It is vastly
better that he should be restless, or even wildly delirious, than lying
unconscious as he was when I first saw him. Well, and what are you going
to do, young fellow?"

"I am going to give myself up," he said.

"You have had enough of the plains, eh?"

"Yes, sir, for the present."

"Mind, don't be foolish enough to say that you have escaped; there is
not the least occasion for that; that would make the case a great deal
worse."

"My friend here was going with me to the governor, doctor, to tell him
that I have been living with him for some time."

"Yes, that is all well enough; but if you give yourself up it is a
confession that you have escaped; that won't do at all. I tell you what
will be the best thing: I will go with you to Colonel Prescoff, the
governor. I shall tell him the truth, that I was attending one of the
Buriat's men, who had been badly injured by a bear, when I saw you
there. I found that you could not give a good account of yourself, and
had no papers, and that, therefore, as was my duty, I brought you to
him. Then you must say that you have been working here and there, and
that you come from, say, Tomsk. I suppose you have been there?"

Godfrey smiled.

"That is near enough," the doctor went on. "As for your papers, you lost
them, or they were burnt or stolen from you. He won't ask you many
questions. Then the Buriat will speak up for you--he is rather an
important man, being one of the richest of his tribe--and say what he
can for you. Is there anything you want done particularly?"

"I want to be sent to Nertchinsk instead of to Irkutsk. I would rather
work in the mines or anywhere else than be shut up in prison."

"And besides, you would not be known?" the doctor laughed.

"That is the principal thing, sir."

"Whatever you do, my lad," the doctor said, "if you have been a
political prisoner--mind, I don't ask the question, and don't want to
know--but if you have been, don't let it out. It is better to have been
a murderer than a Nihilist out here. I dare say the colonel would send
you to Nertchinsk if your friend here asks him, but it is a good deal
further and a more expensive journey."

"I will gladly pay for the vehicle, sir."

"Ah, well; if you will do that, I should think it could be managed. I
will go in first with your friend and have a talk with the colonel, and
we will see if we can put the matter straight for you before you are
called in."

Godfrey took his f