door, and in came two corpulent merchants from the lower Amúr on their way to Irkútsk. They ordered the samovár, drank tea, smoked cigarettes, and discussed methods of gold-mining until half-past five, when, as there were no

horses, they began to consider the question of taking a nap. They had just decided that they would lie down for a while when the jangling of horse-bells in the courtyard announced another arrival, and in came a white-bearded old man with a shot-gun. Where he was going I don't know; but when he ordered the samovár and began an