330 SHORES OF THE CASPIAN. 



plaint-book a book in which travellers have a right 

 at all times to enter their grievances, which is kept 

 affixed by a seal to the table in the guest-room, 

 and which is the sole check upon the absolute 

 power of a station-master. To remove this or 

 to refuse to produce it, is the greatest crime the 

 station-master can commit, and would, if reported, 

 ensure his eviction from his post. But in this case 

 the man remained firm, being deep in a drinking 

 bout with his yemstchiks, and refused point blank 

 to produce either horses or book, or to let me in. 

 Feeling convinced that I had Russian law on my 

 side, and that the fellow, for his own sake, dare not 

 make any report, I kicked his door down, and taking 

 him by the arm brought him across to the guests' 

 room, where a couple of Armenian merchants in the 

 same plight as myself were kicking their heels and 

 cursing the cause of their needless delay. Having 

 got my enemy into the room, I had the doors shut, 

 showed him some letters of introduction I had 

 with me, and then telling him I knew to what he ws 

 liable if I reported his refusal to produce the com- 

 plaint-book, I began to solemnly roll up the a if Is 

 of iriy Tscherkess costume, preparatory, as I in- 

 formed him, to administering to him severe corporal 

 punishment. The letters, my knowledge of Russian 

 post-road rules, and perhaps a certain air of meaning 

 what I said, had their effect, and in a minute the 

 other side of the Asiatic character was revealed, the 



