Not for a moment was his almost childlike confidence {260} disturbed by
a suspicion of bad faith, of intentional delay in issuing the
passports, of excuses to hold him back at Yakutsk till the jealous fur
traders could send secret complaints to St. Petersburg. Much less was
he suspicious when Billings, his old friend of Cook's voyage, himself
arrived, and invited him on a sled journey of exploration up the Lena
while waiting.[2]
On sledges he went up the Lena River with a party of explorers. On the
night of February 24 two or three of the officers and Ledyard were
sitting in the mess room of Irkutsk playing cards. They might laugh
_at_ Ledyard. They also laughed _with_ him. Wherever he went, went
gayety. Gales of boisterous laughter were on the wind. Hopes as
tenuous as the wind were in the air. One of the great Bering's sons
was there, no doubt telling tales of discovery that set each man's
veins jumping. Suddenly a tremendous jingling of bells announced some
midnight arrival post-haste at the barracks' door. Before the card
players had risen from their places, two Cossacks had burst into the
room stamping snow from their feet.
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