224 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



they felt they were getting too much inland, or suspected 

 a trap in front. Then the boats came up from behind 

 and the «eese crowded on. 



They didn't like going. Sometimes the leading geese 

 would stop and wheel about, heading right into the mass. 

 But the boats came on. 



No sooner had the boats passed our position than 

 we rose, and Uano set to work at once to polish off 

 the few that had hid themselves about us. He slew 

 some with a toss of the 'parlka'; some that lay till 

 almost trodden on he knocked on the head as they sat. 



He couldn't make me out. ' Quick,' he cried, ' kill 

 them quick. Uano old ; you young, you. Good goose, 

 goose good, very good ' — but I could not harden my 

 heart to kill wild o- e ese like that. So he shouted for 

 Ustynia, his wife. And Mrs. Uano, ordinarily so com- 

 posed and kindly, came flying across to us like a mad 

 thing. The way that woman went on ! She hunted 

 round like a hound, she hurled her 'parlka,' she dropped 

 full length upon the squatting goose, and rose triumph- 

 ant and screaming with laughter with the goose in her 

 embrace. 



But the boats came steadily on. Every moment I 

 looked to see the brent escape by diving, or expected 

 some to rise, for it was plain enough that many were 

 full-winged. Neither of these things they did ; only like 

 a pack of idiots they ' wanked ' and swam along. 



But the grey geese dived. The bean and the white- 



