  After　passing　this　swamp　we　made　out　far　ahead　of　us　a　large　monastery。　　Though　this　was　some　half　mile　off　the　road；　the　Gorokoffs　said　they　would　ride　over　to　it　to　make　some　purchases　in　the　Chinese　shops　there。　　They　quickly　rode　away；　promising　to　overtake　us　shortly；　but　we　did　not　see　them　again　for　a　while。　They　slipped　away　without　leaving　any　trail　but　we　met　them　later　in　very　unexpected　circumstances　of　fatal　portent　for　them。　　On　our　part　we　were　highly　satisfied　that　we　were　rid　of　them　so　soon　and；　after　they　were　gone；　I　imparted　to　my　friend　the　information　gleaned　from　Bobroff　the　evening　before。
  CHAPTER　XXIII
  ON　A　VOLCANO
  The　following　evening　we　arrived　at　Khathyl；　a　small　Russian　settlement　of　ten　scattered　houses　in　the　valley　of　the　Egingol　or　Yaga；　which　here　takes　its　waters　from　the　Kosogol　half　a　mile　above　the　village。　　The　Kosogol　is　a　huge　Alpine　lake；　deep　and　cold；　eighty…five　miles　in　length　and　from　ten　to　thirty　in　width。　On　the　western　shore　live　the　Darkhat　Soyots；　who　call　it　Hubsugul；　the　Mongols；　Kosogol。　　Both　the　Soyots　and　Mongols　consider　this　a　terrible　and　sacred　lake。　　It　is　very　easy　to　understand　this　prejudice　because　the　lake　lies　in　a　region　of　present　volcanic　activity；　where　in　the　summer　on　perfectly　calm　sunny　days　it　sometimes　lashes　itself　into　great　waves　that　are　dangerous　not　only　to　the　native　fishing　boats　but　also　to　the　large　Russian　passenger　steamers　that　ply　on　the　lake。　　In　winter　also　it　sometimes　entirely　breaks　up　its　covering　of　ice　and　gives　off　great　clouds　of　steam。　　Evidently　the　bottom　of　the　lake　is　sporadically　pierced　by　discharging　hot　springs　or；　perhaps；　by　streams　of　lava。　　Evidence　of　some　great　underground　convulsion　like　this　is　afforded　by　the　mass　of　killed　fish　which　at　times　dams　the　outlet　river　in　its　shallow　places。　　The　lake　is　exceedingly　rich　in　fish；　chiefly　varieties　of　trout　and　salmon；　and　is　famous　for　its　wonderful　〃white　fish；〃　which　was　previously　sent　all　over　Siberia　and　even　down　into　Manchuria　so　far　as　Moukden。　　It　is　fat　and　remarkably　tender　and　produces　fine　caviar。　Another　variety　in　the　lake　is　the　white　khayrus　or　trout；　which　in　the　migration　season；　contrary　to　the　customs　of　most　fish；　goes　down　stream　into　the　Yaga；　where　it　sometimes　fills　the　river　from　bank　to　bank　with　swarms　of　backs　breaking　the　surface　of　the　water。　　However；　this　fish　is　not　caught；　because　it　is　infested　with　worms　and　is　unfit　for　food。　　Even　cats　and　dogs　will　not　touch　it。　　This　is　a　very　interesting　phemonenon　and　was　being　investigated　and　studied　by　Professor　Dorogostaisky　of　the　University　at　Irkutsk　when　the　coming　of　the　Bolsheviki　interrupted　his　work。
  In　Khathyl　we　found　a　panic。　　The　Russian　detachment　of　Colonel　Kazagrandi；　after　having　twice　defeated　the　Bolsheviki　and　well　on　its　march　against　Irkutsk；　was　suddenly　rendered　impotent　and　scattered　through　internal　strife　among　the　officers。　　The　Bolsheviki　took　advantage　of　this　situation；　increased　their　forces　to　one　thousand　men　and　began　a　forward　movement　to　recover　what　they　had　lost；　while　the　remnants　of　Colonel　Kazagrandi's　detachment　were　retreating　on　Khathyl；　where　he　determined　to　make　his　last　stand　against　the　Reds。　　The　inhabitants　were　loading　their　movable　property　with　their　families　into　carts　and　scurrying　away　from　the　town；　leaving　all　their　cattle　and　horses　to　whomsoever　should　have　the　power　to　seize　and　hold　them。　　One　party　intended　to　hide　in　the　dense　larch　forest　and　the　mountain　ravines　not　far　away；　while　another　party　made　southward　for　Muren　Kure　and　Uliassutai。　　The　morning　following　our　arrival　the　Mongol　official　received　word　that　the　Red　troops　had　outflanked　Colonel　Kazagrandi's　men　and　were　approaching　Khathyl。　　The　Mongol　loaded　his　documents　and　his　servants　on　eleven　camels　and　left　his　yamen。　Our　Mongol　guides；　without　ever　saying　a　word　to　us；　secretly　slipped　off　with　him　and　left　us　without　camels。　　Our　situation　thus　became　desperate。　　We　hastened　to　the　colonists　who　had　not　yet　got　away　to　bargain　with　them　for　camels；　but　they　had　previously；　in　anticipation　of　trouble；　sent　their　herds　to　distant　Mongols　and　so　could　do　nothing　to　help　us。　　Then　we　betook　ourselves　to　Dr。　V。　G。　Gay；　a　veterinarian　living　in　the　town；　famous　throughout　Mongolia　for　his　battle　against　rinderpest。　　