第12部分(第3/7 頁)

ayan　Gobi　mune。　If　you　two　say　nothing；　no　one　else　need　know。”

The　livestock　made　it　through　the　latter　half　of　winter　without　inci—dent。　The　Olon　wolf　pack　followed　the　gazelles　far　away；　where　it　dispersed。　The　great　blizzard　did　not　e。　Over　the　lonely　winter；　when　Chen　Zhen　was　neither　tending　the　sheep　nor　on　night　watch；　he　made　his　rounds　of　the　grassland；　search—ing　out　tales　of　wolves；　spending　most　of　his　time　on　the　legend　of　the　“flying　wolves。”　Known　throughout　the　Olonbulag；　it　had　recent　ori—gins　and；　as　it　turned　out；　was　set　in　the　area　of　Chen’s　production　bri—gade。　He　was　determined　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　the　legend　and　satisfy　his　curiosity　as　to　how　wolves　were　able　to　“fly”　on　the　Olonbulag。

Soon　after　their　arrival；　the　students　had　been　told　by　herdsmen　that　Tengger　had　sent　the　wolves　down　to　Earth；　which　meant　they　could　fly。　Over　the　centuries；　when　a　herdsman　died；　his　body　was　taken　into　the　wilds　and　laid　out　in　open　view　for　the　wolves　to　dispose　of。　The　“sky　burial”　was　pleted　once　the　wolves　had　eaten　every　morsel　of　human　remains。　It　was　called　a　sky　burial　owing　to　the　belief　that　the　wolves　could　fly　to　Tengger；　taking　the　human　soul　back　with　them；　just　like　the　magic　eagles　of　Tibet。　But　when　the　students　labeled　this　as　superstition；　one　of　the　“four　olds”　attacked　during　the　Cultural　Revolution；　the　herdsmen　insisted　that　wolves　could　fly。　As　recently　as　the　third　year　of　the　Cultural　Revolution；　they　said；　a　pack　of　wolves　flew　into　Second　Brigade　Cherendorji’s　stone　enclosure；　where　they　ate　a　dozen　sheep　and　killed　more　than　two　hundred。　After　satisfying　their　appetite；　they　flew　away。　The　stone　wall　was　six　or　seven　feet　high；　too　high　for　a　person　to　climb　over；　so　how　did　the　wolves　get　in　there　if　they　didn’t