62 A SUMMER ON THE YENESEI 



immediately suggested that we should follow with him 

 in his boat in about an hour's time. Accordingly, 

 Mr. Hall and Vassilli went ashore at once, while Miss 

 Czaplicka, Miss Curtis, and I sat down to wait. 



At the end of an hour, we met the merchant, 

 who was just coming out of the captain's cabin. His 

 manner was even more expansive than before as he 

 explained that he had been taking tea with Madame 

 Ello, and that he would not detain us for more than a 

 minute while he transacted a little business on the 

 barge. Captain Ello was standing by the rail. 



"Are you going back with Prokopchuk?" he asked 

 in his careful English. 



We answered that we were. 



"You should not do so," said the captain. 



" Why not ? Hasn't he a family ? " 



A smile that was nearly as suggestive as a nudge in 

 the ribs spread over the captain's face. " Oh yes," he 

 answered in his slow way, " Prokopchuk has a wife — 

 even two ! " 



We began to think that perhaps Prokopchuk's 

 patronage might not be as disinterested as it appeared. 

 However, it was too late to draw back, and we could 

 only wait with what patience we could muster. 



We waited for another hour : we waited for an hour 

 and a half. Then the boat came alongside, and we got 

 into it. Ten minutes later, its owner appeared. It 

 could be seen at a glance that he had been drinking 

 something else besides Madame Ello's tea. He did not 

 fall overboard, because it is as difficult for a Golchikan, 

 however drunk, to fall out of a boat, as it is for a cat 



