Yellow River Craftsman

Chapter 61 The Legend of the Snow Camel

After running for hundreds of meters, the running camels came to a slow stop.

I hurriedly turned the steering wheel to avoid hitting the wild camel in front of me. With a click, the van slanted to a stop on the side of the road.

When we opened the car door, we saw the leading camel slowly leaning forward, and then knelt down on the ground.Immediately afterwards, all the camels followed the lead camel and knelt down in unison. The scene was quite spectacular.

Lao Luo patted the head of the leading camel and jumped off the camel's back.

We all looked at Lao Luo with admiration. We didn't expect this old Luo to be really capable. It was really not easy to tame this group of wild camels in a short period of time.

Lao Luo said: "The rest of the journey is not suitable for taking a car. It happens to be accompanied by this group of wild camels. Let's ride camels for the rest of the journey!"

riding a camel? !

We looked at the old Luo in surprise, and then at the wild camels with shrugging hairs, feeling a little apprehensive in our hearts.

Han Jing frowned and covered her eyes with her hands: "The sun in the sky is very vicious, if you ride a camel, you will definitely get dizzy!"

Lao Luo waved his hand: "If you are so delicate, I advise you to go home. The sun in the desert is even more terrifying, and you will have to peel off a layer of skin after a day!"

Han Jing puffed her cheeks, and her stubborn temper suddenly came up: "This girl is not cute, she can ride as long as she rides, who is afraid of anyone, I don't believe these camels will eat me!"

With the help of Lao Luo, we each climbed onto the back of a wild camel.

Lao Luo said: "Everyone, don't be afraid. As long as these wild camels are not frightened, they will not hurt people! Also, the camels will feel bumps and bumps when they walk, and they may feel a little uncomfortable. Just get used to it." !"

Lao Luo walked back to the leader camel, turned over and rode on the camel's back, then patted the leader camel's buttocks: "Let's go!"

The leading camel stood up unsteadily, and all the wild camels also stood up, and followed the leading camel slowly along the road.

To be honest, when I first sat on the back of a camel, I was a little scared. After all, it was the first time I came into contact with an animal like a camel, and the hairy appearance was a little scary.However, the temperament of the camel is still docile, so I let go of my nervousness.

Only then did I carefully look at these wild camels. The wild camels are tall and thin, with two fleshy humps on their backs, a small head, a short snout, and an upper lip split into two, like a hare lip.There are valves in the nostrils, which can open and close at will, which can not only ensure smooth breathing, but also prevent wind and sand from pouring into the nostrils. The water flowing from the nose can also flow into the mouth along the nasal groove.The ear shells are small and round, and there are thick fine hairs inside to block the wind and sand, and the ear shells can be folded tightly.There are two rows of long and dense eyelashes outside the eyes, and double eyelids. The eyelids on both sides can be opened and closed independently, so they can still maintain clear vision in the wind and sand.

Lao Luo told us: "The desert area is dry and lacks water, and the summer is very hot. The highest temperature can reach 55°C, and the temperature of gravel and quicksand can reach as high as 71-82°C. Winter is extremely cold. When the cold current hits, the temperature can drop to minus 40°C. , often in strong winds, flying sand and rocks. The harsh environment makes the wild camel develop an extraordinary ability to adapt, and has special physiological functions that many other animals do not have. The wild camel is docile, alert, tenacious, responsive, and runs faster. Persistence can not only withstand hunger and thirst, but also can withstand heat, cold, and wind and sand, so it has been praised as the "ship of the desert"!"

"It seems you know a lot about camels!" I said.

Lao Luo said indifferently: "Our Luo family has traveled through this desert for generations, and naturally we have formed a lot of indissoluble bonds with camels!"

Riding a camel on the road is really interesting.

After walking for about half an hour, Lao Luo asked us if we were used to riding. We said it was okay, and Lao Luo smiled: "Then let's speed up now!"

The leading camel suddenly spread its limbs and ran, and the camels behind followed suit. We all lay on the backs of the camels and dared not move.After adapting to the running rhythm of the wild camels, they gradually let go of their courage. One by one, they sat up straight, danced excitedly on the camels, and couldn't help singing: "That is a magical road to heaven...take us along Into heaven on earth..."

On the way, I asked Lao Luo a question: "How did you manage to tame a wild camel in such a short time?"

Lao Luo said: "Our Luo family has had a deep friendship with camels since ancient times. After long-term observation and research, the ancestors of the Luo family invented a special method of taming camels, which has been passed down from generation to generation. What I just used was the method of taming camels passed down by the Luo family!"

I didn't continue to ask how the taming technique is. This is the secret technique of the Luo family, and Lao Luo will definitely not reveal it.And even if he revealed it, we probably wouldn't understand it.I just sigh with emotion, the world is so big, there are so many wonders.

