I whispered to my friend to keep his revolver handy for anything that might happen but he only smiled as he dragged his revolver and his ax from his coat to place them under his pillow.
"This people at the outset seemed to me very suspicious," he whispered.
"They are cooking up something crooked.

Tomorrow I shall ride behind this Gorokoff and shall prepare for him a very faithful one of my bullets, a little dum-dum." The Mongols spent the night under their tent in the open court beside their camels, because they wanted to be near to feed them.

About seven o'clock we started.

My friend took up his post as rear guard to our caravan, keeping all the time behind Gorokoff, who with his sister, both armed from tip to toe, rode splendid mounts.
"How have you kept your horses in such fine condition coming all the way from Samgaltai ?" I inquired as I looked over their fine beasts.
When he answered that these belonged to his host, I realized that Kanine was not so poor as he made out; for any rich Mongol would have given him in exchange for one of these lovely animals enough sheep to have kept his household in mutton for a whole year.
Soon we came to a large swamp surrounded by dense brush, where I was much astonished by seeing literally hundreds of white kuropatka or partridges.

Out of the water rose a flock of duck with a mad rush as we hove in sight.