He was not quite well, he told me--headaches, not sleeping--but that "he had it well in control." And here now is a strange thing.

One of the chief purposes of my visit had been to persuade one of the four men to return with me to the Otriad.

Molozov had asserted very emphatically that none of them should be compelled against their will to return to Mittoevo, but he thought that it would be well if, considering the strain of the work and the Position, they were to take it in turns to have a day or two's rest and so relieve one another.

I had had no doubt that this would be very acceptable to them, but on my proposing it, was surprised to receive from each of them individually an abrupt refusal even to consider the matter.

At the same time they assured me, severally, that the one or the other of them needed, very badly, a rest.