A TIMELY GIFT. 217 



men for their labours, but whether that were 

 so or not these poor untaught Svans had no 

 notion how to obtain justice even if obtainable. 

 So, with their winter's gains gone, and their 

 constitutions shaken by six weeks' unrequited 

 labour, they were on their way home to tell 

 of the glories of civilisation, and spread the 

 gospel of honesty as taught them by the 

 Russian contractor. 



We offered to try to get justice for them 

 if they cared to come back with us. but 

 luckily probably for all parties they had had 

 enough of the towns, and preferred to starve 

 at home for the future. We gave them 

 roubles enough to keep them at any rate in 

 bread until they reached their homes, and 

 earned their thanks and the unremittinor at- 

 tention of their fellow-countrymen who were 

 with us for the rest of our journey by so 

 doino". 



That night we stopped at a tchalash, 



