The Trailers Are So Formidable That We Had To Stoop Over Our
Horses' Necks At All Times, And With Pushing
Back branches and
guarding my face from slaps and scratches, my thick dogskin gloves
were literally frayed off, and some
Of the skin of my hands and
face in addition, so that I returned with both bleeding and
swelled. It was on the return ride, fortunately, that in stooping
to escape one great liana the loop of another grazed my nose, and,
being unable to check my unbroken horse instantaneously, the loop
caught me by the throat, nearly strangled me, and in less time than
it takes to tell it I was drawn over the back of the saddle, and
found myself lying on the ground, jammed between a tree and the
hind leg of the horse, which was quietly feeding. The Aino, whose
face was very badly scratched, missing me, came back, said never a
word, helped me up, brought me some water in a leaf, brought my
hat, and we rode on again. I was little the worse for the fall,
but on borrowing a looking-glass I see not only scratches and
abrasions all over my face, but a livid mark round my throat as if
I had been hung! The Aino left portions of his bushy locks on many
of the branches. You would have been amused to see me in this
forest, preceded by this hairy and formidable-looking savage, who
was dressed in a coat of skins with the fur outside, seated on the
top of a pack-saddle covered with a deer hide, and with his hairy
legs crossed over the horse's neck - a fashion in which the Ainos
ride any horses over any ground with the utmost serenity.
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