Page:My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus.djvu/353

300 now and again we saw the ridges and deep valleys of Suanetia. As we advanced, the great walls of the glacier began to close in on us, leaving merely a narrow gorge, through which the broken ice plunges to the world of grass and flowers and forest.

Thanks to Mr. Freshfield's description of this pass we now knew where we were, and, cheered by the rapidly improving weather, we traversed on to the rocks on the left of the ice fall, and by their aid turned the obstruction. Beaching the lower glacier, we tramped merrily along it, till, about 4.30 p.m., we stepped off the ice into the luxuriant vegetation of the southern slopes.

Our Tartar, having no longer mountaineering difficulties wherewith to occupy his mind, gave us his opinion of the Suanetian race. There was real fury in his voice as he described the wild delight of a hand-to-hand encounter; though on the whole he was clearly of opinion that a more enduring and artistic joy is to be found in skilfully stalking your adversary, and taking pot-shots at him from behind convenient stones. The conversation was illustrated by such wealth of gesture and mimicry, that our almost complete ignorance of his language did not materially interfere with our comprehension. I will confess that my mind was somewhat disturbed by the doubt whether it was prudent to take a warrior of such furious mood into the crowded villages of his hereditary foes.