"Have you ever heard of the legend of the snow camel?" Lao Luo asked us.

Snow camel? !

We all shook our heads: "I've never heard of it!"

Li Yingxin said: "I've heard of it, but it's only rare!"

The old Luo raised his neck and took a sip of water, pointed to the distant desert with a slightly excited expression: "It is said that in the depths of the desert, there is a snow camel, which is the patron saint of the desert. The snow camel is different from ordinary camels. Camels are taller than ordinary camels, covered in short white fur, pure white without any blemishes, and when they run, they look like a ball of snowballs rolling fast. According to legend, only those who have a relationship with the desert can do it. Meet the snow camel!"

We were fascinated by this, and Professor Ye asked Lao Luo: "Have you ever seen a snow camel in the desert for so many years?"

Lao Luo withdrew his longing gaze: "It's a pity, maybe I don't have enough opportunities. After walking in the desert for so many years, I have never met a snow camel!"

Li Yingxin said disapprovingly: "Perhaps the snow camel is just a legend, and I don't know who made it up!"

"No!" Lao Luo said firmly: "Nothing in the world is groundless. Although I have never seen a snow camel, my grandfather has seen a real snow camel. My knowledge and understanding of snow camels , Grandpa told me!"

We were surprised: "Has your grandfather ever seen a snow camel?"

Lao Luo nodded: "According to my grandfather, they encountered a terrible sandstorm in the desert. The sandstorm came very suddenly and very fast. Their camel caravan was swallowed by the sandstorm in an instant. Grandpa thought they were Dead. Unexpectedly, grandpa woke up later. When he woke up, he found himself lying on the back of the snow camel. It must have been the snow camel that rushed into the sandstorm and rescued him. He was lost again soon. He fell into a drowsy sleep. When he woke up again, he found himself lying in a safe place, and the snow camel had long since disappeared.

In that accident, only grandpa came back alive. Everyone felt incredible and praised grandpa for his life. Only grandpa knew that he was rescued by the snow camel.After that, grandpa went to the desert every year to look for snow camels, but unfortunately, until his death, he never saw snow camels again! "

After listening to Lao Luo's narration, we were all a little moved. We didn't expect that there was such an indissoluble bond between Lao Luo's family and Luo Tuo.

In the evening, we arrived at the most remote town.

It is said to be a small city, but it is actually an earthen village called Saibei Fort. It is a bit old. It is said that it was built in the Ming Dynasty. It is a fortress used to station troops.After passing Saibei Fort, you can enter the Lop Nur Desert, so Saibei Fort can be regarded as the last barrier. In ancient times, it was regarded as a border defense project to resist the intrusion of nomadic peoples in the Western Regions.

Saibei Fort covers an area of ​​about [-] to [-] mu. It is located in a mountain depression, with towering mountains on both sides. The geographical location is still very important, so it is no wonder that it will become a military stronghold.All the buildings in the fort are made of local materials, using the loess that can be found everywhere in the northwest region. This kind of loess is very viscous and easy to build. Many local people directly use this loess to build houses.

Due to the fact that it is too old, no one has lived here, and it has been abandoned for a long time. Many houses have been dilapidated, leaving mottled traces under the baptism of years.

The setting sun hangs lazily on the top of the mountain, sprinkled a blush, Saibeibao presents an ancient vicissitudes of beauty.

Lao Luo said, "Let's settle down here tonight!"

We rode camels into Saibei Fort, and when we entered the fort, we saw an earthen city wall, estimated to be more than ten meters high, with some arrow butts lined up on it, but many of them had rotted away.There is an arched city gate under the city wall, and the three characters "Saibei Fort" can still be faintly seen engraved on the city gate.

"Come on!" Lao Luo yelled, turned over and jumped off the camel's back, and then led the camel to a relatively well-preserved house.We also jumped down, yelling at the camels and following behind the old Luo.

Lao Luo said that this house was the former General's Mansion and also a military command center.This is a simple courtyard with three houses arranged in a zigzag shape.In the baptism of wind and frost, many walls have been peeled off, showing a sense of desolation and desolation.

We entered the central room, and the old camel led the camels to the door, lined up end to end, like a city wall blocking the door.Lao Luo said that the wind and sand in Saibei are very strong. At night, the yellow sand blows all over the sky. These camels can block a lot of wind and sand for us. Otherwise, when we wake up tomorrow morning, half of our bodies may be buried in the sand.

We looked around and found that there was indeed a layer of yellow sand on the ground. Fortunately, we had cashmere blankets. We took out the blankets and put them together. Everyone sat on the blankets. It was warm and did not feel the sand underneath. Knock ass.

(End of this chapter)