THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 159 



Karagos running straight towards them. The whole 

 pack made at him with a yell ; he turned ; they followed 

 him a long, long while ; and one in particular was 

 twice near flinging the noose over his neck. I shook 

 from head to foot, shut my eyes, and began to pray. 

 Some moments afterwards I opened them again, and 

 behold, there goes my Karagos, with his tail at full 

 stretch, flying like the wind, and the Cossacks creeping 

 away one after the other, on their jaded horses far off 

 towar4s the Steppe. By Allah ! every word I tell you 

 is the truth, the strict truth! I staid in the chasm 

 till a late hour of the night. All at once guess what, 

 Asamat ! I heard a horse running along the bank, 

 snorting, whinnying, and pawing the ground. I knew 

 the voice of my Karagos, and it was he, indeed, my 

 trusty comrade ! Since that day we are inseparable. 5 



And I could hear him patting his horse's polished 

 neck, and calling him by all the endearing names he 

 could think of. 



' If I had a herd of a thousand mares,' cried 

 Asamat, * I would give them every one for your 

 Karagos.' 



' Like enough ; but I would not let him go for 

 them,' said Kasbitch, with indifference. 



' Hark ye, Kasbitch,' said Asamat coaxingly. 'You 

 are a good fellow, you are a brave zhighit ; my father, 



