THREE DAYS AT TAGUIL 19 



death for non-compliance with the wishes of her 



torturers. Other instances of this kind might be 



given, but it would carry me too far from my subject. 



On the day we arrived at Taguil (the Littledales, 



my wife, and myself), we visited the iron-works, and 



having heard that there was some fair woodcock 



shooting to be obtained in the vicinity of the town, 



we decided (Littledale and I) to go out that evening 



with our guns. Spring woodcock -shooting is a 



favourite sport in Russia. It is known under the 



name of "Tiaga," which signifies a marked place 



where woodcock fly towards evening in search of 



their mates, skimming the tops of trees and uttering 



a hissing cry, which is heard from afar. They usually 



skim in circles round the place, and the guns are 



posted in the centre of the line of flight. I have 



heard of a dozen birds having been bagged in this 



way between 7 and 7.30 p.m. We travelled in a 



luggage van for about ten miles along the new 



railway that had just been constructed to the works, 



and soon found ourselves in the midst of the woods. 



As the sun was setting I heard the first woodcock's 



cry, followed immediately by shots. Nothing came 



in my direction, but Littledale secured three. We 



returned in the dark, and found our platform -car 



waiting for us. 

 c 2 



