174 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



tied up to the sleighs. Whereupon Uano told me that 

 the ' choom ' 1 to-day was moving on. 



This would have been greatly against my own idea, 

 for we were now in a beautiful little spot, and one that 

 promised well for the birds. For at the foot of our hill 

 flowed the Pesanka, which we could trace very far away 

 as it wound across the tundra. More than one little lake 

 we could also see. Nor had I forgotten the dotterel's 

 nest. 



Our property was still wet from yesterday's soaking, 

 and must be dried ; and between these I made out suffi- 

 cient reason why we would wait here another day. 



I do not say that our host agreed willingly to this ; 

 on the contrary, it raised a universal storm of protest 

 in the camp. But I had always one and an invincible 

 argument on my side. This was nothing' else than com- 

 plete indifference to anything which they might say. 



Of course they might have driven off and left us, but 

 so early in our acquaintance they w T ere too greatly afraid 

 to do this — just as afterwards they developed such an 

 affection for us as would have kept them with us ag'ainst 

 our wills. 



It was blowing about half a gale from the north-west, 

 which dried up our belongings by about three in the 

 afternoon. Then we went out, and again visited the 

 dotterel's nest. 



1 The word ' choom ' is used not only of the wigwam-like dwelling, but, as here, in 

 the sense of the family or household, as we say ' my house.' 



