BLACK AND GOLD; 8-491 OR, THE SIGNAL SCARF. BY CAPT. W. H. PATTEN-SAUNDERS, K.C.G., THE EUROPEAN CHAMPION ATHLETE. A New Edition. C LONDON: GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL; NEW YORK: 129, GRAND STREET. BLACK AND GOLD. CHAPTER I.' EXACTLY at the spot where the territory of the Don Cossacks, the steppes of Astracan, and the Caucasus meet, is situated the Lake of Bolschei; and on a very fine, warm, hot summer's morning, one of the summers that have but just passed away, it gave no sign of past, present, or future human visitation; sycamores, oaks, and chestnuts lay half immersed on its edges, their roots having been loosened by rotting. The thick green coating that covered its dark waters was occasionally disturbed by swarms of the Eshna, or large dragon-flies, that hawked over it, as they darted into the water for the young fry of the small fish that swim near the surface, and dotted like rain-drops by the Notonecta, or boat-fly, that drops on it in a slanting direction, backdownwards, and swims with its wings closed, to act as a boat. Butterflies of three beautiful specimens, the Archippus Danaïs, broad stripes of black and orange; the Painted Beauty, Cynthia Huntera, white and brown; and the Black Emperor, the largest known fly, hovered in multitudes on its banks; and far away across the heath-land, and amid the blossoms of the bonny green broom, the heat and brilliant light of the sun brought that delightful and peculiar transparent haze alive with visible insect life. Such was this B |