212 TIFLIS. 



the four (for another appeared at once on the 

 scene) would be extremely poor ; so with a good 

 start I took to my heels and ran. Up one hill and 

 over its brow into the valley that separated it from 

 another no bigger than itself, from that to another 

 and a third, the chase went on the pursuers 

 growing in numbers each time I looked back, 

 until, when quite blown, I stopped to see whether 

 my rifle would intimidate them, they had in- 

 creased to over a dozen. A shot from my rifle 

 did stop them for a moment or two ; bat before I 

 was well at the bottom of the hill from which I 

 fired I heard them coming on again. And here 

 I began to feel things were really extremely serious 

 for me. I had killed their dog I had therefore 

 little mercy to expect from them. I was dead 

 beat, and my bitten leg made running all the more 

 difficult. I had only half a dozen cartridges with 

 me ; and at the very best I could not hope to make 

 a good fight of it, so poorly furnished Avith ammu- 

 nition, against so many rascals with their blood 

 up, in a place where there was no stone or bush to 

 get behind. That they would make short work of 

 me if they caught me I had little doubt ; the 

 quarrel would in their eyes justify any outrage, 

 and my good rifle be an additional incentive to 

 them to give me my quietus. 



But here a double saved me. At the bottom 

 of the little hill I was still on was a wide earth 



