144 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



ready, when, long after dawn, my own party 

 was ready for them had they been in waiting, 

 and we were unable to bring the prince's in- 

 fluence to bear on his sluggish followers, until 

 about eleven o'clock he was himself up and 

 about. AVhen at last we had manag^ed to 

 interest him in our behalf, he could not under- 

 stand my impatience, and it was long ere I 

 could bring him to see that to-morrow morn- 

 ing would not do every bit as well as to-day. 

 And when he did bestir himself, not all his 

 power, showing itself outwardly in loud and 

 unmitigated abuse of his phlegmatic following, 

 managed to procure horses for us before sun- 

 down. Then of course no one wanted to 

 start, but seeing how delays were natural 

 attendants at a court, I would not be let or 

 hindered, and left Betcho hurriedly, deter- 

 mined to sleep at a village called Latali on the 

 other side one of the ranges which hemmed in 

 Betcho. 



