he　had　for　a　long　time　wanted　to　kill　him　and　pillage　his　place。　　We　agreed　to　join　him。　　We　decoyed　the　young　Bobroff　to　come　and　play　cards　with　us。　　When　he　was　going　home　my　husband　stole　along　behind　and　shot　him。　　Afterwards　we　all　went　to　Bobroff's　place。　　I　climbed　upon　the　fence　and　threw　some　poisoned　meat　to　the　dogs；　who　were　dead　in　a　few　minutes。　　Then　we　all　climbed　over。　　The　first　person　to　emerge　from　the　house　was　Bobroff's　wife。　　Pouzikoff；　who　was　hidden　behind　the　door；　killed　her　with　his　ax。　　The　old　fellow　we　killed　with　a　blow　of　the　ax　as　he　slept。　　The　little　girl　ran　out　into　the　room　as　she　heard　the　noise　and　Kanine　shot　her　in　the　head　with　buckshot。　　Afterwards　we　looted　the　house　and　burned　it；　even　destroying　the　horses　and　cattle。　　Later　all　would　have　been　completely　burned；　so　that　no　traces　remained；　but　you　suddenly　arrived　and　these　stupid　fellows　at　once　betrayed　us。'
  〃It　was　a　dastardly　affair；〃　continued　the　Lieutenant；　as　we　returned　to　the　station。　　〃The　hair　raised　on　my　head　as　I　listened　to　the　calm　description　of　this　young　woman；　hardly　more　than　a　girl。　　Only　then　did　I　fully　realize　what　depravity　Bolshevism　had　brought　into　the　world；　crushing　out　faith；　fear　of　God　and　conscience。　　Only　then　did　I　understand　that　all　honest　people　must　fight　without　compromise　against　this　most　dangerous　enemy　of　mankind；　so　long　as　life　and　strength　endure。〃
  As　we　walked　I　noticed　at　the　side　of　the　road　a　black　spot。　　It　attracted　and　fixed　my　attention。
  〃What　is　that？〃　I　asked；　pointing　to　the　spot。
  〃It　is　the　murderer　Pouzikoff　whom　I　shot；〃　answered　the　Lieutenant。　　〃I　would　have　shot　both　Kanine　and　the　wife　of　Pouzikoff　but　I　was　sorry　for　Kanine's　wife　and　children　and　I　haven't　learned　the　lesson　of　shooting　women。　　Now　I　shall　send　them　along　with　you　under　the　surveillance　of　my　soldiers　to　Uliassutai。　　The　same　result　will　come；　for　the　Mongols　who　try　them　for　the　murder　will　surely　kill　them。〃
  This　is　what　happened　at　Tisingol；　on　whose　shores　the　will…o'…the…　wisp　flits　over　the　marshy　pools　and　near　which　runs　the　cleavage　of　over　two　hundred　miles　that　the　last　earthquake　left　in　the　surface　of　the　land。　　Maybe　it　was　out　of　this　cleavage　that　Pouzikoff；　Kanine　and　the　others　who　have　sought　to　infect　the　whole　world　with　horror　and　crime　made　their　appearance　from　the　land　of　the　inferno。　　One　of　Lieutenant　Ivanoff's　soldiers；　who　was　always　praying　and　pale；　called　them　all　〃the　servants　of　Satan。〃
  Our　trip　from　Tisingol　to　Uliassutai　in　the　company　of　these　criminals　was　very　unpleasant。　　My　friend　and　I　entirely　lost　our　usual　strength　of　spirit　and　healthy　frame　of　mind。　　Kanine　persistently　brooded　and　thought　while　the　impudent　woman　laughed；　smoked　and　joked　with　the　soldiers　and　several　of　our　companions。　At　last　we　crossed　the　Jagisstai　and　in　a　few　hours　descried　at　first　the　fortress　and　then　the　low　adobe　houses　huddled　on　the　plain；　which　we　knew　to　be　Uliassutai。
  CHAPTER　XXV
  HARASSING　DAYS
