itors, Vaisoff
showed him the door, explaining that he did not consider himself under
any obligation "to repay what had been given to him." The other
returned later, however, accompanied by several policemen, and
Vaisoff's adherents then attacked the latter, while chanting religious
hymns and proclaiming the greatness of their leader. They next
barricaded themselves into the house, which was besieged by the police
for some days, during which prayers issued from it towards heaven and
stones towards the representatives of the law. Finally the rebels were
overpowered, and sentenced to several years' imprisonment.

The police had a similar experience on another occasion when they tried
to arrest one of the _Vaisoftzi_, but in the end they got the upper
hand, and several Tartars were delivered up to justice.

After being judged and sentenced, they presented themselves before the
Court of Appeal, but when the usual questions were put to them, all
began to pray and sing loudly. Silence was at last reestablished, and
the judge again asked one of them for his name and profession. "Who
are you, that you should question me?" was the reply, and once again
all chanted together in chorus. The Tartars who had crowded into the
court seemed deeply impressed by this attitude, and the judge thought
it well to dismiss the prisoners while the case was considered. They
were brought back to hear the sentence, and again began to sing their
prayers and hymns, while one of them cried out: "I am the chief of the
heavenly regiment; I am the representative of Vaisoff upon earth; and
you, who are you that you should take upon yourself the right to judge
me?" The others then calmly continued their interrupted song to the
Lord, but they were all condemned to a period of forced labour, and
their spokesman, in addition, to twenty-five strokes with the birch.

CHAPTER II

THE RELIGION OF THE POLAR MARSEILLAIS

Let us now travel to the extreme north, to the land where dwell the
Yakuts, the Marseillais of the Polar regions. Living a life of gay and
careless vagabondage in this snowy world, they took part in one of the
most characteristic episodes of the general religious upheaval.

At Guigiguinsk, a straggling village on the borders of the Arctic
Ocean, lived a Yakut tribe already converted to Christianity. Their
new faith had not in any way modified the happy-go-lucky nature of the
inhabitants of this frozen land; neither had it in a