ew
reconnaissance along the shore of Lake Kosogol, whence the Mongol Sait
expected the new invasion of Red troops.

CHAPTER XX

THE DEMON OF JAGISSTAI

Our small group consisting of four mounted and one pack camel moved
northward along the valley of the River Boyagol in the direction of the
Tarbagatai Mountains. The road was rocky and covered deep with snow. Our
camels walked very carefully, sniffing out the way as our guide shouted
the "Ok! Ok!" of the camel drivers to urge them on. We left behind us
the fortress and Chinese dugun, swung round the shoulder of a ridge
and, after fording several times an open stream, began the ascent of the
mountain. The scramble was hard and dangerous. Our camels picked their
way most cautiously, moving their ears constantly, as is their habit in
such stress. The trail zigzagged into mountain ravines, passed over the
tops of ridges, slipped back down again into shallower valleys but ever
made higher and higher altitudes. At one place under the grey clouds
that tipped the ridges we saw away up on the wide expanse of snow some
black spots.

"Those are the obo, the sacred signs and altars for the bad demons
watching this pass," explained the guide. "This pass is called
Jagisstai. Many very old tales about it have been kept alive, ancient as
these mountains themselves."

We encouraged him to tell us some of them.

The Mongol, rocking on his camel and looking carefully all around him,
began his tale.

"It was long ago, very long ago. . . . The grandson of the great Jenghiz
Khan sat on the throne of China and ruled all Asia. The Chinese killed
their Khan and wanted to exterminate all his family but a holy old Lama
slipped the wife and little son out of the palace and carried them off
on swift camels beyond the Great Wall, where they sank into our native
plains. The Chinese made a long search for the trails of our refugees
and at last found where they had gone. They despatched a strong
detachment on fleet horses to capture them. Sometimes the Chinese nearly
came up with the fleeing heir of our Khan but the Lama called down from
Heaven a deep snow, through which the camels could pass while the horses
were inextricably held. This Lama was from a distant monastery. We shall
pass this hospice of Jahantsi Kure. In order to reach it one must cross
over the Jagisstai. And it was just here the old Lama suddenly became
ill, rocked in his saddle and fell dead. Ta Sin Lo, the widow of the
G