r. There he bought only what had been ordered, but he could
not resist the temptation to ask the price of a very handsome sheep-skin
coat which attracted his attention. The merchant to whom he spoke looked
at Polikey and smiled, not believing that he had sufficient money to
purchase such an expensive coat. But Polikey, pointing to his breast,
said that he could buy out the whole shop if he wished to. He thereupon
ordered the shop-keeper to take his measure. He tried the coat on and
looked himself over carefully, testing the quality and blowing upon the
hair to see that none of it came out. Finally, heaving a deep sigh, he
took it off.

"The price is too high," he said. "If you could let me have it for
fifteen rubles--"

But the merchant cut him short by snatching the coat from him and
throwing it angrily to one side.

Polikey left the bazaar and returned to the merchant's house in high
spirits.

After supper he went out and fed the mare, and prepared everything for
the night. Returning to the house he got up on the stove to rest, and
while there he took out the envelope which contained the money and
looked long and earnestly at it. He could not read, but asked one of
those present to tell him what the writing on the envelope meant. It
was simply the address and the announcement that it contained fifteen
hundred rubles.

The envelope was made of common paper and was sealed with dark-brown
sealing wax. There was one large seal in the centre and four smaller
ones at the corners. Polikey continued to examine it carefully, even
inserting his finger till he touched the crisp notes. He appeared to
take a childish delight in having so much money in his possession.

Having finished his examination, he put the envelope inside the lining
of his old battered hat, and placing both under his head he went to
sleep; but during the night he frequently awoke and always felt to
know if the money was safe. Each time that he found that it was safe he
rejoiced at the thought that he, Polikey, abused and regarded by every
one as a thief, was intrusted with the care of such a large sum of
money, and also that he was about to return with it quite as safely as
the superintendent himself could have done.

CHAPTER V.

Before dawn the next morning Polikey was up, and after harnessing the
mare and looking in his hat to see that the money was all right, he
started on his return journey.

Many times on the way Polikey took off his hat to