242 SIBERIA 



in a stable in the corner of the yard, enjoying its 

 well-earned meal. The intense silence is only 

 matched by the blackness of the night. 



The villagers go to bed at sunset and rise in the 

 morning with the sun. We turned in on the floor and 

 awoke next morning at about half -past four. It was 

 a Saturday. Daylight showed us that we were 

 inside another fairly large circle of mountains, the 

 average height of which appeared to be about 

 3,000 feet. It had rained during the night, and the 

 thermometer registered 42 degrees Fahr. The sky 

 was clouded, but there was no rain, and there were 

 indications that the weather would clear up later in 

 the day. Daylight came at about five o'clock a.m. 

 and lasted till seven in the evening. iWe urged 

 the moujik to hurry with the horses, as we were in 

 doubt as to whether he would take us any farther 

 or not. The driver we had had over the last stage 

 had told us that this man had refused to take two 

 moujiks the week before, on account of the hope- 

 less condition of the road. But he insisted on telling 

 the man that we had a pass, the result of which was 

 that we found the village secretary waiting for us 

 in order to inspect that document. 



I produced my letter of introduction from Prince 

 Khilkofi^, Minister of Ways and Communications, re- 

 quiring the officials to help me on my journey, and, 

 while the secretary was trying to make out what it 

 meant, I practised my Russian upon him, which pre- 

 vented his understanding my letter too well. I also 

 held out my pocket-book, from which I had taken 

 the letter, and waited in an impatient attitude, and 

 with hand outstretched, to receive it back again. 

 This worked like a charm ; the puzzled village wise 

 man handed me the letter without a word, and the 

 owner of the horses, evidently impressed, arranged for 

 us to proceed. In this manjner we escaped being 



