Semetey. The War of Semetey with Konurbay. The Campaign to Beidzhin. Part - 3

While they were riding, he kept recalling the campaign of Manas, showing where they had stopped for the night and telling where and with whom they had fought.

When they approached a certain pass, Bakai stopped and said:

- When we were on the campaign to China, over there, on the mountain top, Konurbai set a fox as a guard. Almambet shot it with a gun, but only a cub was left from that fox. Now it has grown up and is also guarding the road. We must capture it, no matter what it costs us.

Agreeing with Bakai, Semetey decided to unleash Kumayik, Manas's dog, on this beast, while Bakai, sneaking and trying to remain unnoticed, quietly rode up to the mountain top and, having reached there, began to beat his drum. At the sound of the drum, a red fox, which had been on guard, jumped out from the bushes and ran away. Its length was equivalent to forty spans. The dog Kumayik chased after it. Not letting the fox get far, it caught and killed it.

- Our signs are good, God willing, we will reach Konurbai as well, - Bakai said upon seeing this and was filled with boundless joy.

He told Semetey how many wolf pits Konurbai had dug along their path, and where and what animals had been set as secret guards for them.

He informed Semetey that they would also encounter a white argali and a wild duck on their way.

- We need to find a way to pass by them somehow, - said Bakai.

When they approached the argali that was on guard, Bakai said to Semetey:

- Give me the akkelte, I will shoot it.

Semetey did not listen to Bakai, and at that very moment the argali jumped out in front of them and started to run away.

Semetey, taking aim, shot from the akkelte himself, but missed. The argali, remaining unharmed, began to leave. Seeing this, Bakai cried out loudly and in anger began to tear at his beard and mustache.

- Oh, you disobedient orphans! Not listening to my advice, you will ultimately ruin both me and yourselves, - he lamented.

He snatched the akkelte from Semetey's hands, knelt down, and shot; the argali tumbled to the ground. Then Semetey embraced Bakai and began to ask for forgiveness for his disobedience.

Continuing on, they approached a lake where a wild duck lived. Startling it, they unleashed Akshumkar on it, and he caught and pecked it.

Thus, all the wild animals set by Konurbai were exterminated - the fox, the argali, and the duck. Bakai and Semetey were so happy about this that their joy could not be contained in their chests.

One day, during a halt, they let the horses graze while they fell into a deep slumber. When morning came, Semetey, waking up, took a spyglass and saw on one side a multitude of people from Beijing spreading out before him, like an anthill, and on the other side, the herds of Konurbai's horses, which were so vast that they covered the entire land.

Struck by this sight, he ran to the sleeping Bakai and, waking him, told him everything he had seen. Remembering the absence of Kulchoro and Kanchoro and feeling the decline of his strength due to old age, Bakai said:

- My dear, unfortunate orphan! You have no one to rely on but yourself. Gather your courage! - and he blessed him.

Semetey mounted his horse and was about to ride off, but Bakai stopped him and said:

- Among the grazing horse herds of Konurbai is a treacherous and brave horse herder named Karagul. Be careful of him, do not forget the folk saying: "Whoever spares the enemy will end up wounded and killed." Karagul has deceived me twice. If he crosses your path, without pity, cut off his head and bring it to me. He is the one to whom Konurbai entrusts all his secrets. Do not leave any of the horse herders alive; destroy them all.

Konurbai has a winged horse of a black color, named Algara; perhaps Konurbai has now released him into the horse herds. If there is a chance, capture him.

- Wait for me six days, abake, - said Semetey, - and if I do not return, know that your orphan has perished. Then read the Quran for the repose of my soul and return home. But on the way, do not forget to capture Kulchoro and Kanchoro.

The chief horse herder Karagul was at that very moment carelessly passing his time, slaughtering one foal in the morning and one in the evening, drinking kumys mixed with arak, and generally living for his own pleasure.

One morning, one of the Chinese horse herders under his command, waking up, said to him:

- I had a bad dream today. I dreamed that the son of Manas, Semetey, came here, killed us all, and drove away our horses. - And he described Semetey's appearance and his armament so clearly as if he had seen him in reality.

- Here’s a holy dreamer! - laughed the arrogant and careless horse herders at his words and mercilessly beat him. And Karagul, not thinking about anything, continued to gorge himself on meat and drink.

