5 o ODESSA AND MISKITCHEE. 



struck, and we dismounted to choose our sheep. 

 My friend plunged in among them, and after 

 regarding many with the eye of a profound connois- 

 seur, chose four. To choose them was easy, to 

 secure them seemed less so. Kicking off his shoes 

 and rolling up his long loose sleeves, the purchaser 

 tried to approach his purchase. The more he ad- 

 vanced the more rapidly the sheep retired, trying in 

 vain to lose himself amongst his comrades or sub- 

 stitute another in his place. But the Tartar was 

 not to be done, and in a quarter of an hour three 

 were secured, caught by the hind leg, jerked over 

 on their back, all four legs tied together, and 

 bundled into the cart. Ambitious of imitating my 

 friend, I too took off my boots, and made frantic 

 efforts to collar an innocent-looking beast. After 

 an enormous waste of time I did get hold of a leg 

 of mutton, though not, I believe, the right one. 

 The jerk was neatly given, but alas! not by the 

 right creature. In a moment I was sprawling, and 

 in another the whole flock was romping over my 

 breathless body. How I extricated myself I know 

 not, but when I did I sat me down, feeling sheep- 

 ish in more ways than one, and resumed my boots 

 a wiser, though a sadder man. 



Having got our whole cargo on board, we set 

 off for the nearest Tartar village, killing on the 

 way another hare. By the way, whenever I killed 

 anything, my guide insisted on cutting its throat 



