238 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



guide led the way through the clearer spaces in 

 the forest. Presently we came to the banks of the 

 river, which forked at that place in two separate 

 channels. We found no difficulty in crossing the first 

 one, which seemed but a sidewater, but the main 

 stream was exceedingly swift, and, judging by the sub- 

 merged willows on the other side, in a state of Hood. 

 Young Nikolai' bravely pushed his horse in, followed 

 by the packs, but hardly had he waded on a few 

 yards when his pony lost its footing, and started 

 swimming at the mercy of the current, landing on 

 the opposite bank some distance below. This example 

 was imitated by the other horses, who managed 

 eventually to reach their destination, though not 

 without a previous thorough damping of our baggage. 

 One of them, attempting to land at a spot where 

 the bank was higher, was carried back into the stream 

 by the weight of its load, and had to be hauled 

 out by the men a hundred yards lower down, with 

 my soaked bedding. It was lucky the pony was 

 not drowned in its struggles, entangled as it was 

 in the straps. The game, however, was won, and 

 unbounded our satisfaction when we resumed our 

 journey an hour later. At times the scrub became 

 so dense that it was necessary to cut our way through 

 with an axe as well as with the aid of our hunting- 



