Here
we unpacked our various stores of provisions, fortified ourselves with a
good dinner, and made necessary arrangements for the change of
locomotion. There was some trouble in properly distributing the things
for the pack-horses. Care had to be taken to give each horse his proper
weight and no more. It was also very important to see that the packages
were rightly balanced to avoid shifting.
I had left my own horse at Karansebes, because he was in need of rest;
so F---- and I had to select horses from amongst the promiscuous lot
brought up by the "hunt." We chose out a couple of decent-looking
animals--indeed I rather prided myself on my selection, drew attention
to his good points, and rallied F---- on his less successful choice.
At length everything was ready. Judging from the amount of baggage, the
commissariat department was all right. The order of march was this: ten
gentlemen, like so many knights on horseback with lances in rest, rode
on in front, in Indian file: our long alpen-stocks really somewhat
resembled lances. Each man had his gun slung behind. In the rear of
these gallant knights came a dozen pack-horses heavily laden, each with
his burden well covered up with sheepskins; behind again followed a lot
of Wallacks--these irregulars were to act as beaters.
On we went in this order for seven hours. The pace was so slow that I
confess it made me impatient, but our path through the forest was too
narrow and too steep to do more than walk our horses in single file.
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