26 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



which kept us wet and miserable, shivering 

 in wet blankets under a big stone on the hill- 

 side, within a dozen versts of our starting- 

 2:)oint. 



That was a wretched night and a cold 

 one, though we were so near the fire that my 

 blanket was burnt in two places, and the 

 crown of my cap the same. But about four 

 o'clock the second day, what I had foreseen 

 overtook us. As we were crossing through a 

 thin forest on a frightfully steep mountain 

 side, where there was no sign even of a track, 

 the chestnut made a mistake. Simon, its 

 owner, had the poor beast by the head and 

 another fellow was clinging to its tail. 

 Several . efforts the old horse made to right 

 herself, and Simon clung gallantly to her 

 head, but she had got her quarters down hill, 

 and the saddle-bags, light though they were, 

 having slidden down over her quarters, over- 

 weighted the mare. For a moment she went 



