RETURN TO KERTCH. );i 



not get him beyond a particular point on the road 

 home for some time ; and when at last I did drive 

 him past with heels and whip, he dashed away 

 with a sudden plunge, and, catching the bit in his 

 teeth, bolted as hard as he could gallop from that 

 point to Duapse or, rather, the river that gives 

 that town its name. It was no good my trying 

 to stop the hard-mouthed little beast with the 

 feeble tackle at my service, and, dashing through 

 the darkness over the roughest of roads, I could 

 only sit still, and hope that the sagacity and keen 

 sight of the horse might save both his neck and 

 my own. I had no time to feel nervous as we 

 crossed the first bridge, which seemed to rock as 

 we dashed over it a couple of bounds, and we 

 were on the other side but from that to the next 

 bridge rny mind was tortured with visions of the 

 horse's feet slipping from under him on one of the 

 poles, and the inevitable fall that must follow. 

 But horses have wonderful eyes, and, if left to 

 themselves, see as well in a dark night, 1 think, as 

 their riders do by day ; and, in spite of the rough 

 road and the bridges, we were soon breast deep in 

 the stream, and half swimming, half fording it, 

 came in safety to the other shore. 



Amongst other things which served to pass my 

 time whilst waiting for the boat at Duapse was a 

 peasant's wedding supper. At the ceremony itself 

 I was not present, but I presume it was like all 



