284 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



and don't think I heard it — blushed, and looked so 

 confused that I was quite sorry for her. I failed hope- 

 lessly to make them understand ; they had so completely 

 jumped to the conclusion that wanting- her head-dress 

 meant wanting her hand, that I found it useless to try 

 and explain. So I bolted into the tent. And when 

 I came out presently with my sketch-book, and tried 

 to take her picture, they concluded that I had only 

 meant that. I never gfot the head-dress. I had not 

 courage enough for the task. It seemed like asking- a 

 lady to hand over her diamonds. 



The Uano family were used to my ways, but new- 

 comers like the Yeliseis never got over the feeling 

 against being sketched. Onaska too hated it, and once 

 when catching him asleep on the ground I had succeeded 

 in doing a rapid study of his face, Mekolka woke him 

 up, and told him. He was mad. He jumped up, and 

 ran round and round in a circle, which worked off the 

 evil influence in some way, I suppose. And the sketch 

 of the camp which I give here was done under great 

 difficulties. For always I had a reporter looking over 

 my shoulder, and no sooner did they suspect that I was 

 drawing one or the other than the word went forth, and 

 the subject dived behind the first screen that offered. 



' I dabbled about in the river Tinyan to-day, and 

 would have caught a little fish, for I ran him on to 

 the shallows, but dear old Sailor got so excited about 

 it that he mudded all the water at the critical moment. 



