24 CRASNOI LAIS. 



on the surface. The wind, luckily, was from them 

 to me, so that, though I walked back at my best 

 pace, plunging frantically into deep drifts every 

 few yards, from which I was spurred on by ever- 

 recurring wolf music, I saw nothing, though I 

 heard a good deal of my grim serenaders. It was 

 a retreat, I admit, undignified, if you will ; but if 

 the wind had been in another quarter it might 

 have been worse. Over our tea that night the 

 station-master spun many a long yarn of the doings 

 of the wolves, highly coloured perhaps, but true in 

 part, I believe. Next morning their tracks were 

 numerous by the post-road, and they must evi- 

 dently have been about in some force. 



After another day's journey, passing through a 

 few Cossack villages, with their green-domed 

 churches and walled enclosures, we at last came 

 in sight of our journey's end, Ekaterinodar. This 

 is the first town of any size on this side the Cau- 

 casus, and at first sight even this is more forest 

 than town. The trees have just been sufficiently 

 removed to make room for the houses, but wher- 

 ever no house actually stands the forest has not 

 been interfered with. The effect was extremely 

 pretty, now that the snow had loaded every tree 

 with its white plumes and given the streets a hard 

 white covering ; but in summer, when the acacias 

 (which predominate here) are in blossom, Ekateri- 

 nodar must be as lovely as it is malarious. In 



