TOUR TO CIBELDA. 293 



so that the horses' hoofs stuck fast in the tenacious 

 soil, and we were frequently obliged to dismount and 

 assist our horses. Numberless creeping plants also 

 throve here, forcing us to make wide circuits; and 

 the places sought out by us, which on account of too 

 great moisture were free from creepers, bore a vege- 

 tation of reed -like plants of such a height that they 

 overtopped horse and rider. Once the ground became 

 so steep that the horses could not proceed. I could 

 then not help admiring the cleverness of our Russians. 

 They sought out a particularly steep and slippery 

 spot, and cautiously let down the horses one by one 

 with ropes attached to their tails, whilst we ourselves 

 slid down without any such check. 



At the next ascent I made the discovery that 

 the tail of the Caucasian mountain-horse plays a further 

 important part in difficult mountain -tours. We were 

 obliged to climb up on foot the particularly steep 

 height, to spare the already much fatigued animals, 

 which had necessarily to bring us to our goal before 

 sunset, and I soon found myself at the end of my 

 strength. In my distress it occurred to me to grasp 

 the tail of the horse clambering quite cheerfully be- 

 side me up the stony path. That seemed to be a 

 well-known procedure to it; it redoubled its efforts, 

 and I attained without difficulty the crest of the hill, 

 where the officer received me with the applauding ex- 

 clamation ''Caucasian fashion!" When I looked back 

 at my hinder-men, I found them all, to my surprise, 

 also clinging to the tails of their steeds. 



