2G2 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



s^^hose prowess we had already heard more than 

 once. On asking him how many bears the old 

 man really had killed, he said that his father 

 had kept count np to one hundred and twenty- 

 five, but that since then he had lost count, and 

 his son said he didn't think he had killed more 

 than three or four lately. Our informant had 

 himself added twenty- seven to the collection 

 of off forepaws which adorned the paternal 

 mansion. 



By- and- bye our guests grew sleepy, but 

 with characteristic caution they would not lie 

 down by our fire, preferring rather to build 

 one of their own a couple of dozen yards off, 

 where, though near enough for conversational 

 purposes, they could still keep together, and 

 have an eye on the strangers. In spite of his 

 friendly manner towards them a few whispered 

 words of my old hunter's before I turned in 

 convinced me that the Radcha men were just 

 as suspicious of the Svans as the Svans were 



