174 THRILLING ADVENTURES. 



a large fair held at the foot of the pass, a year's intercourse. 

 These men, I have no doubt, assisted by one of my own men, 

 (and I strongly suspected Buctoo, although he most solemnly 

 denied doing it,) played them a sad trick. I may here note 

 that almost every Tartar carries a pipe, rudely made of 

 wrought-iron, of about the size and shape of a common clay 

 pipe. Being inveterate smokers, a pipe full of good tobacco 

 is one of the most convincing arguments you can employ. 

 While I was at dinner, I ordered some tobacco to be given to 

 them, and it was proposed they should put that in their 

 pouches, and allow some of my fellows to charge their pipes 

 with their own tobacco, of which they begged their acceptance. 

 The Tartars, nothing loth, assented, and each man gave 

 his iron pipe to be charged, which was duly done, and returned 

 to each owner. Smoking then commenced, and, on finishing 

 my dinner and coming outside the tent, I found the Tartars 

 all in a circle, smoking away, and my men, some ten yards 

 from them, and above them, and talking to them. They were 

 also smoking. Thinking nothing of this at the time, I took 

 no notice, and had my chair brought outside, and smoked my 

 cigar. In less than five minutes I was considerably astonished 

 on hearing a salvo as of a volley of musketry, and iron pipes 

 flying up and down in all directions. Then a general shout, 

 and off went the Tartars, as if Old Nick was at their heels, 

 hallooing most fearfully. They, however, this time did not 

 run far ; they brought up about three hundred yards from 

 where they had started, demanding only their pipes back. I 

 went up to them, asking what was the matter ; and after a 

 short time they said nothing farther than that they would take 

 precious good care never to smoke English tobacco again, for 

 it was too strong for them. We smoked with tobacco, and shot 

 with tobacco, and Shcitzan must have been the maufacturer. 