While they were spending their time this way, Konurbai approached the herds and said to Karagul:

- My horse Algara has grown thin from riding, his back is broken, so I decided to let him go into the herds to recover. When the burots came against us, we killed all their batyrs: Almambet, Chubak, Syrgak, and many others, and Manas himself, having received a serious wound, returned to Talas and died there. From Manas, Semetey remains; from Almambet, Kulchoro; from Chubak, Kanchoro, who have now grown up and even exceed their fathers in bravery. There are rumors that they are planning to take revenge on us for their fathers and are thinking of going on a campaign against Beijing. If this is indeed the case, there will be a great battle. That is why I decided to let Algara recover.

When Konurbai and Karagul were discussing this, far away on the mountain ridge, a rider appeared on a rock. Seeing him, Konurbai thought with anxiety in his soul:

- My God, who is that rider?

It was Semetey. Realizing that the enemies had noticed him, he took off his hat and tossed it up, while he quickly hid himself.

- It’s just a flying crow, - Konurbai and Karagul decided then.

Calming down, Konurbai mounted one of his gray trotters from his herd and rode home, while Karagul, gathering all his herders to him in the evening, as was his custom, began to drink, eat, and have fun again.

Meanwhile, Semetey, quietly sneaking up to their camp, began to eavesdrop.

The horse herder who had seen the dream was punished by the other horse herders and forced to put wood in the hearth. He was the first to notice Semetey and cried out in fear:

- My dear ones! Here, here is that very young batyr I saw in my dream!

And Semetey, in the meantime, quickly approached their yurt and immediately killed several horse herders.

Approaching Karagul, who was sitting in the front corner, he ripped off his beard and mustache and threw them away. Karagul felt that he did not have the strength to fight Semetey and decided to resort to trickery.

- Am I seeing in reality or in a dream? - he began to speak. Is it really that God has given me the happiness to see my brother? Do not kill me, my dear, but first listen! For I am your brother; I was captured by the Chinese during the Great Campaign. I have endured so much torment from Konurbai that no dog has ever seen. Now that you have safely arrived, we will take revenge together for our fathers. Konurbai has a winged horse Alagara and a bulletproof garment - I will give them to you.

Hearing this, Semetey fell for Karagul's deception. And he continued:

- Brother! Let your horse go, and you ride on Konurbai's winged horse.

- I agree, brother, catch me Alagara, - replied Semetey.

Convinced that Semetey would let Taibuurul go, Karagul ordered the horse herders to catch a poor little horse and assured Semetey that it was Alagara, while he caught the real Alagara and mounted him. Semetey and Karagul, together, then gathered all the other horses and began to drive them across the wide, turbulent river. During the crossing, the one-year-old and two-year-old foals were swept away by the water. Taibuurul felt that Semetey had fallen for the deception, but he had no voice to say so, and he just kept looking back.

As soon as Semetey, following the horses, also entered the water, his poor little horse was immediately swept away by the current. He thought he would perish completely, but, fortunately, he unexpectedly managed to reach a small island.

Water flowed from his mouth like from a waterskin. Feeling that his end had come, he began to cry out loudly. Hearing Semetey's cries, Taibuurul swam over and extended his tail to him. Then, grabbing it, Semetey somehow managed to cross the river. While Semetey was drowning in the river, Karagul separated all the stallions and horses and drove them back into a high mountain valley. At that time, Semetey, having reached the shore, lay unconscious from exhaustion. Karagul rode up to him and struck him with a hook, breaking his head until it bled. Only then did Semetey realize that Karagul was not his friend, but his enemy. Coming to his senses from the blow, he jumped on Taibuurul and chased after him. He had no weapon in his hands. Blood was oozing from his head. He chased Karagul for a long time and only caught up to him when they approached Konurbai's camp. Semetey grabbed the horse Alagara by the tail and squeezed it between his knees so that the tail remained in his hands.

Sitting on the horse without weapons and saddle, Semetey did not dare to pursue Karagul any further, as the settlement was already close, and he turned back. Karagul, on the other hand, with his beard and mustache torn off, on the tailless Alagara, having barely escaped from the pursuit, ran in confusion to Konurbai and told him everything that had happened to him from beginning to end.

Then Konurbai said:

- A son named Semetey was born from Manas. I have heard that he is stronger than his father. This very Semetey has evidently come now to take revenge on us for his father.

Semetey. The War of Semetey with Konurbai. The Campaign against Beijing. Part - 2