Page:Leskov - The Sentry and other Stories.djvu/260

 244 for them, they limp on both legs, and complain to us."

This contest greatly interested Kiriak, and taking advantage of my favour he often stopped me with the question:

"Vladyko, what has the enemy written to you?" or:

"Vladyko, what have you written to the enemy?"

He once even came to me with a request.

"Vladyko, consult with me, when you write to the enemy."

This was on the occasion when the governor had informed me that in the neighbouring diocese where the conditions were exactly the same as where I was stationed, preaching and baptizing were progressing successfully, and at the same time pointed out to me a certain missionary named Peter, a Zyryan, who baptized great numbers of the natives.

These circumstances disturbed me, and I asked the neighbouring bishop if it was so.

He answered it was quite true he had a Zyryan priest Peter, who had twice gone out to preach and the first time had baptized so many, that he had "no crosses left," and the second time had taken double the number of crosses, and had still not had enough, and had been