360 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



if they did start on my advice and the old karbasses 

 were to get into difficulties, they would round on me as 

 a Jonah. But I was sick of this. So presently, when 

 Alexander came down into the cabin and said his cousin 

 wouldn't go, and he couldn't go without his cousin — what 

 did I think ? I just looked him in the face and said as 

 follows : — ' Alexander Samarokoff, I consider you a fool 

 (glupoi). You say that you have always been able to 

 find a good bit of weather by waiting, and that you have 

 never known the winter set in early like this. What 

 has that got to do with it since it has set in? If you 

 don't go now — and you have a wind which will take you 

 quickly that little run — you will deserve to get caught in 

 a trap. How do you know that after this we may not 

 have a ten days' easterly gale on shore as we had before ? 

 your wife may whistle for you then.' 



He sat as though struck. All of a sudden this reason- 

 ing seemed to catch hold of him ; he rushed on deck, 

 shouted out to his cousin that he was going with or 

 without him. Then Alexis surrendered, for he would 

 not be left behind. 



So Alexander called all hands into the little cabin, 

 where they stood jammed tight (he turned poor old 

 Anna out 'because she was a woman,' he said) while he 

 said prayer after prayer to St. Nicholas' ikon (image), 

 and swung the censer till the poor Samoyeds coughed 

 and choked again. Then out they all rushed shouting, 

 ' Now away, away ! ' as if bound on some valiant quest. 



