Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/332

324 there shall be the jewel (êrdene) Chuinduim. Whoever cuts it off shall be Khan. Besides this again last night's thief stands near the tent." Guigêr Mêdjēt again fled. At night the nation rose, went forth, and crossed to the island; the water came, the nation crowded on the bank, and waits for the corpse. Guigêr Mêdjēt at that time ascended up the river, seized the corpse, cut off the jewel Chuinduim, and let the corpse fall again into the water. When the merchants who stood on the bank drew the corpse to the shore and saw that the jewel had already been taken, they again let the corpse fall into the water. On the morning of the next day Guigêr Mêdjēt determined, "I will not now go to the merchant encampment as a thief. The wolf will again hinder me. I will go as a merchant." Having arrived at the merchant encampment he demanded that they should show him the merchandize as perhaps he would buy it. Selecting merchandize for 1000 liang of silver, Guigêr Mêdjēt, being a conjuror (Ēlbchē), secretly laid upon them his golden seal, and said to the merchants, "Let the merchandize remain with you for the present; to-morrow I will come for it." Meanwhile he himself went to Chētguir Khan and said, "My mother has lost her property, order a search to be made among the merchants. On my things lies my golden seal." The Khan ordered that Djetuim Senge should be called, and asked him, "Have you not such and such a seal—a seal of gold, eh?" Djētuim Senge said he had no goods with golden seals. The Khan sent officers to search the caravan. The officers found much merchandize with golden seals. Then the Khan again summoned Djētuim Senge to him, and said to him that he was not a merchant, but a thief, and ordered that all his merchandize should be given to Guigêr Mêdjēt, and that Djētuim Senge himself and his 500 men should be thrown into prison (Khara Byaishēn). The nation wept. Then Guigêr Mêdjēt said to the Khan, "Do not put him in prison and do not take his goods; let him only give me his (son) Shyal." Djētuim Senge agreed, let Shyal go, and gave him a cup with water and a khadak (piece of silk) as a memento that he had saved him from the flood and from the loss of his wealth. When Guigêr