It was due to this that the land was not an entirely safe refuge for us.

We had heard already from our militiaman about the expedition preparing to go into Urianhai and from the peasants we learned that the villages along the Little Yenisei and farther south had formed Red detachments, who were robbing and killing everyone who fell into their hands.

Recently they had killed sixty-two officers attempting to pass Urianhai into Mongolia; robbed and killed a caravan of Chinese merchants; and killed some German war prisoners who escaped from the Soviet paradise.

On the fourth day we reached a swampy valley where, among open forests, stood a single Russian house.

Here we took leave of our guide, who hastened away to get back before the snows should block his road over the Sayans.