Page:The Writings of Prosper Merimee-Volume 5.djvu/50

32 ing-pan into the fire; it is obliged to venture into the region of man, and few escape."*

"A very curious legend," I exclaimed; " but, Your Excellency, you speak of the aurochs, that noble animal which Caesar has described in his Commentaries J and which the Merovingian kings hunted in the forest of Compiegne. I am told they still exist in Lithuania — is that so? "

" Certainly. My father himself killed a jouhr, having obtained permission from the Government. You can see the head in the large dining-hall. I have never seen one. I believe they are very scarce. To make amends we have wolves and bears here in abundance. To guard against a possible encounter with one of these gentlemen I have brought this instrument " (and he produced a Circassian tchekhole f which he carried in his belt), " and my groom carries in his saddle-box a double-barrelled rifle."

We began to penetrate into the forest. Soon the narrow track that we were following disap- peared altogether. Every few moments we were obhged to ride round enormous trees whose low branches barred our passage. Several of these, which were dead of old age and fallen over,

See Messire Thaddee, by Mlckiewicz, and Captive Poland, by M. Charles Edmond.

A Circassian gun-case.