The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-12-12


this, he looked at Aksyonof, slapped
his own knee. and exclaimed: We'll.
this Is wonderful Really wonder
full! But how old you've grown.
Gran dad!"
The others asked him why b. was
30 surprised, and where he had seen
Aksyonof before; but Makar Sem
yonitch did not reply. He only said:
TITS wonderful that we should meet
here. lads!"
These words made Aksyonof won
der whether this man knew who had
killed the merchant; so he said
Perhaps, Semyonitch. you have
seen me before?"
How could | help hearing? The
worlds full of rumors. But It's
long ago. and I've forgotten what
heard
Perhaps you heard who killed the
merchant" asked Aksyonof.
Makar Semyonitch laughed and re-
piled. 1T must have boen he In
whose bag the knife was found! IL
someone else hid the knife there,
Hes not thief till he's caught, as
the saying Is. How could anyone : 1T
knife into your bag while 1t was
under your head? 1t would surely
have woke you up?"
When Aksyonof heard these words
he felt sure this was the man who
had killed the merchant. He rose
and went away. All that night AXIS
yonof lay awake. He felt terribly
unhappy and all sorts of images arose
In his mind. There was the image
OF his wife as she was when he part
ed from her to go to the fair He
saw her as If she were present; her
face and her eyes rose before him;
he heard her speak and laugh. Then
he saw his children, quite little. as
they were at that tlme, one With a
little cloak on, another at his moth
er's breast. And then he remember
ed himself as he used to be-young
and merry. He remembered how he
sat playing the guitar on the porch
OF the inn where he was arrested.
and how free from care he had been.
He was. in his mind. tho place where
he was hogsed, the eXecutioner, and
the people standing around; the
chains, the conyicts, all the twenty
six years OF his prison life, and his
premature old age. The thought OF it
all made him SO wretched that he
was ready to kill himself.
And It's all that villain: doing!"
thought Aksyonof. And his anger
was so great against Magyar Semyon-
Itch that he longed for vengeance
even If he himself should perish for
1t. He kept repeating prayers all
night, but could not get no peace.
During the day he did not go near
Makar Semyonitch. nor even look st
him.
A fortnight passed in this way.
Aksyonof could not sleep at nights
and was so miserable that he did not
know what to do.
One night rs he was walking abou.
the prison he noticed some earth
that came rolling out from under
one Of the shelves on which the
prisoners slept. He stopped to see
what 1t WAS. Suddenly Makar Sem
yonitch crept out from under the
shelf and looked up at Aksyonof with
pass without looking at him. but
Makar seized his hand and told him
that he had dug hole under the
wall, getting rid OF the earth by put
ting 1t into his high-boots. and empty
ing II out every day on the road
when the prisoners were driven to
their work.
Just you keep quiet. old man. and
you shall get out too. II you hlaO
they'll fog the life out Of me- but
m kill you first"
Aksyonof trembled with anger as
he looked at his enemy. He drew
bis hand away, saying; Il have no
wish to escape. and you have 10
need 70 kil me: you killed me long
agol AZ to telling of you-I may
do SO or not. as God shall direct"
Next day, when the convicts were
led out 70 work. the convoy Soldlers
noticed that one or other of the
prisoners emptied some earth out Of
his boots. The prison was searched.
and the tunnel found. The Cover
nor came and questioned all tho
prisoners to find out who had dug
the hole. They all denied any know
ledge OF It Those who knew .ould
not betrsy Makar Semyonitch. know
Ing he would be fogged almost to
death. At last the Governor turned
70 Aksyonof. whom he knew to be
q Just man. and said
you are a truthful old man; tell
me, before God. who dug the hole?"
Makar Semy yonitch stood as II he
were quite unconcerned. locking at
the Governor and not so much az
slancing at Aksyonof. Aksyonof's lips
and hands trembled. and for a long
time he could not utter word. 10
thought: why should | screen him