102 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



was already white with the first fall of winter. 

 This was bad enough, and made us doubly 

 anxious to get away from bleak, miserable 

 Mookmer to Betcho, where the Svanetian 

 prince held his court, and thence to the lower 

 country by the Ingour, where there would 

 still be some few more weeks of hunting ; but 

 when we endeavoured to hasten our departure 

 we were told that the owners of the horses 

 had determined to cry off their bargain, and 

 would not let their horses go. The impudent 

 rascal who owned two of the beasts came up 

 at the moment, took no notice of our pro- 

 testations, but having under false pretences 

 fed and housed his cattle at our host's for the 

 nio'ht, now mounted one of them and rode 

 coolly away, laughing at our impotent rage. 



After he had gone Simon, the son of the 

 bear- slayer, arrived with his white-headed old 

 father, who, having been led up to me, fell on 

 his knees, and, embracing my legs, began to 



