352 THE HUNTING GEOrNDS 



of a leader whose cowardice or treachery allowed 

 the sole object of the expedition to fail, 1 obtained 

 leave to throw up my appointment and return to 

 the Crimea, where I hoped again to partake of more 

 stirring deeds. But it was not to be — "the de'il 

 confound the ministry ! " they began to make peace 

 at the time we had just warmed to our work, and 

 when we were best able to carry on the war the 

 armistice was signed, peace concluded, and "Othello's 

 occupation gone." Finding it was uncertain when 

 a steamer was likely to touch at Tchamshira, the 

 nearest point of embarkation to Sugdidi, where ihe 

 head-quarters of the army were established, I re- 

 solved to go to Suchum Kaleh by land, amusing 

 myself with shooting amongst the lower spurs of 

 the Caucasus en route. 



Besides a guide, I had five well-tried followers, 

 whom I had picked up from amongst the Bashi- 

 Bazouks during the campaign of the Danube : a 

 fearless set of men, ever true to their salt, who 

 cared neither for laws nor Pachas, and who, being 

 used to campaigning and foraging, were just the 

 fellows to have about one in a country where " might 

 is right," and " he may take who has the power, and 

 he may keep who can ;" for, although the Russians 

 liad vacated those districts some time previously, 

 predatory bands of Abassians, Mingrelians, and 

 Circassians were continually prowlmg about, not 

 particularly nice as to whom they plundered. We 

 were all well armed and mounted on Arabs, or 



