They decided, if possible, to find lodgings for the women; and to live together in this hut till they could put it in repair. The prospect lying before them was not cheerful, but the present was better than the past. They would have to endure hunger and cold and poverty of the greatest, but they would no longer witness the unutterable wretchedness and wickedness of the kameras. The misery they had passed through was stamped indelibly on their memories. "There's one good thing," said Michael, "we may write what letters we like. The Ispravnik cannot read." "Are you sure of it?" asked Alexis. "Yes," answered Michael; "he held the list of your names upside down, and pretended to check them off, as if he was reading them. I'll begin a school as soon as the people know us a little." "It is against the law," said his father; "and we are a law-abiding people." CHAPTER XXVII DEMYAN'S TIDINGS THE weeks of winter crept slowly by. But at last the thaw came, and the hut the men had occupied was deluged with melting snow. By this time the new settlers had become favourably known to the inhabitants, and there was no difficulty in getting temporary lodgings whilst they repaired the haunted hut. With the coming of the spring, fresh hope and energy took possession of them. But their funds, however carefully husbanded, were melting like the snow. They were very near parting with their last rouble. They were busily at work one day, mending the damaged roof, when a strange peasant came up, and gazed at them for a minute or two in silence. "Khariton!" he cried at last, "Don't you know me?" Khariton sprang down the sloping roof and over the low eaves, and clasped the stranger in his arms. "It's Demyan!" he shouted. He was a Knishi man who had been banished during the first persecution some years ago. They all knew him except Alexis and Michael. Until his banishment they had worked and worshipped together. It was a great joy to meet again. "How vexed I was to hear you'd been sent on from Irkutsk!" he said. "There was work for you there, ready. But we soon found out where they'd sent you; and as soon as we could make a little collection, I just stole a march, and came out to bring it." "But if they find you out!" exclaimed Khariton. "Well, somebody must run a risk," he said doggedly; "we could not leave you to perish in this wilderness. You could not get our collection—it's only thirty roubles——without somebody venturing. But I want news. Tell me about Paraska." "She is hoarding up every kopek to get enough money to join you," said Alexis. "And she never found our little boys?" he said sorrowfully. "Oh, it was cruel!" "They are quite lost sight of; we could find no trace of them," answered Alexis. "Even Father Cyril—a good man—could hear nothing of them."