When they entered the yurta of Nahu Boyan they found the old man
grieving bitterly for Boörchu. On seeing them he shed tears and
reproached his son sharply. “I know not,” said Boörchu in answer, “how
I thought of assisting this comrade, but when I saw him worn and
anxious I had to go with him. Things are now well again, for I am with
thee, my father.” Nahu Boyan became satisfied when he heard the whole
story. Boörchu rode off then and brought the leather milk pail, killed
a lamb, filled a bag with mare’s milk, and tying it to the horse like a
pack gave Temudjin all to sustain him. “Ye are young,” said Nahu Boyan,
“be ye friends, and be faithful.” Temudjin took farewell of Boörchu and
his father. Three days after that he had reached home with his horses.
No words could describe the delight of his mother and brothers when
they saw him.
Temudjin had passed his thirteenth year when he parted from Bortai. He
went down the Kerulon now with his half brother, Belgutai, to get her.
Several years had passed and he had a wish to marry. Bortai’s father
rejoiced at seeing Temudjin. “I grieved,” said he, “greatly and lost
hope of seeing thee when I heard of Taidjut hatred.”
Both parents escorted their daughter and her husband. Desaichan after
going some distance turned homeward, as was usual for fathers, but
Bortai’s mother, Sotan, went on to Temudjin’s yurta.
Temudjin wished now to have Boörchu, wished him as a comrade forever,
and sent Belgutai to bring him. Boörchu said nothing to his father or
to any one; he took simply a humpbacked sorrel horse, saddled him,
strapped a coat of black fur to the saddle and rode away quickly to
Temudjin’s yurta; after that he never left him.
Temudjin removed from the Sangur to the springs of the Kerulon and
fixed his yurta at the foot of the slope known as Burji. Bortai had
brought with her a black sable cloak as a present to Hoelun. “In former
days,” said Temudjin to his brothers, “our father, Yessugai, became a
sworn friend, an ‘anda,’ to Togrul of the Keraits, hence Togrul is to
me in the place of my father, we will go now and show Togrul honor.”
Temudjin and two of his brothers took the cloak to Togrul in the Black
Forest on the Tula. “In former days,” said Temudjin as he stood before
Togrul, “thou didst become anda to Yessugai, hence thou art to me in
the place of my father. I bring thee to-day, my father, a gift brought
by my wife to my mother.” With these words he gave the black sable to
Togrul, who was pleased very greatly with the offering.
“I will bring back to thee thy people who are scattered,” said Togrul
in answer, “and join them again to thee, I will keep this in mind very
firmly, and not forget it.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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