nd the young American made up his mind to humor the
man, and see what would come of it in the future.

Barnwell mingled with his fellow-servants in the hospital, and answered
their questions regarding Batavsky.

Concluding that it was best to humor the prevailing idea, he half-way
admitted that the old man belonged to a noble family, and that he had
been given a Christian burial at the instigation of the Czar himself.

This, of course, produced food for comment and controversy for a long
time, during which Barnwell, now able to speak the Russian language, was
able to converse and to learn much.

The short days of Siberia give one but a moment's warning between
daylight and total darkness, and although this is not known or felt away
down in the gold-mines, where they work from four o'clock in the morning
until ten o'clock at night--where night and day are all the same to the
poor victims--those on the surface of the earth understand that when the
sun goes down darkness follows, save when the Aurora Borealis comes with
its weird light to illuminate the frozen world of Siberia.

Kanoffskie waited with impatience.

Somehow or other this young American had wormed himself into his cold
and beastly nature, and even exercised more influence over him than he
knew of.

Darkness came on, and Barnwell went to his master, as ordered.

He found him pacing his office in a highly nervous state.

"I am here, surgeon," said Barnwell.

"Stay here. Do not leave me," said the surgeon, with a sigh.

"I will do so, sir," replied Barnwell. "You seem nervous."

"No, well--you saw him decently buried?" he asked, stopping before
Barnwell.

"Yes, sir."

"And there was a prayer said over him?"

"Yes, by the chaplain from the government house," said Barnwell.

"And you buried him deep?"

"Fully five feet underground."

"That is well. And a prayer was said?"

"Yes, sir."

Kanoffskie seemed entirely at sea.

"Will you retire, sir?"

"No, I shall remain here all night, and you will remain with me,"
replied Kanoffskie, timidly.

"But you will not sleep in your chair?"

"Yes, and so must you. But he had Christian burial?" he asked,
anxiously.

"Yes, everything was all right."

"Thank goodness! But that dream troubles me, Barnwell," said he.

"Let it not, my dear sir--it was only a dream."

"But the coincidence!"

"True, it is a strange one; but only think, my dear sir, how many dreams
you might have--many dreams you