reat Khan, burst into tears; but, seeing the Chinese riders galloping
there below across the valley, pressed on toward the pass. The camels
were tired, stopping every moment, nor did the woman know how to
stimulate and drive them on. The Chinese riders came nearer and nearer.
Already she heard their shouts of joy, as they felt within their grasp
the prize of the mandarins for the murder of the heir of the Great
Khan. The heads of the mother and the son would be brought to Peking and
exposed on the Ch'ien Men for the mockery and insults of the people. The
frightened mother lifted her little son toward heaven and exclaimed:

"'Earth and Gods of Mongolia, behold the offspring of the man who has
glorified the name of the Mongols from one end of the world to the
other! Allow not this very flesh of Jenghiz Khan to perish!'

"At this moment she noticed a white mouse sitting on a rock nearby. It
jumped to her knees and said:

"'I am sent to help you. Go on calmly and do not fear. The pursuers of
you and your son, to whom is destined a life of glory, have come to the
last bourne of their lives.'

"Ta Sin Lo did not see how one small mouse could hold in check three
hundred men. The mouse jumped back to the ground and again spoke:

"'I am the demon of Tarbagatai, Jagasstai. I am mighty and beloved of
the Gods but, because you doubted the powers of the miracle-speaking
mouse, from this day the Jagasstai will be dangerous for the good and
bad alike.'

"The Khan's widow and son were saved but Jagasstai has ever remained
merciless. During the journey over this pass one must always be on one's
guard. The demon of the mountain is ever ready to lead the traveler to
destruction."

All the tops of the ridges of the Tarbagatai are thickly dotted with the
obo of rocks and branches. In one place there was even erected a tower
of stones as an altar to propitiate the Gods for the doubts of Ta Sin
Lo. Evidently the demon expected us. When we began our ascent of the
main ridge, he blew into our faces with a sharp, cold wind, whistled and
roared and afterwards began casting over us whole blocks of snow torn
off the drifts above. We could not distinguish anything around us,
scarcely seeing the camel immediately in front. Suddenly I felt a
shock and looked about me. Nothing unusual was visible. I was seated
comfortably between two leather saddle bags filled with meat and bread
but . . . I could not see the head of my camel. He had disappeared