Ulan Taiga with Darkhat Ola lay behind us. We went forward veryrapidly because the Mongol plains began here, free from theimpediments of mountains. Everywhere splendid grazing landsstretched away. In places there were groves of larch. We crossedsome very rapid streams but they were not deep and they had hardbeds. After two days of travel over the Darkhat plain we beganmeeting Soyots driving their cattle rapidly toward the northwestinto Orgarkha Ola. They communicated to us very unpleasant news.

The Bolsheviki from the Irkutsk district had crossed the Mongolianborder, captured the Russian colony at Khathyl on the southernshore of Lake Kosogol and turned, off south toward Muren Kure, aRussian settlement beside a big Lamaite monastery sixty miles southof Kosogol. The Mongols told us there were no Russian troopsbetween Khathyl and Muren Kure, so we decided to pass between thesetwo points to reach Van Kure farther to the east. We took leave ofour Soyot guide and, after having sent three scouts in advance,moved forward. From the mountains around the Kosogol we admiredthe splendid view of this broad Alpine lake. It was set like asapphire in the old gold of the surrounding hills, chased withlovely bits of rich dark forestry. At night we approached Khathylwith great precaution and stopped on the shore of the river thatflows from Kosogol, the Yaga or Egingol. We found a Mongol whoagreed to transport us to the other bank of the frozen stream andto lead us by a safe road between Khathyl and Muren Kure.

Everywhere along the shore of the river were found large obo andsmall shrines to the demons of the stream.

"Why are there so many obo?" we asked the Mongol.

"It is the River of the Devil, dangerous and crafty," replied theMongol. "Two days ago a train of carts went through the ice andthree of them with five soldiers were lost."We started to cross. The surface of the river resembled a thickpiece of looking-glass, being clear and without snow. Our horseswalked very carefully but some fell and floundered before theycould regain their feet. We were leading them by the bridle. Withbowed heads and trembling all over they kept their frightened eyesever on the ice at their feet. I looked down and understood theirfear. Through the cover of one foot of transparent ice one couldclearly see the bottom of the river. Under the lighting of themoon all the stones, the holes and even some of the grasses weredistinctly visible, even though the depth was ten metres and more.

The Yaga rushed under the ice with a furious speed, swirling andmarking its course with long bands of foam and bubbles. Suddenly Ijumped and stopped as though fastened to the spot. Along thesurface of the river ran the boom of a cannon, followed by a secondand a third.

"Quicker, quicker!" cried our Mongol, waving us forward with hishand.

Another cannon boom and a crack ran right close to us. The horsesswung back on their haunches in protest, reared and fell, many ofthem striking their heads severely on the ice. In a second itopened up two feet wide, so that I could follow its jagged coursealong the surface. Immediately up out of the opening the waterspread over the ice with a rush.

"Hurry, hurry!" shouted the guide.

With great difficulty we forced our horses to jump over thiscleavage and to continue on further. They trembled and disobeyedand only the strong lash forced them to forget this panic of fearand go on.

When we were safe on the farther bank and well into the woods, ourMongol guide recounted to us how the river at times opens in thismysterious way and leaves great areas of clear water. All the menand animals on the river at such times must perish. The furiouscurrent of cold water will always carry them down under the ice.

At other times a crack has been known to pass right under a horseand, where he fell in with his front feet in the attempt to getback to the other side, the crack has closed up and ground his legsor feet right off.

The valley of Kosogol is the crater of an extinct volcano. Itsoutlines may be followed from the high west shore of the lake.

However, the Plutonic force still acts and, asserting the glory ofthe Devil, forces the Mongols to build obo and offer sacrifices athis shrines. We spent all the night and all the next day hurryingaway eastward to avoid a meeting with the Reds and seeking goodpasturage for our horses. At about nine o'clock in the evening afire shone out of the distance. My friend and I made toward itwith the feeling that it was surely a Mongol yurta beside which wecould camp in............