306 CASUALS IN THE CAUCASUS 



vodka, that made from potatoes, nothing stems the 

 torrent of carefully-thought-out malignancy. Some- 

 times, too, at these seasons, a strange " domovoi " 

 blows in, and then the two vexed spirits, acting in 

 concert, need some pacifying. 



Only once in a great while can you see a " domovoi," 

 a very small immortal, a sort of miniature Father 

 Christmas, with long white beard, long hair, and 

 brilliant eyes. 



As the dies ircB of the household spirit was at hand 

 the castle baboushka feared for the safety of our 

 trophies. What if the " domovoi " took exception 

 to them ! So the saucers were placed about, a charm 

 no gourmand " domovoi " could resist. 



I believe he came to the Caucasus with the moujik — 

 there's something very like him in Russian folk-lore. 

 Only the Karbardans would none of it. Other brands 

 of " domovoi " there may be, but their own has 

 frequented Karbarda since Karbarda was. 



Even His Highness was singularly uninterested in 

 the folk-tales and proverbial sayings which must have 

 been familiar to him all his life. I did wish he would 

 have added to our meagre store, for in the folk-tales 

 and the proverbs of a country we often find the key to 

 the locked heart of things. A land so romantic, so 

 wild, so untutored as the Caucasus must have a vast 

 storehouse of mysterious tales and wise sayings hidden 

 away. But the treasure lies very deep. 



The country as a whole has no ancient literature, 

 always excepting the Georgian nation, whom one can- 

 not class with the other tribes at all ; and where there 



