238 SIBERIA 



in the darkness of a winter's night. The only sounds 

 are the tinkling of the bells and the responsive bark- 

 ing of the numerous dogs which are kept to hold the 

 wolves in check. Occasionally the darkness is in- 

 tensified by the solitary glimmer of a candle kept 

 burning in a window to guide the wayfarer. 



We sent instructions to the post station that we 

 should want horses by five o'clock the following 

 morning and retired to rest on a feather bed made 

 on the floor. It was very clean and comfortable, 

 although the room, as frequently happens in Siberia, 

 was much too warm. 



The next morning we were outside waiting for 

 our drosky at seven o'clock and took a snapshot of 

 it as the troika galloped over the wooden bridge at 

 the bottom of the road. I shall never forget the view 

 from where we stood. It was as pretty a village scene 

 as I have ever seen. However, we were in a 

 hurry, and were not sorry to bid our host farewell and 

 commence our next stage of i6 miles to Chorni-Anni. 



The scenery along the route was exceedingly 

 pretty, and we saw enormous quantities of game, but 

 could not spare the time for shooting. .We had made 

 inquiries about the state of the road from Chorni-Anni 

 to Bysk, and had been informed that it was im- 

 passable. This, though trying to our patience, did 

 not surprise us. 



For six miles beyond Ouskam the road is on the 

 level, after which it ascends a long hill and crosses a 

 pass, with a sudden dip on the opposite side. The 

 road was very slippery and the horses fell more than 

 once. The weight of the drosky, which had no brake, 

 forced the horses into a run every time we were on 

 a down gradient, with the result that, on one occasion, 

 one of the horses fell and was dragged a considerable 

 distance. Shortly before reaching Chorni-Anni we 

 descended into a valley which was under cultivation 



