BACK TO SCHAROK 299 



As we were passing Solnoi Toh on our way up, I 

 picked for the first time grass of Parnassus in full 

 flower. 



We made many halts on the journey, both coming and 

 going, and once I tried to stalk a fine cock snowy owl ; 

 but creep as I might, before I was within gun-shot off 

 he grandly skimmed. 



And while Uano and I were smoking; and taking- snuff 

 the old man told me many interesting things, some of 

 which I noted down. 



I asked him about the white reindeer, how they came 

 to be white ; for I told him wild reindeer were not 

 white. But old Uano was never very good at reasons. 



They were white, he said, because their mothers were 

 white. ' Wazanka white, Teliurnok 1 white, yes, yes,' was 

 how he put it, and I could not get him further back than 

 this. So then I asked him which were best. ' Both best,' 

 he said ; ' yes, yes, white legs strong, black legs strong, 

 yes, yes. Both best.' He always called grey black. 

 But pantomime was Uano s forte. He had been saying 

 to me over and over again, ' Black eyes no good, no 

 good ; white eyes good.' And I couldn't imagine what 

 on earth he meant. So he sat on the ground studying 

 and studying a long time to himself, evidently quite 

 distressed at his failure to make me comprehend. All 

 of a sudden off he ran on hands and feet, scuttling over 



1 ' Teliurnok ' is of course Russian for a calf. ' Wazanka ' is a corruption of the 

 Russian Vashinka. It is always used by the Samoyeds for a reindeer hind. 



