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to his fellow-men. He never quarrelled nor did any one a had
turn; on the contrary, he came to everyone’s assistance if there
were need, and while they regarded him as crazy, every one
loved him.
“But his dislike to authority changed him into an altogether
different man. He never lost an opportunity of showing them
his contempt and protesting against their power. One day the
governor of the place, a tyrannical kind of man, visited the
prison. He inspected everything, and put the usual questions
to the prisoners about their needs and desires. All stood cap
in hand before him, except the sectary, who looked round him
unconcernedly with his hat on. This conduct attracted the
governor’s notice.
“‘Who’s that fellow that doesn’t take off his hat? Take off
your hat,’ said he to the prisoner.
“‘The hat’s yours, not mine. If you want it, you have only
to take it off me,’ said the man, composedly.
“‘How dare you?’ roared the governor.
“‘Instead of yelling like that you had better inquire into
the cause of the prisoners’ wretched lot,’ said the sectary,
quietly.
“‘Handcuff him! Flog him!’ shrieked the governor, beside
himself with rage.
“They seized the unhappy man and took him away. He was
flogged so severely that the inspector found him the next day in
hospital, unconscious. He was there a long while, but owing
to his powerful constitution he recovered. Asked what made
him behave like that to the governor, he replied, ‘I had to.’
“Soon after he was transferred to another prison, and only
vague rumours were heard of him. The whip, instead of
subduing, only hardened and irritated him. He displayed an
unheard-of force of character, and underwent terrible
experiences. He was flogged and lashed times without number,
deprived of food, confined for a whole year in a dark and damp
cell. He bore all without giving way or renouncing his
opinions. After a terrible scourging in one of the Siberian
prisons, he was taken by force to the convict mines. All the
time he was driven forward by a cudgel, but when he got to the
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