grunted an assent, and carrying the birds they returned to the boat.

"It is freezing to-night," the Tartar said as they stepped in. "I will
lay the geese in the bow beyond the cover. They will be frozen by the
morning."

Godfrey was glad of the wrapping of warm furs that night, and even when
he shook them off and looked out at sunrise, it was still so chilly
that, after he had leaned over the side of the boat as usual, and
sluiced his head with water, he was glad to take a paddle and work hard
for a bit to keep himself warm.

"Get the fire alight, Luka, and the kettle on," he said, "and cut up one
of those geese. How are you going to get the feathers off? I suppose you
will have to pluck them and singe them."

"It would take much too long that. We can spare the feathers this time."

So saying, with his knife he made a slight incision down the
breast-bone, and then proceeded to tear off the skin, bit by bit,
feathers and all.

"That is a quick way," Godfrey said, "though it doesn't improve the
bird's appearance; but that is a trifle. Never mind the bread, we shall
have to do without that before long, and I feel as hungry as a hunter."

In a very few minutes the fire was blazing, and portions of the goose
frizzling over it, and in twenty minutes the meal was ready. Godfrey
thought he had never eaten anything nicer; and the meat being much less
rich than that of tame geese, he did very well without bread. For the
next three days they made no pause, floating down night and day, the
stream varying in speed from five to ten miles an hour. At points where
the stream was most rapid, they paddled in towards the bank to avoid the
waves raised by the river in its course. The light boat always floated
easily over these, but she needed to be kept with her head to them; and
Godfrey was afraid that a moment's carelessness might bring her
broadside on to them, and therefore preferred to glide along at a
somewhat slower rate near the shore.

The river was now a mile and a half wide. To the left the country was
flat, but on the right they could see hills rising far above each other.
One or two small trading stations were seen on the right bank, but upon
the left they passed only a few clusters of Ostjak yourts. On the right
great pine forests came down in places to within a short distance of the
river, but these were rarely seen on the left. On the fifth day after
leaving Yeneseisk they saw a small trading station on the right b