友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
飞读中文网 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

beasts, men and gods-第34章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



end 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 assurance of an order to his guard not to prevent the carrying out of their plans。  Also that the Chinese Commissioner must demand from the Russians all their weapons。 'Then we shall take vengeance on the Russians for their Blagoveschensk crime when they drowned three thousand Chinese in 1900。  You remain here while I go to the Commissioner and talk with him。'〃

He jumped down from the well and quickly made his way to the gate toward the town。  At once I saw the man who was lying with his head under the fence draw back out of his hole; take his white horse from the ditch and then run over to untie the other horse and lead them both back to our side; which was away from the city。  He left the second horse there and hid himself around the corner of the hushun。  The spokesman went out of the gate and; seeing his horse over on the other side of the enclosure; slung his rifle across his back and started for his mount。  He had gone about half way when the stranger behind the corner of the fence suddenly galloped out and in a flash literally swung the man clear from the ground up across the pommel of his saddle; where we saw him tie the mouth of the semi…strangled Chinese with a cloth and dash off with him toward the west away from the town。

〃Who do you suppose he is?〃 I asked of my friend; who answered up at once:  〃It must be Tushegoun Lama。 。 。 。〃

His whole appearance did strongly remind me of this mysterious Lama avenger and his manner of addressing himself to his enemy was a strict replica of that of Tushegoun。  Late in the night we learned that some time after their orator had gone to seek the Commissioner's cooperation in their venture; his head had been flung over the fence into the midst of the waiting audience and that eight gamins had disappeared on their way from the hushun to the town without leaving trace or trail。  This event terrorized the Chinese mob and calmed their heated spirits。

The next day we received very unexpected aid。  A young Mongol galloped in from Urga; his overcoat torn; his hair all dishevelled and fallen to his shoulders and a revolver prominent beneath his girdle。  Proceeding directly to the market where the Mongols are always gathered; without leaving his saddle he cried out:

〃Urga is captured by our Mongols and Chiang Chun Baron Ungern! Bogdo Hutuktu is once more our Khan!  Mongols; kill the Chinese and pillage their shops!  Our patience is exhausted!〃

Through the crowd rose the roar of excitement。  The rider was surrounded with a mob of insistent questioners。  The old Mongol Sait; Chultun Beyli; who had been dismissed by the Chinese; was at once informed of this news and asked to have the messenger brought to him。  After questioning the man he arrested him for inciting the people to riot; but he refused to turn him over to the Chinese authorities。  I was personally with the Sait at the time and heard his decision in the matter。  When the Chinese Commissioner; Wang Tsao…tsun; threatened the Sait for disobedience to his authority; the old man simply fingered his rosary and said:

〃I believe the story of this Mongol in its every word and I apprehend that you and I shall soon have to reverse our relationship。〃

I felt that Wang Tsao…tsun also accepted the correctness of the Mongol's story; because he did not insist further。  From this moment the Chinese disappeared from the streets of Uliassutai as though they never had been; and synchronously the patrols of the Russian officers and of our foreign colony took their places。  The panic among the Chinese was heightened by the receipt of a letter containing the news that the Mongols and Altai Tartars under the leadership of the Tartar officer Kaigorodoff pursued the Chinese who were making off with their booty from the sack of Kobdo and overtook and annihilated them on the borders of Sinkiang。  Another part of the letter told how General Bakitch and the six thousand men who had been interned with him by the Chinese authorities on the River Amyl had received arms and started to join with Ataman Annenkoff; who had been interned in K
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!