AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 275

of punishment for having offended the czar by not having
brought up my regiment in time to take part in the fight
when you attacked us at Narva. I saved the regiment, but
that was not regarded as any excuse for having been three
days longer on the march than the czar expected; so I was
sent here as a sort of dismissal from active service. You
know no one else who could move in your matter?”

“No one; the governor of the castle at Plescow was a
surly fellow, and was reprimanded by the czar, at least so
I heard, for not having treated me sufficiently well. I
was only three or four days there, and the only officer I saw
besides Dr. Kelly was a friend of his, another doctor. He
was at the table when I dined with Kelly. He seemed to
me to be a fine fellow, and, by the by, he did say jokingly
that if I was ever made prisoner again I was to ask for
him, and that he would do anything he could for me.”

“What was his name?” the governor asked.

“Peter Michaeloff. Do you know him?” he added as
he saw a look of surprise in the governor’s face.

“T know one of that name,” the governor said doubt-
fully, “I don’t know that he is a doctor; though he may
be, for he knows something of many things.”

“Oh, he was a doctor,” Charlie said confidently. “I
know Kelly said he could take off a limb as well as he
could do it himself.”

“What sort of man was he?”

“He was a tall strong man with black hair and gray eyes.
He has rather a positive way of talking, and seemed to
have very strong opinions about things. He looked good-
tempered, but I should say that he could be passionate
enough if he were put out.”

“That might be the Peter Michaeloff I know,” the gov-
ernor said. “You are sure he said that you were to ask
for him if you were a second time taken prisoner?”

“J am quite certain he said so, though I don’t know