not well do that; but I will
tell you what you could do. Of course at the first place I get to, where
there is a telegraph to England, I will send a message to my father to
cable to some firm there to let me have what money I require. Very well.
Then, of course, you would go home with me to England, and there is one
thing I could promise you, and that is a post in my father's office. You
know we trade with Russia, and though our correspondence is generally
carried on in German, I am quite sure that my father would, after you
had been my companion on such a journey as that we propose, make a
berth for you in the office to undertake correspondence in Russian and
German, and that he would pay a salary quite sufficient for you to live
in comfort; or if you would rather, I am sure that he would find you
means for going out and settling, say in the United States, in the part
where German is the general language."

"Then in that case, Godfrey," the Russian said, shaking his hand warmly,
"I am your man. I think I should have gone with you anyhow; but what you
have said quite decides me. Now, then, what is our first proceeding?"

Godfrey laughed.

"I should say to take an inventory of our belongings, Alexis, or rather
of your belongings, for mine are very briefly described. Two hundred
roubles in notes, a watch, a pocket-knife, the suit of clothes I stand
up in, half a dozen pairs of socks, and three flannel shirts I bought on
the way, one great-coat lined with fur; I think that is about all. It is
a very small share. Yours are much more numerous."

"More numerous, but not much more useful," Alexis said. "They let me
bring one large portmanteau of clothes, but as I can't carry that away
on my shoulders it is of very little use. All I can take in that way is
a suit of clothes and a spare flannel shirt or two, and some socks. I
have got two cases of surgical instruments. I will take a few of the
most useful and some other things, a pair of forceps for instance. We
may come across a Tartar with a raging tooth, and make him our friend
for ever by extracting it, and I will put a bandage or two and some
plaster in my pocket. They are things one ought always to carry, for one
is always liable to get a hurt or a sprain. As to money, I have a
hundred and twenty roubles; they are all in silver. I changed my paper
at Tobolsk, thinking that silver would be more handy here. Unfortunately
they took away my pistol, but a couple of amputati