Across the Roof of the World. 



North of Barnaul there is much forest country, and wolves, 

 creatures inseparably associated with sledge travelling in Siberia, 

 were said to be common there, but on this occasion they failed 

 to sliow themselves. 



All have heard of onslaughts committed by fierce and 

 hungry wolves in the gloomy recesses of the Siberian forests, 

 as they pursued the sledge of the traveller ; the horses at a 

 mad gallop born of despair ; the occupants sitting grim and 

 determined, striking down members of the howling pack, who 

 nevertheless prosecuted the chase with that energy characteristic 

 of this fierce denizen of the woods. I was not, however, troubled 

 with their attentions, and thus the romances I had read in 

 childhood days were not borne out in after years on that 

 long drive through the vast and silent forests. 



In the evening I reached a fairly large village where ap- 

 parently everyone was out on the spree, so considerable difficulty 

 was experienced in getting fresh horses at the post-house, as 

 the man in charge could not be found. When finally he did 

 appear he proved to be very drunk and impertinent. This sent 

 the police officer into such a towering rage that it reduced the 

 wretched man to a state of pitiable misery and dejection, the 

 more so when he realised how gravely he had offended the power 

 and majesty of the law. Horses and sledges were then 

 forthcoming, and I was of opinion that a little clemency might be 

 exercised, but the affront to the police officer could not apparently 

 be overlooked and he condemned the man and his family to the 

 care of the local gaol, where no doubt he had time to reflect on 

 the indiscretion of falling foul of officialdom. 



The same police officer told me a story amply portraying 

 the state of ignorance prevalent amongst the peasant classes. 

 It appears some Indian traders, with a view to opening up trade, 

 had recently arrived in Barnaul from Russian Turkistan. With 

 their advent a rumour spread abroad that they were there for 

 the purpose of abducting children, and the result was the 

 unfortunate men were mobbed and badly liandled, one of them 



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