Nearing the End of the Journey. 



being killed and others injured. The police officer on duty 

 told me he had only saved them with the utmost difficulty, 

 breaking his " nagaika," or Cossack whip, in beating back the 

 mob. 



Between Barnaul and Novo Nicholaevsk I met large caravans 

 of freight sledges engaged in trade with the district to the 

 south towards Mongolia and the Altai. Each sledge was drawn 

 by a single horse, about ten or twelve sledges being in charge 

 of one driver, who slept most of the time, which, however, did not 



i|,««*^ 



"THE ROAD BECOMES WORN INTO A SUCCESSION OF 

 TRANSVERSE RIDGES." 



seem to matter much, for the horses knew the way, plodding on 

 with great sagacity. 



From the number of these freight sledges, which are constantly 

 passing, the road becomes worn into a succession of transverse 

 ridges, caused by the animals treading in each other's footsteps, 

 thus leaving a series of equi-distant and parallel lines as though 

 sleepers had been laid across the roadway. 



All night we pressed on, alternately cantering and gallop- 

 ing, but occasionally breaking into a furious run over some 



425 



