we　overtook　three　Cossacks　who　were　going　out　to　bring　back　the　colonists　who　were　fleeing　to　the　south。　　We　joined　them　and；　dismounting；　we　all　led　our　horses　over　the　ice。　　The　Yaga　was　mad。　　The　subterranean　forces　produced　underneath　the　ice　great　heaving　waves　which　with　a　swirling　roar　threw　up　and　tore　loose　great　sections　of　ice；　breaking　them　into　small　blocks　and　sucking　them　under　the　unbroken　downstream　field。　　Cracks　ran　like　snakes　over　the　surface　in　different　directions。　　One　of　the　Cossacks　fell　into　one　of　these　but　we　had　just　time　to　save　him。　　He　was　forced　by　his　ducking　in　such　extreme　cold　to　turn　back　to　Khathyl。　　Our　horses　slipped　about　and　fell　several　times。　　Men　and　animals　felt　the　presence　of　death　which　hovered　over　them　and　momentarily　threatened　them　with　destruction。　　At　last　we　made　the　farther　bank　and　continued　southward　down　the　valley；　glad　to　have　left　the　geological　and　figurative　volcanoes　behind　us。　　Ten　miles　farther　on　we　came　up　with　the　first　party　of　refugees。　　They　had　spread　a　big　tent　and　made　a　fire　inside；　filling　it　with　warmth　and　smoke。　　Their　camp　was　made　beside　the　establishment　of　a　large　Chinese　trading　house；　where　the　owners　refused　to　let　the　colonists　come　into　their　amply　spacious　buildings；　even　though　there　were　children；　women　and　invalids　among　the　refugees。　　We　spent　but　half　an　hour　here。　　The　road　as　we　continued　was　easy；　save　in　places　where　the　snow　lay　deep。　　We　crossed　the　fairly　high　divide　between　the　Egingol　and　Muren。　　Near　the　pass　one　very　unexpected　event　occurred　to　us。　　We　crossed　the　mouth　of　a　fairly　wide　valley　whose　upper　end　was　covered　with　a　dense　wood。　　Near　this　wood　we　noticed　two　horsemen；　evidently　watching　us。　　Their　manner　of　sitting　in　their　saddles　and　the　character　of　their　horses　told　us　that　they　were　not　Mongols。　　We　began　shouting　and　waving　to　them；　but　they　did　not　answer。　　Out　of　the　wood　emerged　a　third　and　stopped　to　look　at　us。　We　decided　to　interview　them　and；　whipping　up　our　horses；　galloped　toward　them。　　When　we　were　about　one　thousand　yards　from　them；　they　slipped　from　their　saddles　and　opened　on　us　with　a　running　fire。　Fortunately　we　rode　a　little　apart　and　thus　made　a　poor　target　for　them。　　We　jumped　off　our　horses；　dropped　prone　on　the　ground　and　prepared　to　fight。　　However；　we　did　not　fire　because　we　thought　it　might　be　a　mistake　on　their　part；　thinking　that　we　were　Reds。　　They　shortly　made　off。　　Their　shots　from　the　European　rifles　had　given　us　further　proof　that　they　were　not　Mongols。　　We　waited　until　they　had　disappeared　into　the　woods　and　then　went　forward　to　investigate　their　tracks；　which　we　found　were　those　of　shod　horses；　clearly　corroborating　the　earlier　evidence　that　they　were　not　Mongols。　　Who　could　they　have　been？　　We　never　found　out；　yet　what　a　different　relationship　they　might　have　borne　to　our　lives；　had　their　shots　been　true！
