Müller, who was tight, went
out to play with the dogs and then came back into Otcheroff’s yurt. The German was red in the face and
drunk. “You have insulted me”, the
Prince cried: “You from England,
Germany and Russia come, and then you and the English go, and only the Russians
remain”. He went on with his
speech: “The Japanese, they lie, they
want to get a grip on the country”. The
group including some Russians began to drink toasts. “To the glory of the Buriats!”
“To an independent Mongolia!” Koster, a Russian, says for a joke: “Well here’s to the ‘Japs’” and drinks to them.
I did not grasp for several
minutes what was happening, when suddenly the Prince shrieked to one of the
company, Shuskin: “What! You drink the health of the ‘Japs’. No!” Otcheroff was in a terrible temper and in great fury and with
terrible cursing in Russian said: “You
son of a ----- Mother!” To which Shuskin
replied: “I did not say anything”. A Mongol present shouted at Shuskin:
“You are a traitor to your country, the
Japanese beat you in 19051 and yet
you drink their health. They are now
trying to choke the Mongols and you drink their health”. However, it was actually another person,
Koster, who had made the insulting toast. Shuskin denied the remark vehemently, but nobody believed him.
“You lie. You lie. You said it. You are a traitor”, stated the Russians
present. Poor Shuskin controlled
himself: “I’m going now, thank you for
your hospitality”. “Come back. You’re afraid. You know you drank to the health of the cursed ‘Japs’.”
Shuskin came back, very dignified and sat
next to Otcheroff. “Look I am a Russian
Officer.” Otcheroff breaks in: “Yes, yes a Russian officer and you drink
the health of the enemies of the Mongols, the people who are trying to smash
the Buriats. You son of a Red!” As Shuskin leaves, Otcheroff in a drunken
state draws up his sleeves and attempts in vain to strike the departing
officer.
As we leave, there are
terrific flashes of lightning towards Manchukuo and others from the north. It lights up the sheep that are huddled
together and the lambs that are sheltering in the deep furrows. Neureutz winds blow and the tents are very
exposed on the hill and rattle. We are
pleased to get into our beds.