THE NOMAD HERDSMEN AND HERDS OF THE STEPPES. 475 



lively foals, born, like the kids, a few weeks before, that cause so much 

 anxiety; it is the young stallions and mares which are just reaching 

 maturity. The foals spring about the whole herd in wanton play- 

 fulness, but they do not go far from the mother mares, who are 

 quietly grazing, and only look up at them now and again. The 

 young stallions and mares, on the other hand, cause continual 

 uneasiness, and call for the greatest watchfulness on the part of the 

 herdsmen, whose numbers are doubled for the time. Now the young 

 males fight with the old, dignified, and domineering leader of the 

 herd; now the young females throng about the sire till he is compelled 

 to drive them away with bites; now one or another of them attempts 

 to escape, and rushes, with head against the wind and dilated nos- 

 trils, out into the steppe. The herdsman at once urges the horse he 

 is riding to a gallop, and pursues the fugitive in mad haste up hill 

 and down dale; in his right hand he holds the long herdsman's crook, 

 with a noose attached to one end; nearer and nearer he presses on 

 the young mare. The dreaded lasso is thrown, and is about to 

 descend on her head, when she suddenly swerves to one side, and 

 throwing her hind-legs into the air, as if teasing or mocking her 

 pursuer, she is ofi" again with renewed speed, and the wild chase 

 begins anew, and goes on, until at length the herdsman succeeds in 

 catching her, and leading her slowly back to the herd. Entertaining 

 though this spectacle may be for the unconcerned spectator, perhaps 

 even for the herdsman himself, such mad hunts would disturb the 

 quiet and regular progress of the smaller animals, and therefore the 

 owner does not let his different herds travel together, if it can be 

 avoided. Nor could sheep and goats cover such distances as the 

 horses do, for not only are they much enfeebled by the hardships of 

 winter, but the lambs and kids are not yet strong enough. Separa- 

 tion of the herds is therefore doubly necessary. 



The Kirghiz, when journeying with his smaller animals, at first 

 only traverses a short distance, a so-called " sheep's journey" each 

 day, and he stops wherever there is good pasture, as long as his 

 flocks graze with avidity. On the journey the flock of sheep, with 

 its shepherd riding on an ox, leads the way. The sheep proceed at 

 a tolerably quick pace, now crowding close together, now scattering 



