inutes after,
all three had reached the little quay, with houses on each side quite
down to the water's edge. It was like a village standing beyond the town
of Krasnoiarsk.

But not a boat was on the shore, not a barge at the little wharf,
nothing even of which a raft could be made large enough to carry three
people. Michael questioned Nicholas, who made the discouraging reply
that the crossing appeared to him absolutely impracticable.

"We shall cross!" answered Michael.

The search was continued. They examined the houses on the shore,
abandoned like all the rest of Krasnoiarsk. They had merely to push open
the doors and enter. The cottages were evidently those of poor people,
and quite empty. Nicholas visited one, Nadia entered another, and even
Michael went here and there and felt about, hoping to light upon some
article that might be useful.

Nicholas and the girl had each fruitlessly rummaged these cottages and
were about to give up the search, when they heard themselves called.
Both ran to the bank and saw Michael standing on the threshold of a
door.

"Come!" he exclaimed. Nicholas and Nadia went towards him and followed
him into the cottage.

"What are these?" asked Michael, touching several objects piled up in a
corner.

"They are leathern bottles," answered Nicholas.

"Are they full?"

"Yes, full of koumyss. We have found them very opportunely to renew our
provisions!"

"Koumyss" is a drink made of mare's or camel's milk, and is very
sustaining, and even intoxicating; so that Nicholas and his companions
could not but congratulate themselves on the discovery.

"Save one," said Michael, "but empty the others."

"Directly, little father."

"These will help us to cross the Yenisei."

"And the raft?"

"Will be the kibitka itself, which is light enough to float. Besides, we
will sustain it, as well as the horse, with these bottles."

"Well thought of, little father," exclaimed Nicholas, "and by God's help
we will get safely over... though perhaps not in a straight line, for
the current is very rapid!"

"What does that matter?" replied Michael. "Let us get across first,
and we shall soon find out the road to Irkutsk on the other side of the
river."

"To work, then," said Nicholas, beginning to empty the bottles.

One full of koumyss was reserved, and the rest, with the air carefully
fastened in, were used to form a floating apparatus. Two bottles were
fastened to the horse's sides to support