THE LESGHTAN MOUNTAINS. 285 



!-ec that game is extremely plentiful, and I still 

 look forward to a good time coming, when, know- 

 ing my ground and my men better, I may profit 

 by my past experiences, and make a bag that any 

 sportsman might be proud of. It is, I believe, 

 always very long odds against a man making a 

 large bag in a country utterly strange to him 

 without efficient guides. 



My farewell to my Lesghian hosts had in it 

 more of regret than characterised my leave-takings 

 generally in the Caucasus ; and my presentiments 

 did not deceive me, for it was long before I met with 

 such a cleanly, hospitable home again. Christmas 

 Day I spent at Gerdaoul, where we had a deer 

 drive among the mountains on a pouring wet day, 

 which made our style of sport peculiarly un- 

 pleasant. Unluckily, Ivan shot a doe early in 

 the day, and over the carcass of this the whole 

 band of Armenians who were to us both beaters 

 and hosts fought like dogs over a bone. Seeing 

 there was no chance of more sport that day, I left 

 them to stab one another for a half pound more or 

 less of venison if they liked ; and feeling a twinge or 

 two of rheumatism, trudged on towards Goktchai, 

 leaving Allai to follow with the horses. 



At one of the villages on my way back I was 

 met by a deputation, asking me to sanction the 

 release of a wretched Tartar, who had applied 

 some abusive language to me on my journey to 



