A SUMMER ON THE YENESEI 83 



sound, ringing day and night, might scare away any 

 evil spirits which lurked round the place. The relics of 

 a forgotten life, the solitude, and the monotonous little 

 tinkle of the bell, all made this primitive cemetery seem 

 an eerie place, and I was glad to return to the house. 

 Here I found my companions gathered outside the door, 

 and learned on inquiry that HachenkofF and AntonofF. 

 having finished their business together, had both gone 

 sound asleep ! Here was a dilemma. We did not 

 like to walk in and arouse them, for these were early 

 days, and we did not wish to give offence. On the 

 other hand, it was already after 2 a.m., and the red- 

 throated divers in the marshes were loudly proclaiming 

 a change in the weather. 



While we were wondering what to do, the door 

 opened, and Mrs. Hachenkoff (for so I must call her 

 in default of a better name) came out to talk to us. 

 It was then that we learned something of the tragedy 

 of Och Marino. Vassilli Vassillievitch was the agent of 

 Antonoff. That is to say that he was the latter's tenant 

 for the fishing station, and was expected to pay his rent, 

 etc., in fish. He was a good fisherman and trapper and 

 might have done well, had it not been for drink. As it 

 was, every kopeck that he could filch or earn was spent 

 in vodka. Vassilli Vassillievitch came of a respectable 

 family in Yenesiesk, and had gone through part of 

 his university course in Petrograd. It was then that he 

 had contracted the habit which now enslaved him. His 

 family, thankful perhaps to get rid of their black 

 sheep, had sent him down the Yenesei, and after 

 a year or two he had drifted to lonely Och Marino. 



