One night, unable to sleep, Aksionov was walking inside the prison. He noticed that soil came out rolling from one of the shelves on which prisoners slept. He found Makar Semyonich creep out of the spot. He looked up at Aksionov with dread. Aksionov ignored him and started ‘ walking ahead. Driven by guilt and fear of exposure, Semyonich ran and caught hold of Aksionov’s hand. He explained how he had dug a hole with his heavy boots to escape from jail. He warned him not to blab. If he did, the authorities will flog the life out of him.
But he would kill him first. He offered the bait that Aksionov also could escape. Aksionov drew his hand away and said he had no desire to escape. He said that Semyonich had already killed him long ago. He added that he may or may not tell about him as per the direction of God.
