AN IMPERIAL GIFT 87 



him," replied the General with a smile, and I went to bed 



happy.- 



About a fortnight after we returned to St. Petersburg, I 



received from the Grand Duke Nicholas through Colonel 

 Kasnakof, a silver cigarette case with the Imperial crown 

 and His Imperial Highness' monogram mounted in diamonds 

 and sapphires, as a souvenir of my breaking trip. The honour 

 of his distinguished appreciation was infinitely more grati- 

 fying to me than even his valuable gift, which is certainly 

 the most costly and beautiful cigarette case I have ever seen. 

 I was almost equally glad to learn that he was delighted 

 with the horse I sold him. 



I met Colonel Kasnakof, who was still in raptures with 

 his mare, and he told me that General Derfelden on his 

 return from Shandrovka had spent an evening with the 

 Grand Duke Nicholas, to whom he gave a full description of 

 my breaking. The Grand Duke was particularly interested 

 in the method of catching horses with a long pole and halter, 

 and he and his guests, among whom was I believe Colonel 

 Kasnakof, amused themselves by trying to entrap each 

 other in this manner. 



Colonel Kasnakof told me that the Grand Duke wished 

 to give me an engagement to teach my methods of breaking 

 at the remount depots (cadres] the following autumn. I 

 expressed my willingness to accept the offer, but could learn 

 nothing about the pay, the amount of which I naturally wanted 

 His Imperial Highness to state. Colonel Kasnakof tried to 

 impress on me the great importance of the honour such an 

 appointment would confer on me ; but I desired something 

 more substantial than glory. I suggested 100 guineas a 

 month, which must have appeared outrageously high ; for the 

 Colonel told me that no Russian field-marshal gets so much. 

 He asked me to say something moderate ; because, so he 

 said, the Grand Duke could not bargain (marckander). 



