RE-CROSSING 149 



I was much pleased to see through the glass our tent, 

 in apparently the same condition as that in which we had 

 left it. 



And now the Samoyeds were very funny. I pointed 

 out to them the little green speck across the river's 

 mouth. It was 'mychoom,' I said — ' mein mya.' They 

 roared with laughter, it was so good a joke. But all the 

 time they were looking out across the sea ; first one and 

 then another pointing at objects in the ice, as though at 

 a discovery ; but always it ended with a shake of the 

 head, and ' yangho ' - -' no.' At last they all drew up 

 together, looking very blank. 



What was the matter ? I asked them. And Onaska the 

 Prophet, sulky as a cornered bear, waved his hand across 

 the ice pack, and simply said, ' No Governor, no boat.' 



So it was out. 



They had made up their poor confused old minds that 

 His Excellency the Governor of Archangel had lost his 

 ship here in the ice, had sent us on, and was himself 

 waiting, atop of his belongings, for relief. Or that if we 

 were the only survivors, still there would be a fine old 

 wreck for them to overhaul, with plenty of food and 

 stuffs. 



My conscience was clear. I had not taken them in ; 

 I had told them nothing of all this. But they were mad, 

 very mad ; and more confused than ever. For the life 

 of them they could not understand how we came to be 

 there at all. 



