and the hair jet black and
worn in a platted tail down the back. They made signs to their prisoners
to accompany them. Alexis pulled on his boots. Two of the men with guns
stood guard over them while the others examined the stores, and were
evidently highly pleased with the two brightly polished knives.

"Rather an abrupt termination to our journey, Godfrey."

"Painfully so. I was almost afraid everything was going on too well with
us, Alexis. It began to look so easy that one could not understand why
there should not be hundreds of prisoners every year make their way
across."

"I should not have minded so much," Alexis said, "if we had not got such
a satisfactory kit together. We had everything we really wanted for a
journey across Asia."

"Except food and water, Alexis."

"Well, yes, those are important items certainly, and if we had
difficulty about it here in a decent sort of country, what might be
expected on farther? Well, we have had our outing; I only hope they
won't give us up at Irkutsk. I suppose it depends where their
grazing-grounds are. There are another two months of summer; I wish we
could have had our fling till then."

Half a mile along the valley they came upon a tent, evidently belonging
to the men who had taken them. They talked a good deal among themselves
as they approached it, but went straight on without making a stop.

"I expect they are taking us down to some chief or other, if they call
them chiefs," Alexis said. "I expect they came out to hunt for horses or
cattle that have strayed."

Seven or eight miles farther the valley opened on to a plain, and a
short distance in front of them, on the stream, stood ten tents, one of
which was considerably larger than the others. Great flocks of sheep
grazed on the plain, and at a distance they could see numbers of cattle,
while some horses with their saddles on were hobbled near the tents.

"I think we are lucky, Godfrey. The owner of all this must be a rich
man, and can hardly covet the roubles he would get for giving us up.
Besides, he is sure to talk Russian."

As they came up to the huts they saw that their occupants were all
gathered, talking excitedly in front of a large tent. One of the men ran
on and then returned; the news he gave was evidently bad. He talked
excitedly, pointing to his own leg about half-way between the knee and
the ankle. The men broke into exclamations of regret.

"I wonder what is the matter, Alexis; something