  Once　more　we　found　ourselves　in　the　whirl　of　events。　　During　our　fortnight　away　a　great　deal　had　happened　here。　　The　Chinese　Commissioner　Wang　Tsao…tsun　had　sent　eleven　envoys　to　Urga　but　none　had　returned。　　The　situation　in　Mongolia　remained　far　from　clear。　The　Russian　detachment　had　been　increased　by　the　arrival　of　new　colonists　and　secretly　continued　its　illegal　existence；　although　the　Chinese　knew　about　it　through　their　omnipresent　system　of　spies。　　In　the　town　no　Russian　or　foreign　citizens　left　their　houses　and　all　remained　armed　and　ready　to　act。　　At　night　armed　sentinels　stood　guard　in　all　their　court…yards。　　It　was　the　Chinese　who　induced　such　precautions。　　By　order　of　their　Commissioner　all　the　Chinese　merchants　with　stocks　of　rifles　armed　their　staffs　and　handed　over　any　surplus　guns　to　the　officials；　who　with　these　formed　and　equipped　a　force　of　two　hundred　coolies　into　a　special　garrison　of　gamins。　　Then　they　took　possession　of　the　Mongolian　arsenal　and　distributed　these　additional　guns　among　the　Chinese　vegetable　farmers　in　the　nagan　hushun；　where　there　was　always　a　floating　population　of　the　lowest　grade　of　transient　Chinese　laborers。　　This　trash　of　China　now　felt　themselves　strong；　gathered　together　in　excited　discussions　and　evidently　were　preparing　for　some　outburst　of　aggression。　　At　night　the　coolies　transported　many　boxes　of　cartridges　from　the　Chinese　shops　to　the　nagan　hushun　and　the　behaviour　of　the　Chinese　mob　became　unbearably　audacious。　These　coolies　and　gamins　impertinently　stopped　and　searched　people　right　on　the　streets　and　sought　to　provoke　fights　that　would　allow　them　to　take　anything　they　wanted。　　Through　secret　news　we　received　from　certain　Chinese　quarters　we　learned　that　the　Chinese　were　preparing　a　pogrom　for　all　the　Russians　and　Mongols　in　Uliassutai。　We　fully　realized　that　it　was　only　necessary　to　fire　one　single　house　at　the　right　part　of　the　town　and　the　entire　settlement　of　wooden　buildings　would　go　up　in　flames。　　The　whole　population　prepared　to　defend　themselves；　increased　the　sentinels　in　the　compounds；　appointed　leaders　for　certain　sections　of　the　town；　organized　a　special　fire　brigade　and　prepared　horses；　carts　and　food　for　a　hasty　flight。　　The　situation　became　worse　when　news　arrived　from　Kobdo　that　the　Chinese　there　had　made　a　pogrom；　killing　some　of　the　inhabitants　and　burning　the　whole　town　after　a　wild　looting　orgy。　　Most　of　the　people　got　away　to　the　forests　on　the　mountains　but　it　was　at　night　and　consequently　without　warm　clothes　and　without　food。　　During　the　following　days　these　mountains　around　Kobdo　heard　many　cries　of　misfortune；　woe　and　death。　　The　severe　cold　and　hunger　killed　off　the　women　and　children　out　under　the　open　sky　of　the　Mongolian　winter。　　This　news　was　soon　known　to　the　Chinese。　　They　laughed　in　mockery　and　soon　organized　a　big　meeting　at　the　nagan　hushun　to　discuss　letting　the　mob　and　gamins　loose　on　the　town。
