The road between Irkutsk and Tomsk was, as
Godfrey had learned on his outward journey, frequented by bands of
brigands who had no hesitation in killing as well as plundering
wayfarers. Here they were only likely to fall in with convicts who had
escaped from Irkutsk or from convoys along the road, and were for the
most part perfectly harmless, seeking only to spend a summer holiday in
freedom, and knowing that when winter came on they would have to
surrender themselves.

Of such men Godfrey had no fear, his gun and his companion's bow and
arrows rendered them too formidable to be meddled with, and until they
came down upon the main road there was no chance of their meeting police
officers or Cossacks. No villages were passed on the journey, and
Godfrey, therefore, had no longer any hesitation in shooting the
squirrels that frisked about among the trees. He found them, as Luka had
said, excellent eating, although it required three or four of them to
furnish anything like a meal. He soon, however, gave over shooting, for
he found that Luka was at least as certain with his bow as he was with
the gun, with the advantage that the blunt arrow did not spoil the
skins. These, as Luka told him, were valuable, and they would be able to
exchange them for food, the Siberian squirrel furnishing a highly-prized
fur.

Each day Luka brought down at least a dozen of these little creatures,
and these, with their dried fish and cakes made of flour, afforded them
excellent food on their way. After four days' walking across a lofty
plateau they descended into a cultivated valley, and before them rose
the cupolas of Kirensk, while along the valley flowed the Lena, as yet
but a small river, although it would become a mighty flood before it
reached the sea, nearly four thousand miles away. It would have to be
crossed at Kirensk, and they sat down and held a long council as to how
they had best get through the town. They agreed that it must be done at
night, for in the daytime they certainly would have to produce
passports.

"There will not be much chance of meeting a Cossack or a policeman at
one or two o'clock in the morning, Luka, and if there were any about we
ought to be able to get past them in the dark."

"If one stops us I can settle him," Luka said, tapping his knife.

"No, no, Luka, we won't have any bloodshed if we can help it, though I
do not mean to be taken. If a fellow should stop us and ask any
questions, and try to arrest