  After　we　had　passed　over　the　divide；　we　met　the　Russian　colonist　D。　A。　Teternikoff　from　Muren　Kure；　who　invited　us　to　stay　in　his　house　and　promised　to　secure　camels　for　us　from　the　Lamas。　　The　cold　was　intense　and　heightened　by　a　piercing　wind。　　During　the　day　we　froze　to　the　bone　but　at　night　thawed　and　warmed　up　nicely　by　our　tent　stove。　　After　two　days　we　entered　the　valley　of　Muren　and　from　afar　made　out　the　square　of　the　Kure　with　its　Chinese　roofs　and　large　red　temples。　　Nearby　was　a　second　square；　the　Chinese　and　Russian　settlement。　　Two　hours　more　brought　us　to　the　house　of　our　hospitable　companion　and　his　attractive　young　wife　who　feasted　us　with　a　wonderful　luncheon　of　tasty　dishes。　　We　spent　five　days　at　Muren　waiting　for　the　camels　to　be　engaged。　　During　this　time　many　refugees　arrived　from　Khathyl　because　Colonel　Kazagrandi　was　gradually　falling　back　upon　the　town。　　Among　others　there　were　two　Colonels；　Plavako　and　Maklakoff；　who　had　caused　the　disruption　of　the　Kazagrandi　force。　　No　sooner　had　the　refugees　appeared　in　Muren　Kure　than　the　Mongolian　officials　announced　that　the　Chinese　authorities　had　ordered　them　to　drive　out　all　Russian　refugees。
  〃Where　can　we　go　now　in　winter　with　women　and　children　and　no　homes　of　our　own？〃　asked　the　distraught　refugees。
  〃That　is　of　no　moment　to　us；〃　answered　the　Mongolian　officials。　〃The　Chinese　authorities　are　angry　and　have　ordered　us　to　drive　you　away。　　We　cannot　help　you　at　all。〃
  The　refugees　had　to　leave　Muren　Kure　and　so　erected　their　tents　in　the　open　not　far　away。　　Plavako　and　Maklakoff　bought　horses　and　started　out　for　Van　Kure。　　Long　afterwards　I　learned　that　both　had　been　killed　by　the　Chinese　along　the　road。
  We　secured　three　camels　and　started　out　with　a　large　group　of　Chinese　merchants　and　Russian　refugees　to　make　Uliassutai；　preserving　the　warmest　recollections　of　our　courteous　hosts；　T。　V。　and　D。　A。　Teternikoff。　　For　the　trip　we　had　to　pay　for　our　camels　the　very　high　price　of　33　lan　of　the　silver　bullion　which　had　been　supplied　us　by　an　American　firm　in　Uliassutai；　the　equivalent　roughly　of　2。7　pounds　of　the　white　metal。
  CHAPTER　XXIV
  A　BLOODY　CHASTISEMENT
  Before　long　we　struck　the　road　which　we　had　travelled　coming　north　and　saw　again　the　kindly　rows　of　chopped　down　telegraph　poles　which　had　once　so　warmly　protected　us。　　Over　the　timbered　hillocks　north　of　the　valley　of　Tisingol　we　wended　just　as　it　was　growing　dark。　We　decided　to　stay　in　Bobroff's　house　and　our　companions　thought　to　seek　the　hospitality　of　Kanine　in　the　telegraph　station。　　At　the　station　gate　we　found　a　soldier　with　a　rifle；　who　questioned　us　as　to　who　we　were　and　whence　we　had　come　and；　being　apparently　satisfied；　whistled　out　a　young　officer　from　the　house。
  〃Lieutenant　Ivanoff；〃　he　introduced　himself。　　〃I　am　staying　here　with　my　detachment　of　White　Partisans。〃
  He　had　come　from　near　Irkutsk　with　his　following　of　ten　men　and　had　formed　a　connection　with　Lieutenant…Colonel　Michailoff　at　Uliassutai；　who　commanded　him　to　take　possession　of　this　blockhouse。
  〃Enter；　please；〃　he　said　hospitably。
  I　explained　to　him　that　I　wanted　to　stay　with　Bobroff；　whereat　he　made　a　despairing　gesture　with　his　hand　and　said：
  〃Don't　trouble　yourself。　　The　Bobroffs　are　killed　and　their　house　burned。〃
