410 The Hunting Grounds 



stalking expedition, I fell in with a young mountaineer 

 who was en route to his home, close to Mount El-Bruz. 

 After some conversation, I made up my mind to 

 take a trip to that part of the country, under his 

 guidance, and, if possible, to make an ascent of the 

 " Father of Mountains." The same evening I com- 

 municated my intention to my followers, who made 

 their preparations accordingly ; and the next morning, 

 after quite a tender leave-taking from our worthy 

 host and his people, to whom we promised to return, 

 a start was effected. For the first four or five miles 

 after leaving the konac, we had the advantage of a 

 bridle-path, which had been formed many years ago 

 by the Russians, for the purpose of keeping up a 

 communication with one of their outposts, a small 

 fort, or rather redoubt, constructed on an isolated hill 

 which commanded the entrance of a deeply-wooded 

 gorge. The work, in which embrasures and plat- 

 forms for eight pieces of cannon were still visible, had 

 evidently been intended to prevent the aggressive 

 incursions of the ^'mountain-tribes, but it did not 

 appear to have been inhabited for some years, as the 

 barrack was roofless and the flagstaff had rotted 

 away. Our guide told me that this had been the 

 scene of many a hard conflict between the Musco- 

 vite troops and the mountaineers, and his statement 

 was confirmed by the numerous graves, some of 

 which were marked by tombstones bearing Greek 



