"It ain't so stuffy. These doors out in the yards make a
difference."

"Oh, yes," said Cowperwood, observantly and shrewdly, "that is the yard
Mr. Desmas spoke of."

At the mention of the magic name, if Bonhag had been a horse, his ears
would have been seen to lift. For, of course, if Cowperwood was so
friendly with Desmas that the latter had described to him the type of
cell he was to have beforehand, it behooved Bonhag to be especially
careful.

"Yes, that's it, but it ain't much," he observed. "They only allow a
half-hour a day in it. Still it would be all right if a person could
stay out there longer."

This was his first hint at graft, favoritism; and Cowperwood distinctly
caught the sound of it in his voice.

"That's too bad," he said. "I don't suppose good conduct helps a person
to get more." He waited to hear a reply, but instead Bonhag continued
with: "I'd better teach you your new trade now. You've got to learn to
cane chairs, so the warden says. If you want, we can begin right away."
But without waiting for Cowperwood to acquiesce, he went off, returning
after a time with three unvarnished frames of chairs and a bundle
of cane strips or withes, which he deposited on the floor. Having so
done--and with a flourish--he now continued: "Now I'll show you if
you'll watch me," and he began showing Cowperwood how the strips were
to be laced through the apertures on either side, cut, and fastened
with little hickory pegs. This done, he brought a forcing awl, a small
hammer, a box of pegs, and a pair of clippers. After several brief
demonstrations with different strips, as to how the geometric forms were
designed, he allowed Cowperwood to take the matter in hand, watching
over his shoulder. The financier, quick at anything, manual or mental,
went at it in his customary energetic fashion, and in five minutes
demonstrated to Bonhag that, barring skill and speed, which could only
come with practice, he could do it as well as another. "You'll make out
all right," said Bonhag. "You're supposed to do ten of those a day. We
won't count the next few days, though, until you get your hand in. After
that I'll come around and see how you're getting along. You understand
about the towel on the door, don't you?" he inquired.

"Yes, Mr. Chapin explained that to me," replied Cowperwood. "I think I
know what most of the rules are now. I'll try not to break any of them."

The days which followed brought a number of modifications