s after we
entered the wilder part of the country. Our leader for the day gave
leave for about sixteen of us to go a hunting as they call it; and what
was this but a hunting of sheep!--however, it may be called hunting too,
for these creatures are the wildest and swiftest of foot that ever I saw
of their kind! only they will not run a great way, and you are sure of
sport when you begin the chase, for they appear generally thirty or forty
in a flock, and, like true sheep, always keep together when they fly.

In pursuit of this odd sort of game it was our hap to meet with about
forty Tartars: whether they were hunting mutton, as we were, or whether
they looked for another kind of prey, we know not; but as soon as they
saw us, one of them blew a hideous blast on a kind of horn. This was to
call their friends about them, and in less than ten minutes a troop of
forty or fifty more appeared, at about a mile distance; but our work was
over first, as it happened.

One of the Scots merchants of Moscow happened to be amongst us; and as
soon as he heard the horn, he told us that we had nothing to do but to
charge them without loss of time; and drawing us up in a line, he asked
if we were resolved. We told him we were ready to follow him; so he rode
directly towards them. They stood gazing at us like a mere crowd, drawn
up in no sort of order at all; but as soon as they saw us advance, they
let fly their arrows, which missed us, very happily. Not that they
mistook their aim, but their distance; for their arrows all fell a little
short of us, but with so true an aim, that had we been about twenty yards
nearer we must have had several men wounded, if not killed.

Immediately we halted, and though it was at a great distance, we fired,
and sent them leaden bullets for wooden arrows, following our shot full
gallop, to fall in among them sword in hand--for so our bold Scot that
led us directed. He was, indeed, but a merchant, but he behaved with
such vigour and bravery on this occasion, and yet with such cool courage
too, that I never saw any man in action fitter for command. As soon as
we came up to them we fired our pistols in their faces and then drew; but
they fled in the greatest confusion imaginable. The only stand any of
them made was on our right, where three of them stood, and, by signs,
called the rest to come back to them, having a kind of scimitar in their
hands, and their bows hanging to their backs. Our brave comm