ARDONSK. 433 



Little can be written about the miserable fifteen miles' 

 ride we bad now to get over. Tlie rain fell in torrents 

 tbe whole time ; we had to ford one broad and swollen, but 

 fortunately shallow, stream, and to wade through the 

 heavy mire of the everywhere flat and treeless steppe. At 

 last the grove which shades Ardonsk appeared in the dis- 

 tance, and, crossing a second stream by a bridge, we 

 entered the place, which consists of a straggling village of 

 farmhouses and cottages, adjoining a military station laid 

 out by mathematical rules, and still surrounded by the 

 moat and ditch which were once requisite for its protec- 

 tion. The impetuous Paul, rashly emulating the feat of 

 Kemus, attempted to force his horse over the ruined ram- 

 part ; but the animal falling backwards on the slippery 

 slope, he narrowly escaped an awkward tumble as a pun- 

 ishment for his temerity. 



Here we rejoined the highroad once more, and soon dis- 

 covered a cottage with the double-headed eagle over the 

 door, pointing it out as the post-station. Being wet 

 through and plastered with mud, we made our condition 

 an excuse for remaining at the station, while we despatched 

 the Cossack to report our arrival, and ask the commandant 

 if any carriage with a hood or spring was to be obtained 

 in the place. The answer was, that no such luxury was 

 obtainable at any price, so we reconciled ourselves to the 

 thought of driving the twenty-five miles that still separated 

 us from Yladikafkaz in the common open carts. We 

 found good food and wine at the posthouse, the master 

 of which was a civil Russian. The prospect of a long 

 diive in the rain made us look with envy on the gi'eat 

 sheepskin ' bourcas ' worn by the i)eople of the country, 

 and we finally concluded a bargain for two. A second 

 diversion was afforded by the passage of a regiment of 

 Cossacks, on the way to join those we had seen guarding 



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