230 THROUGH RUSSIA ON A MUSTANG. 



Beyond Novo Veronsofka the country became more 

 and more thinly inhabited. Uncultivated steppe 

 characterized the greater part of the way, and big 

 herds of horses and cattle, and flocks of sheep, began to 

 be the most prominent feature of the day's ride. The 

 only habitations seen in a day's ride would be the post- 

 stations, from twelve to twenty-five versts apart ; and 

 across the steppe, off the road, the stone-walled houses 

 of the ranchmen. These ranch-houses, the headquar- 

 ters of the herds and flocks, were more like big stone 

 barns, and attached to them were square-walled kraals 

 for the cattle. Now and then, however, where a 

 wealthy landlord and cattle owner lived on his own 

 estate, some pretense to embellishment would be seen 

 in the form of ornamental gateways, or a porch to the 

 house. 



On wheat-growing estates were now seen threshing- 

 machines and steam engines, denoting that the land 

 of moujiks with small holdings had given place to large 

 proprietors who could afford expensive machinery. 

 The straw was often built into big hollow squares for 

 sheltering cattle in winter ; and, in the shimmering 

 heat of the day, mirages would convert such as were 

 a couple of miles away, across the level steppe, into 

 cities and fortifications. 



An amusing, though often very annoying feature of 

 the day's experiences, would now be a curious spirit of 

 hostility, displayed by the incumbents of the post- 

 stations. These gentlemen seemed to think that I 

 was setting a dangerous example to the traveling com- 

 munity by riding my own horse instead of hiring them 

 to convey me from one station to another, as had been 



