244 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



gave in, turned restive, bit and plunged, all 

 but cominof over backwards down the narrow 

 way, in doing which he would certainly have 

 carried one or more of us with him. But 

 Simon stuck manfully to his head, and we 

 cleared out from behind him with that speed 

 care for one's personal safety excites in the 

 most weary, and for the moment the catas- 

 trophe was averted. 



The top of the pass is a narrow saddle 

 with high banks on each side, and so thin is 

 the edge of the ridge here that there is not 

 level standing room for a horse at the top. 

 Here the restive one elected to have another 

 revolt, and succeeded in landing himself on his 

 side, hopelessly cast on the very summit, the 

 chief question in our minds being whether he 

 would slide head first into the valley of 

 the Zesku, or back mto the country from 

 which we had come. Meanwhile, such of our 

 property as we did not lay hands on at once 



