412 TRAINING OF THE COSSACK 



as a rampart from behind which he can lire ; to mount 

 rapidly and attack with the sabre ; to use the sabre in any 

 position or at any gait ; to lire rapidly and with good aim 

 at any speed and in any position ; to turn from the attack 

 at a gallop and seek shelter. In order to accomplish this 

 end, the Cossacks are as lads exercised in horse-vaulting, 

 w^hich they call jigitofka, and this exercise is carried to 

 a hio;h deo;ree of excellence. 



The ambitious Cossack lad, like the Indian, soon gets 

 to know every horse in his village, and the adaptability 

 of each one to the quick turns and twists of the jigitofka. 

 Surefootedness is a prime quality in his little steed, for on 

 it the Cossack must rely in many of his vaulting exer- 

 cises ; speed comes next, coupled with endurance ; and in 

 other qualities he agrees with what all horse-lovers deem 

 essential. 



There is a preparatory camp of instruction for these 

 Cossack lads when they have attained a certain age and 

 skill; and when a boy returns from it he is called ajigit 

 or vaulter. At this camp emulation is rampant, and the 

 exercises call out all the lads can do. They pick up ob- 

 jects from the ground ; they jump obstacles standing in 

 the saddle, or with their shoulder in the saddle and feet in 

 air ; they throw their horses at a gallop, or, strictly speak- 

 ing, they stop them suddenly and make them lie down, a 

 thing which is done so rapidly that the first phrase almost 

 describes the feat ; they pick up wounded men when going 

 at speed; they mount and dismount at full gallo}); they leap 

 from one horse to another ; they ride two or more men on 

 one horse and change horses at speed ; they perform i?i 

 patto all they must do in active service on a large scale. 

 All these things are what our Indians do, varied in man- 

 ner to suit a people equally wild, but of a different class. 

 The throwing of horses — but not at speed — was at one 



