ank.
This Godfrey, who had got the geography of the river by heart, judged to
be Peslovska, because it was one of the few trading stations which was
not situated at a point where a tributary stream ran into the Yenesei.

"We are far enough down now, Luka," he said. "We are not more than two
hundred miles from Turukhansk. We will land at the next Ostjak huts we
come to, and see if they are disposed to be friendly with us."

"They will be friendly," Luka said confidently. "Why not? They are
peaceable people, and they know that did they touch strangers they would
be punished. There are Russian soldiers at Turukhansk. The Ostjaks are
very poor. You have things to give them, and you want nothing of them."

Twenty miles further they saw a group of seven huts on the left bank
ahead of them, and paddling in landed close to them. Three or four
canoes, much smaller than their own lay there, and as they climbed the
lofty bank some of the Ostjaks came out from their huts.

"What do you want?" one of them asked abruptly.

"I am travelling with this gentleman, who has come from a far distant
country to hunt and to shoot game here in winter. We would like to live
beside your village and to hunt with you. You see he has a gun. He has
many things as presents, and it will be well for the village where he
settles. Here is some tobacco for all," and Luka handed a small roll of
tobacco to each of the men. "We have also some presents for the women,"
and he produced two or three looking-glasses, and some rows of large
blue and red beads. The women, who were listening in the huts, at once
came out.

"It is good," an old man, who seemed to be the leader of the Ostjaks,
said. "Why should not the stranger live here with us and hunt with us if
he chooses? He will be welcome. Let us help the strangers."

The whole of the Ostjaks at once set to work. Godfrey chose a piece of
level ground twenty or thirty yards lower down than the huts. He and
Luka, aided by some of the men, carried the various articles out of the
boat. While they were doing this, the women stuck some poles in the
ground round the circle Godfrey had traced, and lashed them together in
the middle with some strips of hide. The three large skins were placed
against this on the northern side. Then the women paused.

"You had better buy some more large skins if they have got them, Luka.
Say that you will give a knife for hides enough to finish the huts
with."

The knives were la