74 A SUMMER ON THE YENESEl 



cowed into abject terror by the pack, not only speedily 

 shook off her alarm, but in a day or two became a 

 regular termagant. Even the huge Mars fled in a most 

 undignified fashion when she caught him purloining a 

 trifle from her kennel, and not one of his fellows dared 

 to face the little bully. The only member of the pack 

 who could hold her own with Jest was a large canine 

 matron with an uncertain temper ; but even she was 

 not permitted to set paw inside an invisible, but none 

 the less strictly defined boundary, which Jest had 

 ordained must extend for six feet round our doorstep. 



It had been arranged that we were to start on our 

 trip down the river at six o'clock. Meanwhile the 

 clouds, which had looked so threatening during the 

 forenoon, had cleared away. The wind had fallen, and 

 the Yenesei was like a sheet of glass, tinted softly with 

 opalescent blue and rose. It was to all appearances 

 a halcyon evening. Nevertheless, following Michael 

 Petrovitch's advice, we took with us a certain amount 

 of food, for the weather on the lower Yenesei is fickle, 

 and sometimes a change in the wind may mean a delay 

 of several days. The party consisted of our four selves, 

 of Michael Petrovitch, who took the steering paddle, and 

 of our Vassilli, and Nill, the sturdy, red-haired servant 

 of the house. From the outset we knew that the boat 

 was low in the water, but as the weather was so fine 

 we thought that a little overcrowding might not matter. 

 Opposite Golchika, the Yenesei is some ten versts wide, 

 and we crossed it at once in order to reach the shelter 

 of the farther bank. The stream was with us and our 

 oarsmen had easy work. Even Vassilli, who hated 



