128 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



comfortable sense of being an intruder. We in our 

 English clothes, with our English guns and English spaniel, 

 seemed as strangely out of place as a tramp in a West 

 End drawing-room. And frankly, I think I should have 

 scarcely been surprised if the man had said in superior 

 English — ' Well, my good men, I 'm sorry for you, but 

 really I've nothing to give you. I can't have tramps 

 coming here.' 



However, while this was going on we had entered 

 the choom. Various sleepers moving and grouping 

 themselves on one side left the other free for us. 



They lit a fire and the women cooked us a goose, 

 cutting it up and throwing it into a great pot. It was 

 excellent. 



At first the smoke of the fire was very disturbing. It 



got into one's nose and eyes — 

 but we soon found that by 

 keeping low down, as did our 

 entertainers, the smoke was 

 little felt. Thev were much 

 amused, laughing heartily when 

 they found that we could not 

 sit comfortably cross-legged on 

 the Moor as they did ; and 

 presently gave us tubs to sit on. 



The choom contained : — 



Uano, a Samoyed, about fifty-three years old. 

 Ustynia, his wife. 



UANO 