  A　young　Chinese；　the　son　of　a　cook　of　one　of　the　colonists；　revealed　this　news。　　We　immediately　decided　to　make　an　investigation。　　A　Russian　officer　and　my　friend　joined　me　with　this　young　Chinese　as　a　guide　for　a　trip　to　the　outskirts　of　the　town。　We　feigned　simply　a　stroll　but　were　stopped　by　the　Chinese　sentinel　on　the　side　of　the　city　toward　the　nagan　hushun　with　an　impertinent　command　that　no　one　was　allowed　to　leave　the　town。　　As　we　spoke　with　him；　I　noticed　that　between　the　town　and　the　nagan　hushun　Chinese　guards　were　stationed　all　along　the　way　and　that　streams　of　Chinese　were　moving　in　that　direction。　　We　saw　at　once　it　was　impossible　to　reach　the　meeting　from　this　approach；　so　we　chose　another　route。　　We　left　the　city　from　the　eastern　side　and　passed　along　by　the　camp　of　the　Mongolians　who　had　been　reduced　to　beggary　by　the　Chinese　impositions。　　There　also　they　were　evidently　anxiously　awaiting　the　turn　of　events；　for；　in　spite　of　the　lateness　of　the　hour；　none　had　gone　to　sleep。　　We　slipped　out　on　the　ice　and　worked　around　by　the　river　to　the　nagan　hushun。　　As　we　passed　free　of　the　city　we　began　to　sneak　cautiously　along；　taking　advantage　of　every　bit　of　cover。　　We　were　armed　with　revolvers　and　hand　grenades　and　knew　that　a　small　detachment　had　been　prepared　in　the　town　to　come　to　our　aid；　if　we　should　be　in　danger。　　First　the　young　Chinese　stole　forward　with　my　friend　following　him　like　a　shadow；　constantly　reminding　him　that　he　would　strangle　him　like　a　mouse　if　he　made　one　move　to　betray　us。　　I　fear　the　young　guide　did　not　greatly　enjoy　the　trip　with　my　gigantic　friend　puffing　all　too　loudly　with　the　unusual　exertions。　　At　last　the　fences　of　nagan　hushun　were　in　sight　and　nothing　between　us　and　them　save　the　open　plain；　where　our　group　would　have　been　easily　spotted；　so　that　we　decided　to　crawl　up　one　by　one；　save　that　the　Chinese　was　retained　in　the　society　of　my　trusted　friend。　　Fortunately　there　were　many　heaps　of　frozen　manure　on　the　plain；　which　we　made　use　of　as　cover　to　lead　us　right　up　to　our　objective　point；　the　fence　of　the　enclosures。　　In　the　shadow　of　this　we　slunk　along　to　the　courtyard　where　the　voices　of　the　excited　crowd　beckoned　us。　　As　we　took　good　vantage　points　in　the　darkness　for　listening　and　making　observations；　we　remarked　two　extraordinary　things　in　our　immediate　neighborhood。
  Another　invisible　guest　was　present　with　us　at　the　Chinese　gathering。　　He　lay　on　the　ground　with　his　head　in　a　hole　dug　by　the　dogs　under　the　fence。　　He　was　perfectly　still　and　evidently　had　not　heard　our　advance。　　Nearby　in　a　ditch　lay　a　white　horse　with　his　nose　muzzled　and　a　little　further　away　stood　another　saddled　horse　tied　to　a　fence。
  In　the　courtyard　there　was　a　great　hubbub。　　About　two　thousand　men　were　shouting；　arguing　and　flourishing　their　arms　about　in　wild　gesticulations。　　Nearly　all　were　armed　with　rifles；　revolvers；　swords　and　axes。　　In　among　the　crowd　circulated　the　gamins；　constantly　talking；　handing　out　papers；　explaining　and　assuring。　Finally　a　big；　broad…shouldered　Chinese　mounted　the　well　combing；　waved　his　rifle　about　over　his　head　and　opened　a　tirade　in　strong；　sharp　tones。
  〃He　is　assuring　the　people；〃　said　our　interpreter；　〃that　they　must　do　here　what　the　Chinese　have　done　in　Kobdo　and　must　secure　from　the　Commissioner　the　as