“Nervousness,” I thought.  “Abnormal and over-emphasized impressionability growing out of the unusual surroundings and strains.”

The Hutuktu turned to me and said:  “Give me your hatyk.  I have the feeling that you are troubled about those whom you love, and I want to pray for them.  And you must pray also, importune God and direct the sight of your soul to the King of the World who was here and sanctified this place.”

The Hutuktu placed the hatyk on the shoulder of the Buddha and, prostrating himself on the carpet before the altar, whispered the words of prayer.  Then he raised his head and beckoned me to him with a slight movement of his hand.

“Look at the dark space behind the statue of Buddha and he will show your beloved to you.”

Readily obeying his deep-voiced command, I began to look into the dark niche behind the figure of the Buddha.  Soon out of the darkness began to appear streams of smoke or transparent threads.  They floated in the air, becoming more and more dense and increasing in number, until gradually they formed the bodies of several persons and the outlines of various objects.  I saw a room that was strange to me with my family there, surrounded by some whom I knew and others whom I did not.  I recognized even the dress my wife wore.  Every line of her dear face was clearly visible.  Gradually the vision became too dark, dissipated itself into the streams of smoke and transparent threads and disappeared.  Behind the golden Buddha was nothing but the darkness.  The Hutuktu arose, took my hatyk from the shoulder of the Buddha and handed it to me with these words: 

“Fortune is always with you and with your family.  God’s goodness will not forsake you.”

We left the building of this unknown King of the World, where he had prayed for all mankind and had predicted the fate of peoples and states.  I was greatly astonished to find that my companions had also seen my vision and to hear them describe to me in minute detail the appearance and the clothes of the persons whom I had seen in the dark niche behind the head of Buddha.*

* In order that I might have the evidence of others on this extraordinarily impressive vision, I asked them to make protocols or affidavits concerning what they saw.  This they did and I now have these statements in my possession.

The Mongol officer also told me that Chultun Beyli had the day before asked the Hutuktu to reveal to him his fate in this important juncture of his life and in this crisis of his country but the Hutuktu only waved his hand in an expression of fear and refused.  When I asked the Hutuktu for the reason of his refusal, suggesting to him that it might calm and help Chultun Beyli as the vision of my beloved had strengthened me, the Hutuktu knitted his brow and answered: 

“No!  The vision would not please the Prince.  His fate is black.  Yesterday I thrice sought his fortune on the burned shoulder blades and with the entrails of sheep and each time came to the same dire result, the same dire result! . . .”