KAINSK 97 



meteorological observatory, a hospital with fifty-five 

 beds and dispensary, a military hospital, a public 

 club, a library, and a society for elementary educa- 

 tion. All of which go to show that this out-of-the- 

 way spot is well provided for. 



We travelled at the rate of 12 miles an hour, the 

 bells tinkling merrily, while one horse trotted in the 

 shafts of the sledge and the other galloped by its 

 side, throwing up the snow into our face? and slowly 

 filling the sledge. This was my first experience of 

 a winter sledge -ride on a dark moonless night across 

 the lonely steppes. W-e pulled up at Kainsk Hotel, 

 which, except in the matter of size, was not an im- 

 posing edifice. On approaching the bedroom stairs 

 a huge, ferocious dog started up barking loud enough 

 to shake its head off. Nobody took any notice, how- 

 ever, so we mounted the creaky stairs to our bedroom, 

 which, by the way, had no paper on the walls. We 

 made an attempt to wash in the usual cupful of water, 

 and then had dinner, after which we accompanied our 

 friend through the town to his house. He warned us 

 before leaving to lock up all our luggage against the 

 probability of some other traveller taking a bag or 

 part of its contents by mistake and perhaps leaving 

 before the mistake was discovered. He also warned 

 us to have a revolver handy in the breast pocket, 

 after which we left for the dark streets. 



The first thing that attracted my attention was the 

 noise of the watchman's rattle. I examined the 

 instrument. It is a hollow block of wood, not unlike 

 a pulley block in shape, having a round piece of wood 

 attached by string, which when shaken strikes the 

 sides, producing a most unearthly noise, calculated 

 to give the thief or burglar warning fully a mile 

 away. The watchman makes this slumber-disturbing 

 noise in order to inform the people that he is making 

 his tour round the village. From his replies to some 



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