arry their "God" away in his palanquin.

Besides the surgeon-poisoner I met at the Hutuktu's a lad of thirteen
years, whose youthfulness, red robe and cropped hair led me to suppose
he was a Bandi or student servant in the home of the Hutuktu; but it
turned out otherwise. This boy was the first Hubilgan, also an incarnate
Buddha, an artful teller of fortunes and the successor of Pandita
Hutuktu. He was drunk all the time and a great card player, always
making side-splitting jokes that greatly offended the Lamas.

That same evening I made the acquaintance of the second Hubilgan
who called on me, the real administrator of Zain Shabi, which is
an independent dominion subject directly to the Living Buddha. This
Hubilgan was a serious and ascetic man of thirty-two, well educated and
deeply learned in Mongol lore. He knew Russian and read much in that
language, being interested chiefly in the life and stories of other
peoples. He had a high respect for the creative genius of the American
people and said to me:

"When you go to America, ask the Americans to come to us and lead us out
from the darkness that surrounds us. The Chinese and Russians will lead
us to destruction and only the Americans can save us."

It is a deep satisfaction for me to carry out the request of this
influential Mongol, Hubilgan, and to urge his appeal to the American
people. Will you not save this honest, uncorrupted but dark, deceived
and oppressed people? They should not be allowed to perish, for within
their souls they carry a great store of strong moral forces. Make of
them a cultured people, believing in the verity of humankind; teach them
to use the wealth of their land; and the ancient people of Jenghiz Khan
will ever be your faithful friends.

When I had sufficiently recovered, the Hutuktu invited me to travel with
him to Erdeni Dzu, to which I willingly agreed. On the following morning
a light and comfortable carriage was brought for me. Our trip lasted
five days, during which we visited Erdeni Dzu, Karakorum, Hoto-Zaidam
and Hara-Balgasun. All these are the ruins of monasteries and cities
erected by Jenghiz Khan and his successors, Ugadai Khan and Kublai
in the thirteenth century. Now only the remnants of walls and towers
remain, some large tombs and whole books of legends and stories.

"Look at these tombs!" said the Hutuktu to me. "Here the son of Khan
Uyuk was buried. This young prince was bribed by the Chinese to kill his
father but