OF THE OLD WORLD. 30') 



two or three with their matchlocks, for the sake of 

 the fur, and, dispersing the rest, continued their 

 journey. Shortly afterwards a strange howling noise 

 was heard in the reai-, whicli at first sounded like 

 the roaring of the wind, but afterwards increased to 

 such a pitch, that they thought Jehannura (the in- 

 fernal regions) was turned loose, and that the cry 

 they had heard was the exulting laugh of the " gins '' 

 and " afrits," (evil spirits,) whom they believe to 

 inhabit the impenetrable snows of j\Iount El-bruz. 

 At length their attention was called to a dark mass 

 of black objects spreading over the snow, like a cloud 

 on the horizon, and the full extent of their danger 

 now burst upon them, for they knew they were pur- 

 sued by a horde of wolves. 



Their horses were already fatigued with a long 

 day's journey, but terror seemed to give them wings, 

 for they tore along as if they knew their peril, and 

 for a while seemed to hold their own. The nearest 

 " konak" or hamlet was at least two " saat" or seven 

 miles distant, and the ground was in many places so 

 deep with drifted snow that their horses could hardly 

 get along. The crisis was now evidently fiist ap- 

 proaching, for the advanced troop were almost within 

 gun-shot, howling and yelling as wolves only can. 

 A brief consultation was held, and it was determined 

 to sacrifice the prisoners one by one, so as to gain 

 time for the rest to escape. The woman met her fate 

 first. One of their number stepping behind, drew 

 his sabre across the hocks of her horse, hamstringing 



