15G THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



shouldered, and as nimble as any wild cat ! His Tar- 

 tar frock, beshmet they call it, was always torn and 

 patched, but his weapons were bright, and adorned with 

 silver. And then his horse, it was renowned through- 

 out all Kabarda, and a better it would certainly be 

 impossible to conceive. It was not without reason, 

 all the marauders envied him the possession of such 

 an animal, and more than one attempt was made to 

 steal it from him, but never with success. I can see 

 that horse now, as plainly as if it stood before me, 

 black as pitch, its limbs slender and strong as steel, 

 its eyes a match for Bela's ; and then for bottom ! it 

 would clear its full fifty versts at full speed ; and so 

 tractable, that it would follow its master like a dog, ay ! 

 it knew even what he said. Very often he did not even 

 tether it. Take it for all in all, it was the very model 

 of a robber's horse. 



Kasbitch was more sullen that evening than usual, 

 and I noticed that he had on a shirt of mail under his 

 beshmet. It is not for nothing, thinks I, he wears 

 that shirt of mail ; he has something in his head, 

 I'm sure. 



The guest room was very close, and I went out of 

 doors to breathe the fresh air. Night had now settled 

 on the mountains, and the mists were creeping forth 

 from the glens. The thought struck me I would go into 



