and they had rested every time I sketched. It was now four o'clock, the evening would soon be drawing in, and no time was to be lost. We therefore rode along the steppe quickly, and one of the Kirghis guided us toward a cove running into the mountains, bounded by very high cliffs. I could see no means of escape from this place; still he rode on, followed by our little party, and after going about two versts, turned past some high rocks, and found ourselves at the mouth of a very rugged ravine.

Our guide dismounted, and we all followed his example, when he took the reins of my bridle and began to ascend, leading the two horses after him. I pushed on in front, and soon discovered that the path was not easy for a biped, much less for a quadruped. None but Kirghis horses would have faced this broken and rugred track, and no horse could have descended. We mounted slowly, and at last reached the top without accident. I was much afraid some of the horses might slip and break their legs between the rocks. We let them breathe about ten minutes and then sprang into our saddles, and away we went over a thick mossy grass growing on the mountain slope. In less than half an hour we came upon our track of the morning; then, for about three versts, we had to descend over loose stones, and this rendered our progress slow. Night was coming on fast when we reached the steppe; but here we had good ground to ride over, and our horses were not spared, to the great joy of one of our Kirghis, who flourished his whip and shouted with delight as we bounded over the plain.

It was quite dark before we reached the aoul, where camels, horses, and all the stock were at home resting. When the rumbottle was brought out I could see the twinkle in the old man's eye. Again I handed him some in the cup, which I felt sure would be rejected-—I was right—it passed to less scrupulous lips; but the moment the sons and other Kirghis left the yourt, he made signs to me for his portion. The first cup was not enough; it was drunk, and immediately held out for a second. Fancying this might lead to mischief, I took a piece of stearine candle out of my box, lighted it, and put it beside me. I then poured a small quantity of rum into the cup, leaving it standing on my teabox, which I had placed before him. He looked into the cup and was greatly dissatisfied with the quantity, asking for more; I

252

A NIGHT ATTACK BY ROBBERS.

poured a little into a teaspoon, and held it over the candle without letting him see what I was doing. When the spirit caught fire I took the cup, poured the burning fluid into the rum, and placed it before him. As the blue flames curled up he looked perfectly aghast, muttering something about Shaitan. After the flame had burnt out I offered him another cup, but nothing could induce him to touch it, even with his finger. I spent two more nights at this aoul without even having induced him to taste rum in tea.

About two o'clock in the morning the whole aoul became a scene of intense alarm and confusion. When lying on the ground every thing is more distinctly heard than when sleeping even a little above it, and I was awoke by a great noise, which appeared to come from some subterranean cavern. At first I thought it was the rumbling of an earthquake, and instantly sat upright; the sound rolled on, approaching nearer and nearer; presently it passed, and the earth shook: it was the whole herd of horses dashing past at full gallop. Now came shrieks and the shouting of men, from which I at once knew that robbers had invaded the aoul. It was but the work of a moment to seize the rifle standing close to my head and rush out of the yourt, when I beheld the Kirghis, with their battle-axes in their hands, spring upon their horses, and dash off toward the place where we heard the shouting. The herds were galloping furiously round the aoul, and the Cossacks were out with their muskets in their hands; in short, it was a scene of terrible confusion. Old Mahomed was shouting with all his might; the women and children were shrieking and running from yourt to yourt; nor could we see what was going on in the distance. Presently we heard the sound of horses galloping toward us, but whether friends or foes we knew not; in less than two minutes a dark mass rushed past at full gallop, about twenty paces distant, yelling forth shouts of defiance. I could distinguish for an instant the heads of men through the gloom, and the women shrieked out" the robbers;" in a moment five balls whistled after them; there was a scream from a horse, but we could hear that they galloped on. Presently our Kirghis went past in pursuit, by which time two Cossacks were mounted, and off also.

There were not less than twenty men on the track of these robbers, who were somewhat encumbered by the horses they had caught, and others they were driving off. After riding about a

HORSES STOLEN.-PART RECOVERED.

255

verst the Kirghis came up to them, when they discovered that the banditti were three times their number, and prepared to defend their booty. Our friends were now obliged to beat a retreat, having no chance against such odds. It was our arms that frightened these villains, or they would no doubt have returned, and made another attack on the aoul. I deeply regretted it was not daylight; had it been so, some of these desperate fellows would have bit the dust, as they passed in one thick mass within pistol-shot, and the rifles would have brought them down at a long distance. There was no more sleeping after this; all were on the alert, and the women and children much frightened. It was supposed that the rascals had got more than a hundred horses; but at daylight several were observed feeding on the steppe, six or seven versts distant, which had escaped in the dark, or when the Kirghis rode up. Two of the tribe were sent to seek for any other animals that might have been left, and in about two hours returned, bringing back seventeen: the robbers had got off with a hundred.

The dogs and a boy on watch first detected them: a party had got among, and were trying to divide the herd, intending to kill the watchmen, and then sweep off a vast number in the confusion which would ensue. This band of villains had undoubtedly been lurking among some of the mountains to the west-most probably had been watching our movements when sketching the day before. We had not been near enough for them to seize us, and if they had failed in the attempt it would have put Mahomed on his guard. It was quite certain that they had driven their plunder off in this direction.

Notwithstanding this affair, I was still determined to follow up my researches after the curious and picturesque in nature, which I expected to find in the region beyond my ride of yesterday, and three Cossacks and two Kirghis accompanied me. Our arms had been examined to see that all was right. My pistols were not carried in the holsters to-day; I had them in my belt; not that there was any fear of our coming up with the large band who had visited us in the night; they would be far away with the horses; but it was thought that we might meet with a gang of ten or fifteen remaining behind to pick up any horses that had escaped or were left; also to watch the movements of any party attempting a pursuit, and lead them off the track.