SPRING THAW DIFFICULTIES 251 



off sulkily to make his preparations and to fetch the 

 drosky from , the other end of the village. Our meal 

 on that occasion consisted of tea without sugar, and 

 black bread without butter, on which we feasted 

 sumptuously and with relish. I then realised how it 

 is that the Russian and Siberian peasant is so easily 

 satisfied with the dry black bread which forms the 

 staple article of his diet. The keen, bracing air is 

 a glorious whet to the appetite. 



The walls of the post station were ornamented 

 with a number of cheap and badly-executed chromos, 

 illustrating martial scenes such as the Russian peasant 

 loves. I found little difficulty in making out their 

 meanings. One of them was entitled " Our Hero " 

 and represented General Skobeleff, composedly wash- 

 ing his hands during the bombardment of a Russian 

 fort in the Russo-Turkish war of 1877, to a lively 

 accompaniment of shot and shell. A fierce battle was 

 being waged in the centre of the picture. Another 

 bore the legend : " On the 6th of January Grabbe 

 led the storming party, and as the columns were about 

 to take the fortress the Duke was wounded in the 

 side and fell dead. At that moment the battle was 

 won." A third picture included representations of 

 the fighting forces of all the white nations, the 

 " handy man " being depicted on top of the China- 

 man. The fourth showed a Chinaman, with the 

 representatives of four nations on his back instructing 

 him in the methods of Western civilisation. 



We learned that the Government pays the post- 

 master from 1,000 to 4,000 roubles, or something 

 over £100 to £400 per annum, according to the 

 number of horses kept, while the post station at 

 Altaiskoe, which is a rather important junction, re- 

 ceives 5, 000 roubles, or upwards of £500. 



At 5.30 the moujik drove up to the door of the 

 post station and declared himself ready to proceed. 



