MONGOLS AT HOME 157 



primitive instincts, which lie just below the surface in 

 us all, responded to the subtle lure of nature and with- 

 out an effort we slipped into the care-free life of these 

 children of the woods and plains. 



We slept at night under starlit skies in the clean, fresh 

 forest; the first gray light of dawn found us stealing 

 through the dew-soaked grass on the trail of elk, moose, 

 boar or deer; and when the sun was high, like animals, 

 we spent the hours in sleep until the lengthening shad- 

 ows sent us out again for the evening hunt. In those 

 days New York seemed to be on another planet and 

 very, very far away. Happiness and a great peace was 

 ours, such as those who dwell in cities can never know. 



In the midst of our second hunt the Mongols sud- 

 denly announced that they must return to the Terelche 

 Valley. We did not want to go, but Tserin Dorchy 

 was obdurate. With the limited Chinese at our com- 

 mand we could not learn the reason, and at the base 

 camp Lii, "the interpreter," was wholly incoherent. 

 "To-morrow, plenty Mongol come," he said. "Riding 

 pony, all same Peking. Two men catch hold, both fall 

 down." My wife was perfectly sure that he had lost his 

 mind, but by a flash of intuition I got his meaning. It 

 was to be a field meet. "Riding pony, all same Peking" 

 meant races, and "two men catch hold, both fall down" 

 could be nothing else than wrestling. I was very proud 

 of myself, and Lii was immensely relieved. 



Athletic contests are an integral part of the life of 

 every Mongol community, as I knew, and the members 

 of our valley family were to hold their annual games. 