  I　could　not　keep　back　a　cry　of　horror。
  The　Lieutenant　continued：　　〃Kanine　and　the　Pouzikoffs　killed　them；　pillaged　the　place　and　afterwards　burned　the　house　with　their　dead　bodies　in　it。　　Do　you　want　to　see　it？〃
  My　friend　and　I　went　with　the　Lieutenant　and　looked　over　the　ominous　site。　　Blackened　uprights　stood　among　charred　beams　and　planks　while　crockery　and　iron　pots　and　pans　were　scattered　all　around。　　A　little　to　one　side　under　some　felt　lay　the　remains　of　the　four　unfortunate　individuals。　　The　Lieutenant　first　spoke：
  〃I　reported　the　case　to　Uliassutai　and　received　word　back　that　the　relatives　of　the　deceased　would　come　with　two　officers；　who　would　investigate　the　affair。　　That　is　why　I　cannot　bury　the　bodies。〃
  〃How　did　it　happen？〃　we　asked；　oppressed　by　the　sad　picture。
  〃It　was　like　this；〃　he　began。　　〃I　was　approaching　Tisingol　at　night　with　my　ten　soldiers。　　Fearing　that　there　might　be　Reds　here；　we　sneaked　up　to　the　station　and　looked　into　the　windows。　　We　saw　Pouzikoff；　Kanine　and　the　short…haired　girl；　looking　over　and　dividing　clothes　and　other　things　and　weighing　lumps　of　silver。　　I　did　not　at　once　grasp　the　significance　of　all　this；　but；　feeling　the　need　for　continued　caution；　ordered　one　of　my　soldiers　to　climb　the　fence　and　open　the　gate。　　We　rushed　into　the　court。　　The　first　to　run　from　the　house　was　Kanine's　wife；　who　threw　up　her　hands　and　shrieked　in　fear：　　〃I　knew　that　misfortune　would　come　of　all　this！〃　and　then　fainted。　　One　of　the　men　ran　out　of　a　side　door　to　a　shed　in　the　yard　and　there　tried　to　get　over　the　fence。　　I　had　not　noticed　him　but　one　of　my　soldiers　caught　him。　　We　were　met　at　the　door　by　Kanine；　who　was　white　and　trembling。　　I　realized　that　something　important　had　taken　place；　placed　them　all　under　arrest；　ordered　the　men　tied　and　placed　a　close　guard。　　All　my　questions　were　met　with　silence　save　by　Madame　Kanine　who　cried：　　'Pity；　pity　for　the　children！　　They　are　innocent！'　as　she　dropped　on　her　knees　and　stretched　out　her　hands　in　supplication　to　us。　　The　short…　haired　girl　laughed　out　of　impudent　eyes　and　blew　a　puff　of　smoke　into　my　face。　　I　was　forced　to　threaten　them　and　said：
  〃'I　know　that　you　have　committed　some　crime；　but　you　do　not　want　to　confess。　　If　you　do　not；　I　shall　shoot　the　men　and　take　the　women　to　Uliassutai　to　try　them　there。'
  〃I　spoke　with　definiteness　of　voice　and　intention；　for　they　roused　my　deepest　anger。　　Quite　to　my　surprise　the　short…haired　girl　first　began　to　speak。
  〃'I　want　to　tell　you　about　everything；'　she　said。
  〃I　ordered　ink；　paper　and　pen　brought　me。　　My　soldiers　were　the　witnesses。　　Then　I　prepared　the　protocol　of　the　confession　of　Pouzikoff's　wife。　　This　was　her　dark　and　bloody　tale。
  〃'My　husband　and　I　are　Bolshevik　commissars　and　we　have　been　sent　to　find　out　how　many　White　officers　are　hidden　in　Mongolia。　　But　the　old　fellow　Bobroff　knew　us。　　We　wanted　to　go　away　but　Kanine　kept　us；　telling　us　that　Bobroff　was　rich　and　that　he　had　for　a　long　time　wanted　to　kill　him　and　pillage　his　place。　　We　agreed　to　join　him。　　We　decoye