A THOROUGH SOAKING. 69 



before we came upon three human forms prone 

 on their backs in the sunniest spot they could 

 find. The unbroken musical accompaniment 

 to which they were sleeping testified to our 

 silent approach and the soundness of their 

 slumbers, but failed to soften our hearts to- 

 wards them. When we were once more en 

 route, the sleepers wakened, and our burdens 

 shouldered ; the sunshine left us, and the 

 whole sky having turned black, and the wind 

 chill enough to freeze our fingers to our rifle- 

 barrels, a regular deluge came down upon us. 

 For awhile we crouched under bushes 

 trying to keep dry, and believe the storm 

 would soon be over, but as cloud after cloud 

 swept up from behind the hills, we gave up 

 hope and dry clothes in fovour of a thorougli 

 soaking and a forced march to a certain hut 

 of Georsd's on the wav to Ushkid. Here we 

 stripped and dried ourselves as well as we 

 could, and were considerably astonished to 



