COISIMENCEMENT OF TROUBLES. 243 



After leaving our noon-day halting-place 

 we turned up a gully to the west, and forced 

 our way painfully through the thickets of 

 weeds and flowers which clothe the foot-hills 

 below the ridge which separates the river 

 Lapur from the river Zesku. These sur- 

 mounted, our men began to look serious, and 

 our troubles really commenced. The pass 

 which they intended to cross by was known 

 only to Yassili, and his memory of it was 

 but indistmct, so that before long it became 

 evident that the chances were we should not 

 get over it that night. 



For a human being the ascent was steep 

 enough to try every muscle to the utmost, 

 but for horses, and laden horses too, the way 

 seemed impracticable. Still so wonderful are 

 the mountaineering feats performed by these 

 poor-looking screws of the Caucasus that we 

 persevered slowly upwards, and had almost 

 accomplished our task when one of our horses 



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