A SORROWFUL PARTING. 21 



grass that have sprung up through the 

 hardened soiL This was how our old friend 

 the bear-slayer passed his days. 



But Ushkul is not a place to spend much 

 time in, and when we had made out that the 

 little birds which built in every roof were 

 redstarts ; that they and the grey wagtail 

 divided the whole of the bird life of the place 

 between them ; when Frank had won the 

 villagers' esteem by some capital practice at a 

 mark high up the hillside, we began to he 

 very weary of our resting-place, and long 

 anxiously for our horses and guides. 



Simon and Yassili, men of Radcha, had left 

 us in sorrow the night before, not considering 

 themselves safe among the Svans, thinking 

 that they ought to be back with their families 

 and flocks, and hankering not a little, I fancy, 

 for the comparative comfort of Gebi. But they 

 left us with regret, and I don't hesitate to say 

 that any Englishman who follows in our steps 



