le himself for sleep when he suddenly caught sight of a
stooping figure coming along. It was passing under the candle when he
caught sight of it. He did not feel quite sure that his eyes had not
deceived him, for it was but a momentary glance he caught of a dark
object an inch or two above the level of the feet of the sleepers.

Godfrey noiselessly pushed down his blanket, gathered his feet up in
readiness for a spring, and grasped one of his shoes, which as usual he
had placed behind the clothes-bag that served as his pillow. Several of
the sleepers were snoring loudly, and intently as he listened he heard
no footfall. In a few seconds, however, a dark figure arose against the
wall at the foot of the bench; it stood there immovable for half a
minute and then leaned over Mikail, placing one hand on the wall as if
to enable him to stretch as far over as possible without touching the
sleeper. Godfrey waited no longer but brought the shoe down with all his
force on the man's head, and then threw himself upon him pinning him
down for a moment upon the top of Mikail. The latter woke with a shout
of surprise followed by a sharp cry of pain. Godfrey clung to the man,
who, as with a great effort he rose, dragged him from the bed, and the
two rolled on the ground together. Mikail's shout had awakened the whole
ward and a sudden din arose. Mikail leapt from the bench and as he did
so fell over the struggling figures on the ground.

"Get hold of his hands, Mikail," Godfrey shouted, "he has got a knife
and I can't hold him."

But in the dark it was some time before the starosta could make out the
figures on the floor. Suddenly Godfrey felt Mikail's hand on his throat.

"That's me," he gasped. The hand was removed and a moment later he felt
the struggles of his adversary cease, and there was a choking sound.

"That is right, Mikail, but don't kill him," he said.

At this moment the door at the end of the ward opened and two of the
guard ran in with lanterns. They shouted orders to the convicts to keep
their places on the benches.

"This way," Mikail called, "there has been attempted murder, I believe."

The guards came up with the lanterns.

"What has happened to him?" one of them said, bending over the man who
was lying insensible on the ground.

"He is short of wind," Mikail said, "that is all that ails him; I had to
choke him off."

"But what is it all about?"

"I don't know myself," Mikail said. "I was asleep when I