ucky or in Mongolia. Indeed, the whole scene reminded me of
nothing so much as "Court Day" in Kentucky, done in colour. But the
colour made all the difference. Everywhere there were lamas, of
course,--lamas in red dress and red hats, or lamas with blue-black
shaven heads set off by yellow or flame-coloured garments. Women came
and went on foot or on horseback, alone or in groups, just as much at
home in the motley crowd as the men. Some of them were gorgeously
attired, and the flashing of their silver headgear was quite dazzling.
Now and then I caught sight of one more soberly clad and with a shaven
head, a widow, perhaps, or an old woman who had become the family priest
to the extent of performing the daily simple observances.

Mingling with the gay, happy-go-lucky throng of Mongols were two alien
elements: one, the quiet, purposeful, observant, blue-gowned Chinese,
each intent on his business; the other, the blue-eyed Cossacks in white
caps and the big, bearded, belted Mujiks, looking tremendously
substantial as they lounged heavily along, lazily watching the shifting
crowd. I thought of the Afghan Amir Abdur Rahman's comparison of Russia
to an elephant, "who examines a spot thoroughly before he places his
foot down upon it, and, when once he puts his weight there, there is no
going back and no taking another step in a hurry until he has put his
whole weight on the first foot and smashed everything that lies under
it." But the Chinese are like the tide, coming in noiselessly, gently,
filling each hole and crevice, rising unnoticed higher and higher until
it covers the land. Will it sweep away the elephant?

CHAPTER XV

NORTH TO THE SIBERIAN RAILWAY

One should spend weeks, not days, in Urga, but alas, time pressed and I
had to be "moving on." Just how to move on was a question, for the
ponies and buggy with which I had crossed Gobi could go no farther. I
finally arranged with a Russian trader for a tarantass and baggage cart
to take me the two hundred and twenty-five miles to the head of river
navigation beyond Kiakhta. Innumerable cigarettes were smoked while the
discussion went on in my room, and at times there seemed much more smoke
than progress, for the trader knew only his own tongue and Mongolian,
but one of the two Russians who were to go with me spoke a very few
words of German, so he and I made shift to understand each other. My
Mongol host was on hand, looking after my interests, but he could tal