A SUMMER ON THE YENESEI 125 



difficult to locate it ; for although the bird could dodge 

 me successfully enough behind tussocks of moss only 

 six inches high, my person unfortunately was too bulky 

 for these, the only available hiding-places. The ground 

 was on a very gradual slope. On the right hand 

 and on the left were two small tarns, still covered 

 with blue ice. In the distance grazed some herds of 

 reindeer, and once a Samoyede sledge glided swiftly over 

 a ridge. Heavy drifts of snow still lay in the sheltered 

 hollows, and the sleet showers that came slapping over 

 the tundra made me glad to wrap myself up in my 

 Burberry coat. 



The bird had whirled away round the tarn at my 

 approach, so I hid myself as well as I could behind a 

 tussock, and settled down to wait for her return. 

 Twenty minutes passed — half an hour. " It's time she 

 was coming back," thought I, and turned my head care- 

 fully to reconnoitre. And lo and behold, not thii'ty 

 yards behind, the sandpiper stood and studied me 

 contemptuously ! She had been watching all the time. 

 " What a fool ! " doubtless would have been her 

 comment if she could have spoken. It is no use to try 

 and gull the waders : up to a certain point I believe 

 that they can almost see you tliinh ! 



I retired abashed to another hiding-place about 

 fifty yards farther up the slope. The bird at once 

 showed her appreciation of this move by flying towards 

 the spot where I had first seen her. She was so small 

 that it was very difficult to mark her as she tripped 

 between the tussocks. When I thought that she must 

 be settled on her eggs, I jumped up quickly. She took 



