264 CASUALS IN THE CAUCASUS 



anyone who ventured to hold diametrically opposed 

 views to his own. Such ideas could not possibly matter, 

 for the holder was invariably stigmatized as " quite 

 mad." By the time he had worked through the list 

 the Prince could not tell us of one sane statesman. 



It was after one of these illuminating discussions 

 that Cecily wrote out the insinuating lines : 



" All the world's a wee bit saft 

 Save thee and me, 

 And thee's a little ! " 



and hung them on a desk which set its raison d'etre at 

 naught. It was made of the entwined horns of the 

 ollen, the giant deer of the Caucasus, and the sharp 

 tines dug into you on every side. The most rampant 

 author would cease authoring here. 



