v.] PACK-HORSE STAMPEDES. 95 



load. The last string was in charge of our new man, who, over- 

 come by the " damnable iteration " of a birch-forest, fell asleep and 

 tumbled off his horse. In his fall, unfortunately, he dislodged 

 some of the loose packs, which, swinging under the horse's belly, 

 started it off at full speed. Dashing wildly forward, the frightened 

 animals caught the others in rear, upsetting Vodki and communi- 

 cating the stampede to the whole line. "We were at the time in 

 thick forest, and plunging into this, our cavalcade rapidly disap- 

 peared in all directions, various ominous crackings alone revealing 

 their line of progress. When separate individuals of a string try 

 to pass on different sides of the same tree a startling effect is very 

 often produced, but the old and experienced packhorse knows that 

 better results may be obtained by the navigation of a three-foot 

 passage between two birches. "We found Ivan supporting his head 

 in both hands, and proceeded to administer a lecture and surgical 

 relief. Yodki, by the really masterly and exhaustive mannei in 

 which he was exhibiting the expletive richness of the Eussian 

 language, was evidently not in a condition to require attention. 

 There is ahvays, happily, a comical side to these affairs, which 

 makes the traveller regard " the most disastrous chances " to his 

 baggage with tolerable ecpianmiity. 



"We pitched camp about twelve or fifteen miles from Narcliiki, 

 a little "\dllage that in bygone days was one of the palisaded ostrogs 

 of the Eussians ; and though close to a pretty and most likely- 

 looking stream, we were unable to catch any fish for supper, for 

 the first and only tune during our ride to the river. 



In most ])ush countries it is the hunter's rule to see that the fire 

 is extinguished, or at least rendered harmless, Ijefore breaking camp. 

 In Ivamschatka the greatest care is taken aliout this, as bush-fires 

 invariably cause the sables to desert the neighbourhood for many 

 miles around. As my readers are perhaps aware, the fur of this 

 annual is the most valuable export of the country, and a very large 

 proportion of the inhabitants are employed for the greater part of 

 the year in sable-hunting only. The price obtained by the hunter 



