tion upon the latter
point, pointed towards the east.

"That is where I come from. As to my business, at the moment you will
excuse me. It is perhaps not a rudeness to ask what is yours?"

The stranger laughed. "Caution, it seems, is necessary; and to the
east, where you have pointed, there is only the sea. I will, however,
tell you my business. It is the science, and not"--he seemed to add
this with a certain significance--"in any way connected with the
administration of the country."

Wyllard was conscious of a vast relief on hearing this, but as he was
not quite sure that he could believe it, he felt that prudence was
still advisable. In any case, he could not let the stranger go away
until he had learned whether there were any more white men with him.
He sat still, thinking rather hard for a moment or two.

"You have a camp somewhere near?" he asked at length.

"Certainly," said the other. "You will come back with me, or shall I
come to yours?"

"There are several of you?"

"Besides myself, two Kamtchadales."

"Then," said Wyllard, "I will come with you. I have left two comrades
a little further down the ravine. Will you wait until I bring them?"

The stranger made a sign of assent, and sitting down upon a ledge of
rock took out a cigar. Wyllard now felt more sure of him, since it was
evident that had he meditated any treachery he would naturally have
preferred him to make the visit unattended. In any case, it seemed
likely that he would have something to eat in his camp.

Wyllard plodded back down the ravine, and when he reappeared with the
others Overweg was still sitting there in the gathering darkness. He
greeted them with a wave of his hand, and rising, silently led the way
up the hollow until they came into sight of a little tent that
glimmered beneath a rock. There was a light inside it, and two dusky
figures were silhouetted against the canvas. When the party reached
it, Overweg drew the flap back, and the light shone upon his face as he
signed them to enter. Wyllard standing still a moment looked at him
steadily, and then seeing the little smile in his eyes quietly went in.

After that Overweg called to one of the Kamtchadales, who came in and
busied himself about the cooking lamp, while his guests sat down with a
sense of luxurious content among the skins that were spread upon the
ground sheet. After the raw cold outside the tent was very snug and
warm. They said little, howev