From different quarters I received warnings to take great care.

This band and its leader openly demanded to know what right this foreigner had to interfere in the affairs of Mongolia, one of Domojiroff's officers directly giving me the challenge in a meeting in the attempt to provoke a controversy.

I quietly answered him: "And on what basis do the Russian refugees interfere, they who have rights neither at home nor abroad ?" The officer made no verbal reply but in his eyes burned a definite answer.

My huge friend who sat beside me noticed this, strode over toward him and, towering over him, stretched his arms and hands as though just waking from sleep and remarked: "I'm looking for a little boxing exercise." On one occasion Domojiroff's men would have succeeded in taking me if I had not been saved by the watchfulness of our foreign group.

I had gone to the fortress to negotiate with the Mongol Sait for the departure of the foreigners from Uliassutai.