166 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



veil, and staunched the wound as well as we could : in 

 vain Petchorin kissed her cold lips nothing could 

 bring her back to consciousness. 



Petchorin mounted ; I lifted her from the ground, 

 and placed her carefully before him on the saddle ; he 

 put his arm round her, and we rode back to the fort. 

 We sent for the surgeon ; he was rather drunk, but he 

 came ; and having examined the wound, he told us she 

 could not live two days. He was wrong, however 



L. Did she recover ? 



M. No. The surgeon was only thus far mistaken, 

 that she did survive for two days. 



L. But tell me, how had Kasbitch contrived to 

 carry her off ? 



M. In this way. Contrary to Petchorin's express 

 desire, she had gone out of the fort to the stream. 

 The weather, you see, was very hot, so she sat down 

 on a stone, and bathed her feet in the water. Just 

 then Kasbitch stole along, pounced upon her, clapped 

 his hand upon her mouth, dragged her into the thicket, 

 where he sprang on his horse with her, and was off. 

 Meanwhile she had been able to cry out ; the sentinels 

 were alarmed, and they fired, but missed ; at that mo- 

 ment we came up. 



L. But what was Kasbitch's motive for carrying 

 her off ? 



M. Motive ? Why, they are all notorious robbers, 

 these Circassians. If anything is badly watched, you 



