Page:Ossendowski - From President to Prison.djvu/287

Rh saw, as though it were in actual life before me, the cynical, careless face of my pupil, the patriarch, playing the rôle of Prince, after the limited tutoring he had received for it in our "prison academy."

In one of the gaols I met an old acquaintance, who turned up there in a group of Georgians. After they had been registered in the office and had come out into the yard for a walk, one of them approached me and laughingly exclaimed:

"Well, it is not nice to forget old friends. I am Prince Eristoff."

I had known of the family for a long time but had no distinct recollection of having met this member of it.

"I am sorry, but I don't remember you. I knew some Eristoffs in St. Petersburg. &hellip;"

"This Eristoff," he replied, tapping himself on the breast and laughing heartily, "was presented to you in another place." He glanced at his companions, who smiled very broadly and all turned toward me.

"I don't remember," I repeated.

"Have you forgotten those djighits of the old coalmine shaft by the Sungari whom you smoked out of their hole like badgers with a charge of pyroxylin?"

Recalling very distinctly the "elves" whom I had treated rather gruffly after they fired on us, I replied with a laugh:

"Ah yes, I remember you very well."

"We have all collected here," remarked Eristoff, "I, Gogio, Navadze—and you? This is indeed a strange meeting."

"Yes, it is strange. But what brought you here? Surely some 'misunderstanding,' such as you told me about then."