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As I write I am involuntarily reminded of a tale of an old Chinese bonze in the Temple of Heaven at Peking。 He told me that tortoises live more than three thousand years without food and air and that this is the reason why all the columns of the blue Temple of Heaven were set on live tortoises to preserve the wood from decay。
〃Several times the Pontiffs of Lhasa and Urga have sent envoys to the King of the World；〃 said the Lama librarian； 〃but they could not find him。 Only a certain Tibetan leader after a battle with the Olets found the cave with the inscription： 'This is the gate to Agharti。' From the cave a fine appearing man came forth； presented him with a gold tablet bearing the mysterious signs and said：
〃'The King of the World will appear before all people when the time shall have arrived for him to lead all the good people of the world against all the bad； but this time has not yet come。 The most evil among mankind have not yet been born。
〃Chiang Chun Baron Ungern sent the young Prince Pounzig to seek out the King of the World but he returned with a letter from the Dalai Lama from Lhasa。 When the Baron sent him a second time； he did not come back。〃
CHAPTER XLIX
THE PROPHECY OF THE KING OF THE WORLD IN 1890
The Hutuktu of Narabanchi related the following to me； when I visited him in his monastery in the beginning of 1921：
〃When the King of the World appeared before the Lamas； favored of God； in this monastery thirty years ago he made a prophecy for the coming half century。 It was as follows：
〃'More and more the people will forget their souls and care about their bodies。 The greatest sin and corruption will reign on the earth。 People will become as ferocious animals； thirsting for the blood and death of their brothers。 The 'Crescent' will grow dim and its followers will descend into beggary and ceaseless war。 Its conquerors will be stricken by the sun but will not progress upward and twice they will be visited with the heaviest misfortune； which will end in insult before the eye of the other peoples。 The crowns of kings； great and small； will fall 。 。 。 one； two； three； four； five； six； seven； eight。 。 。 。 There will be a terrible battle among all the peoples。 The seas will become red 。 。 。 the earth and the bottom of the seas will be strewn with bones 。 。 。 kingdoms will be scattered 。 。 。 whole peoples will die 。 。 。 hunger； disease； crimes unknown to the law； never before seen in the world。 The enemies of God and of the Divine Spirit in man will come。 Those who take the hand of another shall also perish。 The forgotten and pursued shall rise and hold the attention of the whole world。 There will be fogs and storms。 Bare mountains shall suddenly be covered with forests。 Earthquakes will come。 。 。 。 Millions will change the fetters of slavery and humiliation for hunger； disease and death。 The ancient roads will be covered with crowds wandering from one place to another。 The greatest and most beautiful cities shall perish in fire 。 。 。 one； two； three。 。 。 。 Father shall rise against son； brother against brother and mother against daughter。 。 。 。 Vice； crime and the destruction of body and soul shall follow。 。 。 。 Families shall be scattered。 。 。 。 Truth and love shall disappear。 。 。 。 From ten thousand men one shall remain； he shall be nude and mad and without force and the knowledge to build him a house and find his food。 。 。 。 He will howl as the raging wolf； devour dead bodies； bite his own flesh and challenge God to fight。 。 。 。 All the earth will be emptied。 God will turn away from it and over it there will be only night and death。 Then I shall send a people； now unknown； which shall tear out the weeds of madness and vice with a strong hand and will lead those who still remain faithful to the spirit of man in the fight against Evil。 They will found a new life on the earth purified by the death of nations。 In the fiftieth year only three great kingdoms will appear； which will exist happily seventy…one years。 Afterwards there will be eighteen years of war and destruction。 Then the peoples of Agharti will come up from their subterranean caverns to the surface of the earth。'〃
* * * * * *
Afterwards； as I traveled farther through Eastern Mongolia and to Peking； I often thought：
〃And what if 。 。 。 ？ What if whole peoples of different colors； faiths and tribes should begin their migration toward the West？〃
