nded to the subtle lure of nature and without an effort we
slipped into the care-free life of these children of the woods and
plains.

We slept at night under starlit skies in the clean, fresh forest;
the first gray light of dawn found us stealing through the
dew-soaked grass on the trail of elk, moose, boar or deer; and when
the sun was high, like animals, we spent the hours in sleep until the
lengthening shadows sent us out again for the evening hunt. In those
days New York seemed to be on another planet and very, very far
away. Happiness and a great peace was ours, such as those who dwell
in cities can never know.

In the midst of our second hunt the Mongols suddenly announced that
they must return to the Terelche Valley. We did not want to go, but
Tserin Dorchy was obdurate. With the limited Chinese at our command
we could not learn the reason, and at the base camp Lu, "the
interpreter," was wholly incoherent. "To-morrow, plenty Mongol
come," he said. "Riding pony, all same Peking. Two men catch hold,
both fall down." My wife was perfectly sure that he had lost his
mind, but by a flash of intuition I got his meaning. If was to be a
field meet. "Riding pony, all same Peking" meant races, and "two men
catch hold, both fall down" could be nothing else than wrestling. I
was very proud of myself, and Lu was immensely relieved.

Athletic contests are an integral part of the life of every Mongol
community, as I knew, and the members of our valley family were to
hold their annual games. At Urga, in June, the great meet which the
Living God blesses with his presence is an amazing spectacle,
reminiscent of the pageants of the ancient emperors. All the _elite_
of Mongolia gather on the banks of the Tola River, dressed in their
most splendid robes, and the archery, wrestling, and horse racing
are famous throughout the East.

This love of sport is one of the most attractive characteristics of
the Mongols. It is a common ground on which a foreigner immediately
has a point of contact. The Chinese, on the contrary, despise all
forms of physical exercise. They consider it "bad form," and they do
not understand any sport which calls for violent exertion. They
prefer to take a quiet walk, carrying their pet bird in a cage for
an airing; to play a game of cards; or, if they must travel, to loll
back in a sedan chair, with the curtains drawn and every breath of
air excluded.

The Terelche Valley meet was held on a flat strip of g