364 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



enough that we never kept our guns loaded in the cabin, 

 and doubtless they meant to have us at a disadvantage 

 should occasion arise. I thought it best to settle the 

 point. Yakoff couldn't go ; he was cornered, as it were, 

 so after his first surprise at discovery he tried to appear 

 unconcerned, pretending" he had come in about the lamp. 



'Now, look here, Yakoff Popoff,' I began, 'you re- 

 member the Governor's letters with the seal, and what 

 he said ? ' I smiled to myself as I said this, my voice 

 sounded so innocent, like the quiet beginnings of Peter 

 Simple's Mr. Chucks. 



' Yes, yes,' says Yakoff. 



' Good. Well, the Governor can send you and Alex- 

 ander and the lot of you to Siberia, unless I save him 

 the trouble.' With that I opened the box again, took 

 out my revolver, slipped in six cartridges, Yakoff watch- 

 ing all the time, and put it in my pocket. 



' I am a soldier,' says Yakoff with a fine show of 



courage. 



' You may be a soldier,' I answered, 'for all I know or 

 care, but you look very like a fox.' 



I used instead of the Russian word ' lisitsa ' the 

 Samoyed word ' tchuornia.' You could not insult these 

 Russians more than by using Samoyed words of them. 

 Yakoff retired to the deck. 



Then I thought I would make assurance sure. I took 

 out my bolvans, the one they knew, and the mountain 

 ones of which they knew nothing, and putting them in 



