d would probably
ere long be dragging his weary feet over the burning steppes, or the
wide expanses of snow in Siberia, probably to sink down and die ere half
the journey was performed. As I thought of the suffering I had brought
on the kind old man, I threw myself on the ground, and for the first
time for many a long year gave way to a bitter flood of tears. It was
wrong, I know. It was mistrusting Providence; but human nature is weak.
I remembered this, and prayed for strength. It came. I arose, and
sinking on my knees, earnestly prayed that the old man's sufferings
might be lightened as much as was for his good. I knew on whom he would
trust, and had no more fears for him.

"Calling my thoughts to the necessity of taking steps for my own safety,
I hurried on my way. It was important that before the morning dawned I
should have placed many versts between my pursuers and me. They were
not men, I guessed, to venture through the forest at night, and I
calculated that, after having chased me as they supposed for an hour or
two, and not finding me, they would give up the pursuit and return home.
All night I walked on; the fresh cool air revived my strength and
spirits; when morning came I felt much less fatigue than I expected, for
the chief portion of the night I had been in the open country. At dawn
I again made for a wood for the purpose of concealment, and as day
advanced, and people were likely to be about, I climbed up as usual into
a tree to sleep. I used to fasten myself on to a bough with my sash, so
that I had no fear of falling off. In the evening, having surveyed the
country carefully, to see that there was no one apparently pursuing me,
I came down and continued my journey. For several days I met with no
adventure. I was daily gaining strength; and as I approached my
father's village, and expected so soon to meet him and my mother, and
her I loved, my hopes grew stronger, and my spirits rose. Yet I had
still a wide extent of country to traverse. I went on for days together
without even seeing a human being. On the high road I should have met
them, but the country itself is so thinly inhabited, that often for
thirty or forty versts together not a hut is to be found. My provisions
were now again running short; how to replenish my stock I scarcely knew.
I had reached the brow of a hill one morning, when I saw below me an
encampment. On looking closer I saw that it was composed of young lads
who