march began, and the old superior of the Basilican convent chaunted in a loud clear voice, ‘_Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam_.’ General Galafeïev called to those who struck, ‘Harder! harder!’ (_pok repché_), and for several minutes the priest’s chaunt rose above the whistling of the rods and the _pok repché_ cries of the commanding officer.... Sierocinski had only passed once through the ranks, that is to say, he had only received one thousand blows, when he fell upon the snow bathed in his own blood, and senseless. In vain they attempted to place him on his feet. He was then laid on a tumbril prepared beforehand for the purpose, and fastened to a support in such a way as to let the blows fall on his back and shoulders, and thus a second time he passed along. When this second passage was gone through, his groans and screams were still audible; but they got gradually weaker, though he did not expire till after the fourth turn; the last three thousand lashes were only laid upon a corpse. A common grave soon received those who were either killed that day or whose deaths followed soon after their punishments; both Russians and Poles perished, and were buried thus. The friends and relations of those who lie there were permitted to place the symbol of our faith over that memorable tomb; and as late as 1846 one might still behold a great wooden crucifix that stretched its black arms across the steppes, sharply defined against the sparkling and spotless whiteness of their snows. CHAPTER VII. THE FLIGHT. AN ATTEMPTED FLIGHT--MY ROUTE--MY FUNDS--MY DRESS--THE SLEDGE--A RUSSIAN THEFT--THE JOURNEY--IRBITE--ON FOOT--A NIGHT’S LODGING--DANGER--COLD AND FAMINE--PAOUDA--THE IZBOUCHKA--THE CREST OF THE OURALS--LOST IN THE FOREST--SLEEP--ALMS--VÉLIKI-OUSTIONG.