CHAPTER XXVI

　　We arrived at Narabanchi late at night on the third day out. As wewere approaching, we noticed several riders who, as soon as theyhad seen us, galloped¹ quickly back to the monastery². For some timewe looked for the camp of the Russian detachment without findingit. The Mongols led us into the monastery, where the Hutuktuimmediately received me. In his yurta sat Chultun Beyli. There hepresented me with hatyks and said to me: "The very God has sentyou here to us in this difficult moment."It seems Domojiroff had arrested both the Presidents of theChambers of Commerce and had threatened to shoot Prince Chultun.

Both Domojiroff and Hun Boldon had no documents legalizing theiractivities. Chultun Beyli was preparing to fight with them.

I asked them to take me to Domojiroff. Through the dark I saw fourbig yurtas and two Mongol sentinels with Russian rifles. Weentered the Russian "Noyon's" tent. A very strange picture waspresented to our eyes. In the middle of the yurta the brazier wasburning. In the usual place for the altar stood a throne, on whichthe tall, thin, grey-haired Colonel Domojiroff was seated. He wasonly in his undergarments and stockings, was evidently a littledrunk and was telling stories. Around the brazier lay twelve youngmen in various picturesque³ poses. My officer companion reported toDomojiroff about the events in Uliassutai and during theconversation I asked Domojiroff where his detachment was encamped.

He laughed and answered, with a sweep of his hand: "This is mydetachment." I pointed⁴ out to him that the form of his orders tous in Uliassutai had led us to believe that he must have a largecompany with him. Then I informed him that Lt.-Colonel Michailoffwas preparing to cross swords with the Bolshevik force approachingUliassutai.

"What?" he exclaimed with fear and confusion, "the Reds?"We spent the night in his yurta and, when I was ready to lie down,my officer whispered to me:

"Be sure to keep your revolver handy," to which I laughed and said:

"But we are in the center of a White detachment and therefore inperfect safety!""Uh-huh!" answered my officer and finished the response with oneeye closed.

The next day I invited Domojiroff to walk with me over the plain,when I talked very frankly⁵ with him about what had been happening.

He and Hun Boldon had received orders from Baron⁶ Ungern simply toget into touch with General Bakitch, but instead they beganpillaging Chinese firms along the route and he had made up his mindto become a great conqueror⁷. On the way he had run across some ofthe officers who deserted⁸ Colonel Kazagrandi and formed his presentband. I succeeded in persuading Domojiroff to arrange matterspeacefully with Chultun Beyli and not to violate the treaty. Heimmediately went ahead to the monastery. As I returned, I met atall Mongol with a ferocious⁹ face, dressed in a blue silkoutercoat--it was Hun Boldon. He introduced himself and spoke¹⁰ withme in Russian. I had only time to take off my coat in the tent ofDomojiroff when a Mongol came running to invite me to the yurta ofHun Boldon. The Prince lived just beside me in a splendid blueyurta. Knowing the Mongolian custom, I jumped into the saddle androde the ten paces to his door. Hun Boldon received me withcoldness and pride.

"Who is he?" he inquired of the interpreter, pointing to me withhis finger.

I understood his desire to offend me and I answered in the samemanner, thrusting out my finger toward him and turning to theinterpreter with the same question in a slightly more unpleasanttone:

"Who is he? High Prince and warrior¹¹ or shepherd and brute¹²?"Boldon at once became confused and, with trembling voice andagitation in his whole manner, blurted¹³ out to me that he would notallow me to interfere¹⁴ in his affairs and would shoot every man whodared to run counter to his orders. He pounded on the low tablewith his fist and then rose up and drew his revolver. But I wasmuch traveled among the nomads¹⁵ and had studied them thoroughly--Princes, Lamas, shepherds and brigands¹⁶. I grasped my whip and,striking it on the table with all my strength, I said to theinterpreter:

"Tell him that he has the honor to speak with neither Mongol norRussian but with a foreigner, a citizen of a great and free state.

Tell him he must first learn to be a man and then he can visit meand we can talk together."I turned and went out. Ten minutes later Hun Boldon entered myyurta and offered his apologies. I persuaded him to parley¹⁷ withChultun Beyli and not to offend the free Mongol people with hisactivities. That very night all was arranged. Hun Boldondismissed his Mongols and left for Kobdo, while Domojiroff with hisband started for Jassaktu Khan to arrange for the mobilization ofthe Mongols there. With the consent of Chultun Beyli he wrote toWang Tsao-tsun a demand to disarm¹⁸ his guard, as all of the Chinesetroops in Urga had been so treated; but this letter arrived afterWang had bought camels to replace the stolen horses and was on hisway to the border. Later Lt.-Colonel Michailoff sent a detachmentof fifty men under the command of Lieutenant¹⁹ Strigine to overhaulWang and receive their arms.

1 galloped   

（使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事

参考例句：

• Jo galloped across the field towards him. 乔骑马穿过田野向他奔去。
• The children galloped home as soon as the class was over. 孩子们一下课便飞奔回家了。

2 monastery   

n.修道院，僧院，寺院

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• She was appointed the superior of the monastery two years ago.两年前她被任命为这个修道院的院长。

3 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

5 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

6 baron   

n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王

参考例句：

• Henry Ford was an automobile baron.亨利·福特是一位汽车业巨头。
• The baron lived in a strong castle.男爵住在一座坚固的城堡中。

7 conqueror   

n.征服者，胜利者

参考例句：

• We shall never yield to a conqueror.我们永远不会向征服者低头。
• They abandoned the city to the conqueror.他们把那个城市丢弃给征服者。

8 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

9 ferocious   

adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的

参考例句：

• The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
• The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

12 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

13 blurted   

v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。
• He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

15 nomads   

n.游牧部落的一员( nomad的名词复数 )；流浪者；游牧生活；流浪生活

参考例句：

• For ten years she dwelled among the nomads of North America. 她在北美游牧民中生活了十年。
• Nomads have inhabited this region for thousands of years. 游牧民族在这地区居住已有数千年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 brigands   

n.土匪，强盗( brigand的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They say there are brigands hiding along the way. 他们说沿路隐藏着土匪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The brigands demanded tribute from passing vehicles. 土匪向过往车辆勒索钱财。 来自辞典例句

17 parley   

n.谈判

参考例句：

• The governor was forced to parley with the rebels.州长被迫与反叛者谈判。
• The general held a parley with the enemy about exchanging prisoners.将军与敌人谈判交换战俘事宜。

18 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

19 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。