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176
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1881.
Porchi looked out a spot where the grass was thick where he lay down, while they covered him with their felts. They lay beside him, and in the morning they were covered with more than a foot of snow. As they were returning home with only a few companions, there appeared a band of robbers who threatened to attack them. Chinghiz Khân was accompanied by a famous archer named Soo,"' to whom he was much attached, and had given the sobriquet of Mergen. When the robbers drew near enough to hear, Chinghiz called Mergen's attention to two ducks which were flying overhead, and bade him kill one. Mergen asked-which, the male or the female ? " The male," said Chinghiz. Hardly had he said this when Mergen let fly his arrow and brought down the duck. The robbers were thereupon frightened and withdrew. On another day when crossing some very rugged moun- tains with but 30 or 40 horsemen, he asked his officers what they should do in case they met bands of robbers there. "I should not donbt be- ing able to resist them," said Mukali. Where upon there proceeded a shower of arrows from the forests, with which these mountains were covered. Mukuli at once advanced and killed three of the robbers with three successive arrows. He was so famous that when they learnt who it was, they withdrew.so Mr. Douglas has translated another version of this Saga. It is apparently taken from the She Wei, or Woof of History by Cain-Yun-seih, as it is not contained in either of the other two authorities on which his work is founded. It describes how on one occasion Temujin was defeated by thr Kelais." He was accompanied, it says, in his flight by Muhuli, the son of Kung wunkuhwa. We are told that the latter was in constant attendance on Temujin. One day when on a cam- paign against the Naimans he with five others formed his body-guard, and when he had ridden hard and was faint and hungry, Kungwun. kuhwa killed a camel by the river side, and having dressed and cooked some of its flesh, he gave it to Temujin to eat. Presently the latter's horse broke down, whereupon he dismounted and ran beside his master, until he dropped
down dead. On his death he left five sons, of whom Muhuli was the third. It was reported that when the latter was born, a white vapour filled the tent, which was accepted as an augury that he was no common child. He became distinguished for his intelligence and skill in archery, and was one of Chinghiz Khân's four famous champions. It was he who accompanied Chinghiz when he fled before the Kelais. Asthey journeyed, a storm of snow and wind came on, and when night drew nigh, there being no shelter at hand, he stretched a mat on the ground, and while Chinghiz slept on it, he with another officer placed himself to the windward of him, so as to protect him from the snow. In the morning they went on, and their road took them through a narrow defile shut in between high hills, covered with trees, whence there came a flight of arrows. The robbers dispersed, as I have mentioned." Rashida'd-dîn reports the same events, and assigns them to Boorchi," and Burgul or Bura ghul Noyan, 2. e. the chief of the tribe Uishin or Hushin."
He does not say who the struggle was against, but that Ching hiz was wounded in the mouth and throat, and very weak; that Burgul led his horse with his hand, and having heated a stone, put it in water so as to make steam with which to get the clotted blood out of his throat, and make him breathe more easily. He also held his mantle with both hands over his head so as to ward off the snow. He stood by him till the snow reached to his own girdle, and eventually saw him safely to his ordu." Rashid reports how on another occasion Chinghiz, having been separated from his people, and being pursued in the mountains by the enemy, had only Bugurji and Burgul for companions. These two went out to forage, but found nothing. They had a fishhook with them which they put into the river, and caught a great fish. Burgul tried in vain to drag it out. Hunger and weakness paralysed him, and he fell into the stream." These stories are interesting. They prove to us by what hardships Chinghiz and his nearest companions, who answered to Napoleon's bevy of marshals, were trained to face all kinds of
+ I identified him in ny History of the Mongols with Sabutai Bohadur, but he was perhaps Chepe Noyan.
60 De Mailla, tom. IX, pp. 19 and 19.
81 P The Inkirasses; but the account may refer to some later incidents, and by the Kelais he in fact meant the Kirais.
52 Douglas, pp. 19-21. 53 Bugurji or Bughurjin as he calls him. 5. Berezine, vol. I, pp. 166, 167; Erdmann, p. 209.
#5 Berezine, vol. I, pp. 161 and 162; Erdmann, pp. 205 and 206; D'Ohason, tom. I, pp. 43 and 44.
50 Berezine, vol. I, p. 162; Erdmann, p. 206.
