A SUMMER ON THE YENESEI 213 



we were obliged to leave it behind on the sandbank, for 

 any delay might have resulted in the same accident 

 befalling all the rest of the team. The second channel 

 was much easier to cross. In fact, it was not necessary 

 to use the canoe, and we made the passage safely by 

 kneeling on the sledges, while the deer waded up to 

 their bellies in the water. After relashing our goods 

 upon the sledges, we made ready to go on to the choom, 

 which was now only a verst ahead ; but Maxim went 

 back to bring in the wounded deer, which was hobbling 

 painfully to the ford. Animal suffering is always 

 painful to see, and although we knew that in this case 

 it was accidental and could not have been avoided, 

 nevertheless, the suffering of the beautiful innocent thing 

 saddened us all very much. I must confess, however, 

 that the behaviour of that reindeer, although it did not 

 reduce my regret, considerably modified my views as 

 to the depth of animal suffering ; for no sooner had it 

 limped ashore painfully on three legs, than it put down 

 its head and began to graze as placidly as if its leg were 

 not dangling merely by the sinews ! 



Ten minutes later we reached the cJioom, which stood 

 upon a little knoll in a sheltered valley. A clear stream 

 bubbled past the door, and all around the slopes of the 

 valley were dotted with grazing reindeer. Not so very 

 long before, I should have thought that the little tent, 

 hidden away in the heart of the tundra, was the very 

 acme of dreariness and solitude. But two months of 

 travel in Northern Siberia overset many preconceived 

 notions, and now, on the contrary, we welcomed the 

 small brown dome. In our wet and hungry plight it 



