"Don't you see, your lordship," said the old man, "that it was not in
vain that I presented my petition to the robber? The robber was ashamed
of himself, although this long and lean Bashkir hoss and this peasant's
'_touloup_' be not worth half what those rascals stole from us, nor what
you deigned to give him as a present, still they may be useful to us.
'From an evil dog be glad of a handful of hairs.'"




CHAPTER X.

THE SIEGE.


As we approached Orenburg we saw a crowd of convicts with cropped heads,
and faces disfigured by the pincers of the executioner.[61]

They were working on the fortifications of the place under the
pensioners of the garrison. Some were taking away in wheelbarrows the
rubbish which filled the ditch; others were hollowing out the earth with
spades. Masons were bringing bricks and repairing the walls.

The sentries stopped us at the gates to demand our passports.

When the Sergeant learnt that we came from Fort Bélogorsk he took us
direct to the General.

I found him in his garden. He was examining the apple-trees which the