t time, and it was only on the way back that I
heard of things about the others. Formerly the guards remained in
Siberia if they chose, it was too far to send them back to Russia; but
now that the journey is done so quickly, and we can get back all the way
from Tomsk by the rivers, except this little bit, we go back again as
soon as we have handed over our charges. I did not go farther than Tomsk
last time, and I was back at Nijni in less than three months after
starting. What part of Russia do you come from?"

"I am an Englishman."

The soldier looked round in surprise. "I did not know Englishmen could
speak our language so well; of course I noticed that your speech was not
quite like mine, but I am from the south and I thought you must come
from somewhere in the north or from Poland. How did--" and here he
stopped. "But I must not ask that; I don't want to know anything, not
even your name. Look there, we are just going to pass a convoy of other
prisoners."

In a minute or two they overtook the party. It consisted of about a
hundred and fifty prisoners escorted by a dozen mounted Cossacks. The
men were in prison garb of yellowish-brown stuff with a coloured patch
in the back between the shoulders. They had chains fastened to rings
round the ankles and tied up to their belts. They were not heavy, and
interfered very little with their walking. The procession in no way
accorded with Godfrey's preconceived idea. The men were walking along
without much attempt at regular order. They were laughing and talking
together or with their guards, and some of them shouted chaffing remarks
to the four vehicles as they swept past them.

"They do not look very unhappy," Godfrey said.

"Why should they?" the soldier replied; "they are better off than they
would be at home. Lots of men break the law on purpose to be sent out;
it is a good country. They say wives get rid of their husbands by
informing against them and getting them sent here. I believe there are
quite as many husbands with scolding wives who get themselves sent here
to be free of them. As long as they are on the road or employed in hard
labour they are fed better than they ever were at home, better a great
deal than we soldiers are. Even in the prisons they do not work so very
hard, for it is difficult to find work for them; only if they are sent
to the mines their lot is bad. Of that I know nothing, but I have heard.
As for the rest, from what I have seen of it I sh