ARRIVAL AT THE HUNTING GROUNDS 129 



He had a rough way with him, this untutored 

 stalwart, but as soon as he was satisfied of our peaceful 

 — if somewhat enigmatical — intentions was not only 

 desirous, but wild to show us kindness and hospitality. 



Now we began to realize something of All's value. 

 As an interpreter he was really wonderful, and patient 

 beyond words to describe. He told us that Lesghian 

 and English would be very difficult to intertranslate, 

 Lesghian being a high-class language easily con- 

 founded ! 



We left Yakimo in charge of our beasts, and the 

 tattered aristocrats of the mountains guided us dowTi 

 the ledges to the door of our host's house, scrutinizing us 

 all the way. It is a very noticeable trait in these men 

 of the hills as opposed to those of the plains, this habit 

 of taking one in from head to foot. They will not 

 meet a straight look in the eyes, and if for a moment 

 they catch and hold your glance, it disconcerts them 

 frightfully. At first I thought this characteristic 

 untrustworthy, but at last I knew it to be the Daghestan 

 idea of good breeding. 



The house was two-storied, like our domicile of the 

 night before, but cleaner, larger, and with verandahs 

 to each story. In the ground-floor apartment were 

 comfortable divans, and a frayed carpet lay in the 

 centre, humming quietly to itself. 



In a sort of lean-to lived the surplus wives of the 

 Yuzbashi. Of course, in a Mahommedan country one 

 does not expect to see much of the womenfolk, but the 

 belles here were not all veiled and by no means living 

 purdah. Some were quite unveiled, others covered 