And now； as I write these final lines； my eyes involuntarily turn to this limitless Heart of Asia over which the trails of my wanderings twine。 Through whirling snow and driving clouds of sand of the Gobi they travel back to the face of the Narabanchi Hutuktu as； with quiet voice and a slender hand pointing to the horizon； he opened to me the doors of his innermost thoughts：
〃Near Karakorum and on the shores of Ubsa Nor I see the huge； multi…colored camps； the herds of horses and cattle and the blue yurtas of the leaders。 Above them I see the old banners of Jenghiz Khan； of the Kings of Tibet； Siam； Afghanistan and of Indian Princes； the sacred signs of all the Lamaite Pontiffs； the coats of arms of the Khans of the Olets； and the simple signs of the north Mongolian tribes。 I do not hear the noise of the animated crowd。 The singers do not sing the mournful songs of mountain； plain and desert。 The young riders are not delighting themselves with the races on their fleet steeds。 。 。 。 There are innumerable crowds of old men； women and children and beyond in the north and west； as far as the eye can reach； the sky is red as a flame； there is the roar and crackling of fire and the ferocious sound of battle。 Who is leading these warriors who there beneath the reddened sky are shedding their own and others' blood？ Who is leading these crowds of unarmed old men and women？ I see severe order； deep religious understanding of purposes； patience and tenacity 。 。 。 a new great migration of peoples； the last march of the Mongols。 。 。 。〃
Karma may have opened a new page of history！
And what if the King of the World be with them？
But this greatest Mystery of Mysteries keeps its own deep silence。
GLOSSARY
Agronome。Russian for trained agriculturalist。
Amour sayn。Good…bye。
Ataman。Headman or chief of the Cossacks。
Bandi。Pupil or student of theological school in the Buddhist faith。
Buriat。The most civilized Mongol tribe； living in the valley of the Selenga in Transbaikalia。
Chahars。A warlike Mongolian tribe living along the Great Wall of China in Inner Mongolia。
Chaidje。A high Lamaite priest； but not an incarnate god。
Cheka。The Bolshevik Counter…Revolutionary Committee； the most relentless establishment of the Bolsheviki； organized for the persecution of the enemies of the Communistic government in Russia。
Chiang Chun。Chinese for 〃General〃Chief of all Chinese troops in Mongolia。
Dalai Lama。The first and highest Pontiff of the Lamaite or 〃Yellow Faith；〃 living at Lhasa in Tibet。
Djungar。A West Mongolian tribe。
Dugun。Chinese commercial and military post。
Dzuk。Lie down！
Fang…tzu。Chinese for 〃house。〃
Fatil。A very rare and precious root much prized in Chinese and Tibetan medicines。
Felcher。Assistant of a doctor （surgeon）。
Gelong。Lamaite priest having the right to offer sacrifices to God。
Getul。The third rank in the Lamaite monks。
Goro。The high priest of the King of the World。
Hatyk。An oblong piece of blue （or yellow） silk cloth； presented to honored guests； chiefs； Lamas and gods。 Also a kind of coin； worth from 25 to 50 cents。
Hong。A Chinese mercantile establishment。
Hun。The lowest rank of princes。
Hunghutze。Chinese brigand。
Hushun。A fenced enclosure； containing the houses； paddocks； stores； stables； etc。； of Russian Cossacks in Mongolia。
Hutuktu。The highest rank of Lamaite monks； the form of any incarnated god； holy。
Imouran。A small rodent like a gopher。
Izubr。The American elk。
Kabarga。The musk antelope。
Kalmuck。A Mongolian tribe； which migrated from Mongolia under Jenghiz Khan （where they were known as the Olets or Eleuths）； and now live in the Urals and on the shores of the Volga in Russia。
Kanpo。The abbot of a Lamaite monastery； a monk； also the first rank of 〃white〃 clergy （not monks）。
Kanpo…Gelong。The highest rank of Gelongs （q。v。）； an honorary title。
Karma。The Buddhist materialization of the idea of Fate； a parallel with the Greek and Roman Nemesis （Justice）。
Khan。A king。
Khayrus。A kind of trout。
Khirghiz。The great Mongol nation living between the river Irtish in western Siberia； Lake Balhash and the Volga in Russia。
Kuropatka。A partridge。
Lama。The common name for a Lamaite priest。
Lan。A weight of silver or gold equivalent to about one…eleventh of a Russian pound； or 9/110ths of a pound avoirdupois。
Lanhon。A round bottle of clay。
Maramba。A doctor of theology。
Merin。The civil chief of police in every district of the Soyot country in Urianhai。
〃Om！ Mani padme Hung！〃。〃Om〃 has two meanings。 It is the name of the first Goro and also means： 〃Hail！〃 In this connection： 〃Hail！ Great Lama in the Lotus Flower！〃
Mende。Soyot greeting〃Good Day。〃
Nagan…hushun。A Chinese vegetable garden or en