EXPEDITION TO THE ALTAI 147 



meant wolves, and pointed across the snow to &, 

 mound. We looked, and sure enough there were 

 two impudent -looking heads just showing above the 

 elevated ground. I jumped out of the sledge and 

 my companion followed with the gun. Being knee- 

 deep in the snow, and in a stooping position, they 

 did not see us until we were about ten yards off. 

 I was just about to shoot when they became aware 

 of my presence and made off barking. I did not 

 shoot, as they were dogs and not wolves ; but they 

 were very like them in appearance, sufficiently so, 

 in fact, to suggest the explanation that they were 

 a cross between the domestic animal and his dis- 

 reputable relation. I was rather disappointed, as 

 I would particularly have liked to take a wolf-skin 

 back to England with me, but the annoyance did not 

 last very long. We had been looking for wolves 

 all the way from Barnaoul, having been told that 

 owing to the winter having lasted six weeks longer 

 than usual, with severe cold, there were large numbers 

 prowling about in the neighbourhood of the villages 

 looking for food ; but although we frequently heard 

 of exciting wolf -hunts during our travels we were 

 never lucky enough to meet a pack ourselves. 



Travelling by night is not a very desirable thing 

 at any time ; it is still less pleasant in the middle 

 of winter and through a Siberian steppe. We 

 narrowly escaped an upset which would doubtlessly 

 have deposited us at the bottom of a steep gully. It 

 was half -past eleven when we reached Kharlipko, our 

 next stopping-place. We drove through the silent 

 village and into the skeleton gateway of the post- 

 house at full gallop and pulled up abruptly in front 

 of the entrance. Here we knocked. A head appeared 

 at a window, and presently a lamp was carried into 

 the traivellers' room". We shook the snow from our 

 clothes and entered. The room; was stuffy and close 



