CHAPTER XXII. 



Circassian scenery. — A false alarm. — The Bey's konak. — Riflea 

 and revolvers. — Circassian cuisine.— A goose cooked ii la Mrs 

 Harris. — Uninvited company. — News of a bear. — A night 

 prowler. — A huntsman's toilet. — The route through the 

 ravines. — The lair. — The Bey's dogs give tongue. — An enor 

 mous bear wounded. — A man mauled. — The Bruin bites the 

 dust. — The bivouac. — Horses stolen. — Mussulman apathy. — 

 The pursuit. — The trail. — The plunderers surprised and taken. 

 — Their punishment. 



The next morning we all set out with the Illori 

 chieftain, and after a four hours' ride through a 

 densely-wooded country, arrived at the gorge of a 

 romantically picturesque valley, which appeared to 

 wind its way for several miles between two lofty 

 mountain ridges, forming a part of the chain of the 

 Caucasus ; a tortuous path, so narrow that we were 

 obliged to ride in single file, and keep a sliarp look- 

 out that we did not come in contact with overhang- 

 ing rocks or branches of trees, wound along the edge 

 of a chasm, in which a foaming mountain-torrent 

 dashed impetuously ; and at times we passed along 

 the brinks of precipices which made the head giddv 