He　lived　here　with　his　family　and　after　being　forced　to　give　up　his　government　work　became　a　cattle　dealer。　　He　was　a　most　interesting　person；　clever　and　energetic；　and　the　one　who　had　been　appointed　under　the　Czarist　regime　to　purchase　all　the　meat　supplies　from　Mongolia　for　the　Russian　Army　on　the　German　Front。　　He　organized　a　huge　enterprise　in　Mongolia　but　when　the　Bolsheviki　seized　power　in　1917　he　transferred　his　allegiance　and　began　to　work　with　them。　Then　in　May；　1918；　when　the　Kolchak　forces　drove　the　Bolsheviki　out　of　Siberia；　he　was　arrested　and　taken　for　trial。　　However；　he　was　released　because　he　was　looked　upon　as　the　single　individual　to　organize　this　big　Mongolian　enterprise　and　he　handed　to　Admiral　Kolchak　all　the　supplies　of　meat　and　the　silver　formerly　received　from　the　Soviet　commissars。　　At　this　time　Gay　had　been　serving　as　the　chief　organizer　and　supplier　of　the　forces　of　Kazagrandi。
  When　we　went　to　him；　he　at　once　suggested　that　we　take　the　only　thing　left；　some　poor；　broken…down　horses　which　would　be　able　to　carry　us　the　sixty　miles　to　Muren　Kure；　where　we　could　secure　camels　to　return　to　Uliassutai。　　However；　even　these　were　being　kept　some　distance　from　the　town　so　that　we　should　have　to　spend　the　night　there；　the　night　in　which　the　Red　troops　were　expected　to　arrive。　　Also　we　were　much　astonished　to　see　that　Gay　was　remaining　there　with　his　family　right　up　to　the　time　of　the　expected　arrival　of　the　Reds。　　The　only　others　in　the　town　were　a　few　Cossacks；　who　had　been　ordered　to　stay　behind　to　watch　the　movements　of　the　Red　troops。　　The　night　came。　　My　friend　and　I　were　prepared　either　to　fight　or；　in　the　last　event；　to　commit　suicide。　　We　stayed　in　a　small　house　near　the　Yaga；　where　some　workmen　were　living　who　could　not；　and　did　not　feel　it　necessary　to；　leave。　　They　went　up　on　a　hill　from　which　they　could　scan　the　whole　country　up　to　the　range　from　behind　which　the　Red　detachment　must　appear。　　From　this　vantage　point　in　the　forest　one　of　the　workmen　came　running　in　and　cried　out：
  〃Woe；　woe　to　us！　　The　Reds　have　arrived。　　A　horseman　is　galloping　fast　through　the　forest　road。　　I　called　to　him　but　he　did　not　answer　me。　　It　was　dark　but　I　knew　the　horse　was　a　strange　one。〃
  〃Do　not　babble　so；〃　said　another　of　the　workmen。　　〃Some　Mongol　rode　by　and　you　jumped　to　the　conclusion　that　he　was　a　Red。〃
  〃No；　it　was　not　a　Mongol；〃　he　replied。　　〃The　horse　was　shod。　　I　heard　the　sound　of　iron　shoes　on　the　road。　　Woe　to　us！〃
  〃Well；〃　said　my　friend；　〃it　seems　that　this　is　our　finish。　　It　is　a　silly　way　for　it　all　to　end。〃
  He　was　right。　　Just　then　there　was　a　knock　at　our　door　but　it　was　that　of　the　Mongol　bringing　us　three　horses　for　our　escape。　Immediately　we　saddled　them；　packed　the　third　beast　with　our　tent　and　food　and　rode　off　at　once　to　take　leave　of　Gay。
  In　his　house　we　found　the　whole　war　council。　　Two　or　three　colonists　and　several　Cossacks　had　galloped　from　the　mountains　and　announced　that　the　Red　detachment　was　approaching　Khathyl　but　would　remain　for　the　night　in　the　forest；　where　they　were　building　campfires。　　In　fact；　through　the　house　windows　we　could　see　the　glare　of　the　fires。　　It　seemed　very　strange　that　the　enemy　should　await　the　morning　there　in　the　forest　when　they　were　right　on　the　village　they　wished　to　capture。
  An　armed　Cossack　entered　the　room　and　announced　that　two　armed　men　from　the　detachment　were　approaching。　　All　the　men　in　the　room　pricked　up　their　ears。　　Outside　were　heard　the　horses'　hoofs　followed　by　men's　voices　and　a　knock　at　the　door。
  〃Come　in；〃　said　Gay。
  Two　young　men　entered；　their　moustaches　and　beards　white　and　their　cheeks　blazing　red　from　the　cold。　　They　were　dressed　in　the　common　Siberian　overcoat　with　the　big　Astrakhan　caps；　but　they　had　no　weapons。　　Questions　began。　　It　developed　that　it　was　a　detachment　of　White　peasants　from　the　Irkutsk　and　Yakutsk　districts　who　had　been　fighting　with　the　Bolsheviki。　　They　had　been　defeated　somewhere　in　the　vicinity　of　Irkutsk　and　were　now　trying　to　make　a　junction　with　Kazagrandi。　　The　leader　of　this　band　was　a　socialist；　Captain　Vassilieff；　who　had　suffered　much　under　the　Czar　because　of　his　tenets。
  Our　troubles　had　vanished　but　we　decided　to　start　immediately　to　Muren　Kure；　as　we　had　gathered　our　information　and　were　in　a　hurry　to　make　our　report。　　We　started。　　On　the　road　we　overtook　three　Cossacks　who　were　going　out　to　bring　back　the　colonists　who　were　fleeing　to　the　so