I only learned long afterwards from a doctor who examined me that I had cracked my skull as the price of my siesta.
We crossed the eastern ranges of the Altai and the Karlik Tag, which are the most oriental sentinels the great Tian Shan system throws out into the regions of the Gobi; and then traversed from the north to the south the entire width of the Khuhu Gobi.

Intense cold ruled all this time and fortunately the frozen sands gave us better speed.

Before passing the Khara range, we exchanged our rocking-chair steeds for horses, a deal in which the Torguts skinned us badly like the true "old clothes men" they are.
Skirting around these mountains we entered Kansu.

It was a dangerous move, for the Chinese were arresting all refugees and I feared for my Russian fellow-travelers.

During the days we hid in the ravines, the forests and bushes, making forced marches at night.