ve on his legs."

"But you did not seem to be exerting yourself," Osip said. "You were as
cool and as quiet as if you had been shovelling sand. You even laughed
when he rushed at you."

"That is the great point of boxing, Osip. One learns to keep cool, and
to have one's wits about one; for anyone who loses his temper has but a
poor chance indeed against another who keeps cool. Moreover a man who
can box well will always keep his head in all times of danger and
difficulty. It gives him nerve and self-confidence, and enables him at
all times to protect the weak against the strong."

"Just as you did now," Osip said. "Well, I would not have believed it if
I had not seen it. I am sure we all feel obliged to you for having taken
down that fellow Kobylin. He and a few others have been a nuisance for
some time. You may be sure there will be no more trouble with them after
the lesson you have given."

Luka's gratitude to Godfrey was unbounded, and from that time he would
have done anything on his behalf, while the respect with which he had
before regarded him was redoubled. Therefore when one day Godfrey said
to him, "When the spring comes, Luka, I mean to try to escape, and I
shall take you with me," the Tartar considered it to be a settled thing,
and was filled with a deep sense of gratitude that his companion should
deem him worthy of sharing in his perils.

Winter set in in three weeks after Godfrey reached Kara, and the work at
the mine had to be abandoned. As much employment as possible was made
for the convicts. Some were sent out to aid in bringing in the trees
that had been felled during the previous winter for firewood, others
sawed the wood up and split it into billets for the stoves, other
parties went out into the forest to fell trees for the next winter's
fires. Some were set to whitewash the houses, a process that was done
five times a year; but in spite of all this there was not work for half
the number. The time hung very heavily on the hands of those who were
unemployed. Godfrey was not of this number, for as soon as the work at
the mine terminated he received an order to work in the office as a
clerk.

He warmly appreciated this act of kindness on the part of the
commandant. It removed him from the constant companionship of the
convicts, which was now more unpleasant than before, as during the long
hours of idleness quarrels were frequent and the men became surly and
discontented. Besides this he recei