CHAP. VIII.

AN INVOLUNTARY GALLOP.

191

attempting to ride up, made him worse; he then started off over the plain at full speed. No efforts of mine could stop him, so, sticking to him like a leech, I waited patiently till he should either tire himself or be caught, for the Cossack was galloping after me. A Kirghis now joined in the chase, and commenced hallooing and bellowing at the utmost pitch of his voice; this made matters worse, for the animal dashed on the faster.

At last Columbus stopped. I found out this was why the man was calling, for when he was no longer heard galloping behind us, my horse gradually slackened his pace, and by degrees came to a walk. I was afraid to attempt to turn him till he became quieter, so I looked round, and saw the Kirghis at a great distance, walking his horse towards me, and Columbus standing still; he at length drew near, and by degrees reached my side, and seized the bridle. As he did so, I thought the horse would have thrown me, but he stroked him, and seemed to calm him. After this the man patted me on the back, and gave me to understand how proud he was of me; then he showed me what a Kirghis woman would have done under similar circumstances. First, he commenced screaming, and almost set my horse into another fright, and concluded by falling from his horse. He remounted, and again patted me with evident delight.

We had several miles to ride back, and I did not at all thank my animal for giving me a run for nothing. On reaching our party, I received so many congratulations at my safe return, as also for my bravery, that I verily believe, if we had stopped longer in the steppe, a woman would not have been looked upon as such a con

temptible being as they consider her to be; for the men now began to notice me, a thing they had scarcely deigned to do before.

As we were crossing the steppe between the two lakes, and near the shores of the small one, we found the sun declining fast, and being yet far from a river, we sent a man to the small lake, and, finding the water sweet, we called a halt. Our tent was soon pitched, as far from the reeds as possible; the sand was beautifully clean and white, and solemn stillness around us; but night came on like a race-horse, and then we heard a most unwelcome sound amongst the reeds. This was our old tormentors the mosquitoes commencing their music. I quickly crept into bed, hoping they might not find us.

For long we lay watching the vivid lightning. This, with the heat from the ground, prevented our sleeping. At length we slept, but we were soon awoke by the blood-thirsty creatures, who had too surely discovered us. There were, I am sure, millions in our tent; they positively maddened me, and I became alarmed lest they should devour the boy. Mr. Atkinson arose and went outside, to see if anything could be done to keep them out, but his exit was not so rapid as his retreat into the tent; he had not gone ten paces, before the horrible things seized upon him with such energy, that he was glad to array himself in his tchimbar and boots. How I prayed that a breeze might spring up, and as if my prayer was answered, it began to blow; this increased till it became a gale, which was nigh sweeping everything away. We had to call the men to secure the tent,

CHAP. VIII.

ARRIVE AT CHOUBACHAC.

193

which had fallen down; they propped it up so that we could just breathe, and then putting weights on the outside left us. It had one good effect, it entirely cleared us of the enemy.

The lake, which was like a mirror when we lay down, commenced breaking on the shore with a tremendous noise, while the wind whistled as if from the sea. As soon as day broke we arose, and quickly packing up started without breakfast, as the dark black clouds were gathering; but the rain caught us, and the sand, which was so hard and dry the night before, was now a quicksand, into which we kept sinking. All were alarmed, and our progress was very slow: still I could not resist going up to the lake, which was really frightful to look upon; the waves were rising to a tremendous height.

On the 9th of August we arrived at a Chinese picquet close to Choubachac, or, as they there called it, Chougachac. Falstaff tried to dissuade us from going on, as he had been told by a Tartar that the Chinese would make us prisoners; I laughed at his cowardice. When he saw we were determined upon proceeding, he pleaded indisposition, took the place of Columbus near the camels, and instead of leading dropped quite behind them as soon as ever we reached Chinese ground. we approached the picquet, we could perceive the town and its minarets in the distance; and we intended applying to the officer for permission to enter it. It was about mid-day when we arrived, and for the first time I really saw Chinese. There was no mistaking them and their peculiar costume; their boots were principally of black

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