of the Old World. 380 



CHAPTER XXII. 



Circassian scenery. A false alarm. The Bey's Konak. Rifles 

 and revolvers. Circassian cuisine. A goose cooked a la 

 Mrs. Harris. Uninvited company. News of a bear. A 

 night prowler. A Huntsman's toilet. The route through the 

 ravines. The lair. The Bey's dogs give tongue. An enor- 

 mous bear wounded. A man mauled. The Bruin bites the 

 dust. The bivouac. Horses stolen. Mussulman apathy. 

 The pursuit. The trail. The plunderers surprised and taken. 

 Their punishment. 



THE next morning we all set out with the Illory 

 Chieftain, and, after a four hours' ride through 

 a densely-wooded country, arrived at the gorge of a 

 romantically picturesque valley, which appeared to 

 wind its way for several miles between two lofty 

 mountain ridges, forming a part of the chain of the 

 Caucasus ; a tortuous path, so narrow that we were 

 obliged to ride in single file, and keep a sharp look- 

 out that we did not come in contact with overhanging 

 rocks or branches of trees, wound along the edge of a 

 chasm, in which a foaming mountain-torrent dashed 

 impetuously ; and, at times, we passed along the 



