WAR TO THE KNIFE. 60 



frequently descend upon the Tartar-Chinese villages, enter the farms, 

 turn aside with contempt from the domestic animals which they 

 encounter, and penetrate even into the interior of the houses to select 

 their victims, seizing them invariably by the throat and strangling 

 them. Not a village in Tartary but has every year to deplore some 

 calamity of this kind. One might say that the wolves of this 



CAPTURE or A WOL 



KIRGHIZ HORSEMAX. 



country sought specially to avenge themselves on men for the blood- 

 thirsty war the Tartars wage against them." And it is true that in 

 their pursuit of these animals the inhabitants of the Steppes display 

 not only an ardour which would be legitimate, but a fierce and 

 uncontrollable cruelty. 



" They pursue them everyAvhere a entrance" remarks M. Hue ; 

 " they regard them as their chief enemy, on account of the terrible 



