se for cattle coming from Roumania; it is not absolutely on the
frontier, but very near it. I heard later that this district has a bad
reputation for smugglers and robbers, the latter being on the increase,
it is said; always the same story of unrepressed lawlessness on the
frontier.

We made no stay at the customhouse, but rode on a couple of miles
farther, where, coming upon a nice spring, we dined. Not a single
shepherd had we met, so there had been no chance of bartering for milk;
it was not surprising, because our track had been almost entirely in the
forests, and of course the shepherds are higher up on the Alpen. At this
last halting-place we nearly set the forest on fire. The grass was very
dry all round, and before I was aware of it, the fire ran along the
ground and caught the trees. It blazed up in an inconceivably short
time. I rushed up directly, to cut off what branches I could with my
bowie-knife; but though calling loudly to the Wallack to assist me, he
never concerned himself in the least. This exasperated me beyond
measure, seeing what mischief was likely to accrue from the
misadventure. Luckily a man came up, riding on one horse and leading
another, and he readily gave me a helping hand, and between us we put
out the fire. The Wallack never raised a finger!

Getting into conversation with the new-comer, I found that he was going
to Orlat, whereupon I arranged to go on with him. Accordingly I paid my
guide, and was not sorry to have done with him, he had so disgusted me
about the fire, and I was especially glad to get quit of his wretched
horse, which had greatly retarded our progress. I transferred my
saddle-bags to the spare horse, and we got on much faster, reaching
Orlat by sunset.

Before descending into the plain we had a magnificent view.
Herrmannstadt seemed almost at our feet, though in reality it was still
a long way off; the Fogaraser Mountains stretching away towards
Kronstadt, appeared in all their picturesque irregularity, and along the
plain at their base were scattered the villages of the Saxonland, each
with its fortress-church, a relic of the old time, when the brave
burghers had to hold their own against Turk and Tartar.

At Orlat I found a small inn, but they had no travellers' room in it;
however some of the family were good enough to turn out, and I was very
glad to turn in, and that rather early.

CHAPTER XVI.

Herrmannstadt--Saxon immigrants--Museum--Places of