PLEASURES OF MOUNTAINEERING. 177 



Frank, and a black woodpecker or two, 

 Shukaclialo was very destitute of birds. 



Frank, it seems, had very soon had 

 enough, of the pleasures of mountaineering ; 

 in fact, that hatred for all high places which 

 afterwards became a passion with him, had 

 already taken root. After a comfortable 

 snooze on a couch of mountain moss, he had 

 come back early, and set to work like a 

 man at constructing our camp ; and a tent 

 firmly erected, and well lined with fern and 

 dry leaves, a blazing fire, something to eat, 

 and a pile of fuel cut into lengths, all ready 

 for burning, bore witness to his energy. 



As the corn-fields were close at hand, we 

 did not hurry over our evening meal, but 

 rested and refreshed ourselves at leisure. 

 This Shukachalo week was certainly the most 

 luxurious time we spent in the Caucasus, and 

 if I wanted to make a good bag of bears and 



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