THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 141 



you may be sure there is either a general, a police- 

 man, or a Circassian coming. 



Every shot from the rifles of these wild riders tells ; 

 and though their pistols are but indifferent, yet at full 

 gallop they seldom miss their aim at a piece of paper 

 lying on the ground. Some of the more dextrous 

 hit with equal certainty a silver ruble piece, or strike 

 the earth so close to it as to make it fly into the air. 

 With the rifle they practise the Parthian mode of 

 warfare, shooting behind them as they fly ; and, in 

 order to be able to turn rouiid more readily, and place 

 themselves in the only position in which it is possible 

 to acquire any accuracy of aim from the back of a 

 galloping horse, they ride with one stirrup longer than 

 the other. They also ride with a loose rein, which 

 is found to be indispensable to secure the safe footing 

 of their steeds over the precipitous ground which they 

 traverse, because it leaves the animal to trust entirely to 

 his own judgment and exertion. But on the plain this 

 habit greatly impairs its speed, as the natural tendency 

 of the horse is to take short rapid steps instead of 

 long sweeping strides, which he can only venture on 

 when accustomed, by the assisting hand of his rider, 

 to gather himself together like the bent bow, ready 

 for fresh distention. 



The warfare waged by the Russians against the 



