my quiver, the sun gleaming in the blue sky, the dusty plain, and the rustling of the leaves, all seemed to fill my heart with joy, which Saïn Boughouroul appeared to share. I directed my course towards the encampment of the neighbouring clan of the Aroulads, on the side of a mountain covered with pasturage. In my various expeditions I had struck up an acquaintance with the boys of that tribe, who treated me with great consideration, doubtless because I was living with Keuktche. But there was one of their number for whom I had conceived a particular affection, which he also entertained for me. He was a boy of my own age, the son of one of their noïanes or princes; his name was Alak. We used to race together on the plain, and delighted in having wrestling and shooting matches, for Alak had a bow as well as myself; we used to fence with the sabre, and after taking off the thong and running knot of our horse-poles, we used to employ the latter for tilting as if with lances. In the same way we used to play at hide and seek, and prisoners' base on horseback, at knuckle-bones, or at forfeits, where the winner has a ride on the shoulders of the loser, and at all sorts of other games. One thing annoyed us; we wished to make a kite, like those we had seen in the town of Almaty; but inasmuch as the Bedeh tribes (for at that time the word Mongol was not yet known, and the Aroulads, the Baroulass, the UriengKhans, and the Soulez, were indiscriminately called Bedeh) do not know how to write, and have no books, it was impossible for us to get any paper, and consequently we could not make our kite.

As I was proceeding to the encampment, I perceived Alak He was mounted on a bobtailed horse, and

in the distance.

galloping up and down, holding his pole by the thong as straight as a lance. Directly he caught sight of me, he blew his hunting-whistle, and hurried to meet me.

"Oh, Djani," he exclaimed from the distance, "I've got some paper, and everything we want to make a kite." When I rode up to him, he looked at my splendid get

up.

"What fine clothes you've got, and what a bow, and what a knife! You are got up like a khan! Where did you get this booty from?"

"And you, where

"Keuktche gave it me," I answered. did you get what we wanted for the kite?"

8

"From my father," said Alak. "He has been away with our khan Temujin on an expedition against our enemies the Taïdjigods. They captured, amongst other booty, a large box of papers and Chinese books, and these my father gave me. I am very pleased, Djani, to see you finely dressed, and so beautifully armed; for now we both of us have a bow, a knife, and a horse. When we get a sabre and a lance, we shall be warriors!"

"Has the khan been back long?"

"Since the morning of the day before yesterday," replied Alak, "and since his return he has kept aloof from the people, and has galloped away alone in the direction of the hill of Deligun Buldak.' He goes there every day, but

8 This was the original name of the great conqueror, Genghis Khan. The Birthplace of Genghis Khan.

he is to give a feast with the plunder taken from the Taïdjigods. Shall you go?"

"Yes, I shall, brother Alak," I answered. "I wish to see your khan Temujin, since every one says that he is a hero."

At my request, Alak gave me an account of the genealogy of his tribe, and of its ancient wars. We were so intent in narrating and listening, that we quite forgot the time, till night fell rapidly on us. We were in the middle of our conversation, when Alak said to me,

"It is almost dark, and we have not yet collected the horses and fettered them. I'm sure my father will be angry with me, and if he does not box my ears, I shall not get off without his calling me a dog, or a toad, or at least a tortoise's egg."

us.

"Well," I said, "we must make haste; talking won't help I will help you to get your herd together."

By dint of running, distributing blows with our whips, whistling, and by fastening our thongs to the necks of the most obstreperous ones, we got all the horses together in a compact troop before it was quite pitch dark. Then Alak rode at the right of the herd with his pole, whilst he made me crack my whip on the left, and so we arrived at the yort' before it was very late. Alak at once drove into the ground two iron stakes with the mallet which was hung up at the entrance to the house, whilst I got ready the rope, which we afterwards fastened, and tethered all the horses to

1 Yort means both " a tent" and " a collection of tents," or nomad village. It is also used in the sense of "native-country."

it as best we could, thinking ourselves lucky that all the animals were safe. Then having tied up our steeds to two posts to the right and left of the wooden lattice which formed the entrance, Alak put down his pole, and I hung up my whip, and having opened the little felt-covered wicker-work door, we both entered.

THE lamp was lit, and the pot taken off the fire when we came in. Alak's father and mother, their five younger children, and their three principal servants were seated round the smoking pot, and each in turn was dipping into it his porringer of varnished wood.

"Dog," said the chief to his son as he came in, "here you are, late again!"

As he said this, he got up and pulled up his sleeve. I felt very inclined to run away, for I thought that I should come in for my share of boxes-on-the-ear in the general distribution. But such was far from being the case; as soon as Alak's father saw me, he suddenly became appeased,