8o CASUALS IN THE CAUCASUS 



induced us to promise gladly the inclusion of that 

 region in our wanderings. Thereabouts the prince 

 had a country house, where he raised horses for the 

 Caucasian army, and there, in September, we might 

 hunt the great stag of the country ; the ibex of the 

 region, Capra Pallasi ; chamois, and bears, if we were 

 not critical of their coats, lynxes, wolves, foxes, and 

 game birds of many varieties. So it was arranged, 

 and the route planned, the time fixed. 



"Au jour I " said the prince earnestly, raising his 

 glass. 



I got a terrific shock. Could it be possible that the 

 now celebrated toast, said to be drunk nightly in the 

 German Navy, is also honoured in the Caucasus! Visions 

 of further necessary Dreadnoughts beset me, and — but 

 our gallant was merely referring to the day of days 

 when we should " condescend to visit his inferior 

 establishment." At least, that is how Cecily translated 

 his next words, which had lapsed into Russian, as was 

 usual with him. Very likely he said something quite 

 different. Whenever my two cousins relied on their 

 knowledge of the language of the country, the situation 

 always grew as desperate as could be. 



We sent forward to meet us at Signakh six cargo 

 mules in charge of a little Tatar engaged by Ali Ghirik. 

 His name sounded like Yakimo, so Yakimo we called 

 him. He told us that his mules could carry three hun- 

 dred pounds each, but we thought that rather a stiff 

 load day after day, and arranged a whole holiday for 

 every animal in turn, and saw to it that the packs 

 weighed considerably less than our muleteer advocated. 



