forces, and left Temudjin in the enemy's country. The latter was
thereupon forced to retire also. He went to the river Sali or Sari.
Gugsu Seirak, the Naiman general, went in pursuit, defeated Wang Khan
in his own territory, and captured much booty. Wang Khan was hard
pressed, and was perhaps only saved by the timely succor sent by
Temudjin, which drove away the Naimans. Once more did the latter
abandon the captured booty to his treacherous ally. After the victory,
he held a Kuriltai, on the plains of Sari or Sali, to which Wang Khan
was invited, and at which it was resolved to renew the war against the
Taidshuts in the following year. The latter were in alliance with the
Merkits, whose chief, Tukta, had sent a contingent, commanded by his
brothers, to their help. The two friends attacked them on the banks of
the river Onon. Raschid says in the country of Onon, _i.e._, the great
desert of Mongolia. The confederates were beaten. Terkutai Kiriltuk
and Kuduhar, the two leaders of the Taidshuts, were pursued and
overtaken at Lengut Nuramen, where they were both killed. Another of
their leaders, with the two chiefs of the Merkits, fled to
Burghudshin, _i.e._, Burgusin on Lake Baikal, while the fourth found
refuge with the Naimans.

This victory aroused the jealousy of certain tribes which were as yet
independent of Temudjin, namely, the Kunkurats, Durbans, Jelairs,
Katakins, Saldjuts, and Taidshuts, and they formed a confederacy to
put him down. We are told that their chiefs met at a place called Aru
Bulak, and sacrificed a horse, a bull, a ram, a dog, and a stag, and
striking with their swords, swore thus: "Heaven and earth, hear our
oaths, we swear by the blood of these animals, which are the chiefs of
their kind, that we wish to die like them if we break our promises."

The plot was disclosed to Temudjin by his father-in-law, Dai Setzen, a
chief of the Kunkurats. He repaired to his ally, Wang Khan, and the
two marched against the confederates, and defeated them near the Lake
Buyur. He afterward attacked some confederate Taidshuts and Merkits on
the plain of Timurkin, _i.e._, of the river Timur or Temir, and
defeated them. Meanwhile the Kunkurats, afraid of resisting any
longer, marched to submit to him. His brother, Juji Kassar, not
knowing their errand, unfortunately attacked them, upon which they
turned aside and joined Chamuka.

That inveterate enemy of Temudjin had at an assembly of the tribes,
Inkirasses, Kurulass