120 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



that very soon we had learned to distrust these appear- 

 ances, which the glass too often showed to be nothing 

 better than a heap of stones or a ridge of peat. 



And just as once I should have only looked to confirm 

 my certainty that here were human beings, so now I 

 only did so to make sure of my belief that here were not. 



You can therefore imagine a little of my astonishment 

 when the glass showed me this time, as it really seemed, 

 a native choom and many reindeer well defined against 

 the sky. 



Now, when you reflect upon men in our case, it would 

 seem an intelligible impulse to have danced about or 

 cheered, to celebrate this great moment. But then, I 

 thought, what if, after all, this should be but a creation 

 of the miraee as others had been before! It would be 

 but a cruelty to have raised my companion's hopes only 

 to dash them again. 



These considerations made me careful, so that I only 

 said, 'We will stop here and wait a moment.' 



And then, having looked again with a steadier glass, I 

 saw with such clearness the choom, and the reindeer as 

 they moved along the sky-line, that I could no longer 

 doubt. But when Hyland at last asked me what I was 

 looking at so intently, I said quietly and very casually : 



' I fancy I see a choom and many reindeer.' 



For now that I was certain it seemed pleasant to play 

 with the occasion, nor would I startle Hyland into excess 

 of joy. But, owing to the tone of my voice, this 



