g on
them. Ammalat rode straight up to them, waved his gun round his head,
and turned close round the pole; as he turned he stood up in his
stirrups, turned back--bang!--the cap tumbled to the ground; without
checking his speed he reloaded, the reins hanging on his horse's
neck--knocked off another, then a third--and so on the whole ten. A
murmur of applause arose on all sides; but Ammalat, without stopping,
threw his gun into the hands of one of his noukers, pulled out a pistol
from his belt, and with the ball struck the shoe from the hind foot of
his horse; the shoe flew off, and fell far behind him; he then again
took his gun from his nouker, and ordered him to gallop on before him.
Quicker than thought both darted forward. When half-way round the
course, the nouker drew from his pocket a rouble, and threw it up in the
air. Ammalat raised himself in the saddle, without waiting till it fell;
but at the very instant his horse stumbled with all his four legs
together, and striking the dust with his nostrils, rolled prostrate. All
uttered a cry of terror; but the dexterous horseman, standing up in the
stirrups, without losing his seat, or even leaning forward, as if he had
been aware that he was going to fall, fired rapidly, and hitting the
rouble with his ball, hurled it far among the people. The crowd shouted
with delight--"Igeed, igeed! (bravo!) Alla valla-ha!" But Ammalat Bek,
modestly retiring, dismounted from his steed, and throwing the reins to
his djilladar, (groom,) ordered him immediately to have the horse shod.
The race and the shooting was continued.

[19] 3500 English feet--three quarters of a mile.

At this moment there rode up to Ammalat his emdjek,[20] Saphir-Ali, the
son of one of the poor beks of Bouinaki, a young man of an agreeable
exterior, and simple, cheerful character. He had grown up with Ammalat,
and therefore treated him with great familiarity. He leaped from his
horse, and nodding his head, exclaimed--"Nouker Memet Rasoul has knocked
up the old cropped[21] stallion, in trying to leap him over a ditch
seven paces wide." "And did he leap it?" cried Ammalat impatiently.
"Bring him instantly to me!" He went to meet the horse--and without
putting his foot in the stirrup, leaped into the saddle, and galloped to
the bed of a mountain-torrent. As he galloped, he pressed the horse with
his knee, but the wearied animal, not trusting to his strength, bolted
aside on the very brink, and Ammalat was