RE-CROSSING 143 
me ona sleigh. Hyland in the same way was part 
of a compound organism; he was driven by Shabla, 
a dirty new arrival, while Onaska drove his team of five 
whites. 
Had it not been for the Governor's letter we never 
should have started at all. For the reindeer were in full 
moult, and therefore at their worst. I insisted that we 
should go straight to the Gusina, and that we must be 
back in three days. Uano seemed to think he could do it. 
So first we went north-east. But we had not been 
travelling more than two hours before we came to a 
frightful country ; it was all of chasms, sudden and very 
full of snow, which hung over in such a way that not even 
a reindeer could face it. 
So Onaska (the Prophet, as I called him, because of 
his white deer, and because he pronounced on all difficult 
points) went on alone to see what he could see. Return- 
ing presently he simply said ‘Impossible.’ Whereupon 
they all gaily determined that they must go back. Sol 
came in. ‘Go back if you dare; I will put the Governor 
on to you, and off you go to Siberia, as sure as eggs is 
eggs.’ 
With that they would see the papers again. So the 
papers were spread out on the ground, and they all lay 
down, with their noses over the paper, while Onaska, 
who alone could read, spelt it slowly through. 
‘Kolguev not here, only Petchora,’ says Onaska, tap- 
ping the paper. 
