kick its forefeet out from under it and throw it so that he could easily
bridle it on the ground. When only a hundred paces remained, I stood
behind the bushes and watched. I could see very distinctly the fire and
the dozing sentinel. He sat with his rifle on his knees. His companion,
asleep beside him, did not move. Their white felt boots were plainly
visible to me. For a long time I did not remark my friend. At the fire
all was quiet. Suddenly from the other outpost floated over a few dim
shouts and all was still. Our sentinel slowly raised his head. But just
at this moment the huge body of my friend rose up and blanketed the fire
from me and in a twinkling the feet of the sentinel flashed through the
air, as my companion had seized him by the throat and swung him
clear into the bushes, where both figures disappeared. In a second he
re-appeared, flourished the rifle of the Partisan over his head and I
heard the dull blow which was followed by an absolute calm. He came back
toward me and, confusedly smiling, said:

"It is done. God and the Devil! When I was a boy, my mother wanted to
make a priest out of me. When I grew up, I became a trained agronome in
order . . . to strangle the people and smash their skulls. Revolution is
a very stupid thing!"

And with anger and disgust he spit and began to smoke his pipe.

At the other outpost also all was finished. During this night we reached
the top of the Tannu Ola and descended again into a valley covered
with dense bushes and twined with a whole network of small rivers and
streams. It was the headwaters of the Buret Hei. About one o'clock we
stopped and began to feed our horses, as the grass just there was
very good. Here we thought ourselves in safety. We saw many calming
indications. On the mountains were seen the grazing herds of reindeers