154 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



CHAPTER Y. 



SHUKACHALO. 



When we came back to Gebi, empty-handed 

 and crestfallen, vre felt far too humble to 

 resent the sneers of those local Nimrods who 

 had bade ns go forth certam to return m a 

 day or two laden with the spolia ojnma of 

 the mountams. To our surprise, instead of 

 contempt we met with universal sympathy, 

 and in answer to our oft repeated, ' Never 

 killed anything all the week,' the simple faces 

 of those who had told us of the largest bags 

 made daily within a mile or two of Gebi, 

 beamed a cheerful, ' Well, there's nothing very 

 wonderful in that ! ' But as we beo^an to know 



