The Chinese officials and their convoy, deprived of their supplies, reached the Chinese border only after great distress from hunger and cold.

We foreigners were astounded that Lt.-Colonel Michailoff received Strigine with military honors but we caught the explanation of it later when we learned that Michailoff had been given some of the Chinese silver and his wife the handsomely decorated saddle of Fu Hsiang.

Chultun Beyli demanded that all the weapons taken from the Chinese and all the stolen property be turned over to him, as it must later be returned to the Chinese authorities; but Michailoff refused.
Afterwards we foreigners cut off all contact with the Russian detachment.

The relations between the Russians and Mongols became very strained.

Several of the Russian officers protested against the acts of Michailoff and Strigine and controversies became more and more serious.
At this time, one morning in April, an extraordinary group of armed horsemen arrived at Uliassutai.