-down horses which would be able to carry us the
sixty miles to Muren Kure, where we could secure camels to return to
Uliassutai. However, even these were being kept some distance from the
town so that we should have to spend the night there, the night in which
the Red troops were expected to arrive. Also we were much astonished to
see that Gay was remaining there with his family right up to the time of
the expected arrival of the Reds. The only others in the town were a few
Cossacks, who had been ordered to stay behind to watch the movements of
the Red troops. The night came. My friend and I were prepared either
to fight or, in the last event, to commit suicide. We stayed in a small
house near the Yaga, where some workmen were living who could not, and
did not feel it necessary to, leave. They went up on a hill from which
they could scan the whole country up to the range from behind which the
Red detachment must appear. From this vantage point in the forest one of
the workmen came running in and cried out:

"Woe, woe to us! The Reds have arrived. A horseman is galloping fast
through the forest road. I called to him but he did not answer me. It
was dark but I knew the horse was a strange one."

"Do not babble so," said another of the workmen. "Some Mongol rode by
and you jumped to the conclusion that he was a Red."

"No, it was not a Mongol," he replied. "The horse was shod. I heard the
sound of iron shoes on the road. Woe to us!"

"Well," said my friend, "it seems that this is our finish. It is a silly
way for it all to end."

He was right. Just then there was a knock at our door but it was that
of the Mongol bringing us three horses for our escape. Immediately we
saddled them, packed the third beast with our tent and food and rode off
at once to take leave of Gay.

In his house we found the whole war council. Two or three colonists and
several Cossacks had galloped from the mountains and announced that the
Red detachment was approaching Khathyl but would remain for the night
in the forest, where they were building campfires. In fact, through
the house windows we could see the glare of the fires. It seemed very
strange that the enemy should await the morning there in the forest when
they were right on the village they wished to capture.

An armed Cossack entered the room and announced that two armed men from
the detachment were approaching. All the men in the room pricked up
their ears. Outside were heard the ho