Meanwhile little Reuben discovered the contents of my bag.

"Boys, grub!" exclaimed he, excitedly. At the word "grub" the
congregation was thrown into a flutter. That was the way of the
Cantonists. They could not help getting excited at the sight of any
article of food, even when they were not hungry at all. In the long
run our patrons fed us well enough, and on the whole we could not
complain of lack of food. But we were fed according to the
calculations of our patrons, and not according to our own appetites.
So it became our habit to eat whenever victuals were put before us,
even on a full stomach. "Eat whenever you have something to eat, so
as not to go hungry when there may be no rations." That was a
standing rule among the Cantonists. They began fumbling in my bag,
and I was dying with shame at the thought that soon they would
discover the piece of pork, and that my sin would become known to
the pious congregation. Then I broke down, and with tears began to
confess my sins.

"I have sinned," said I, sobbing, "it is pork. I could not
withstand the temptation."

At that moment it seemed to me that Yekil was the judge, and the
boys who had found the pork were the witnesses against me. Yekil
listened to my partial confession, and the two "witnesses" hung
their heads, and hid their faces in shame, as if they were the
accused. But I sobbed and cried bitterly.

"Now, listen, little one," Yekil turned to me. "I do not know
whether you have suffered the horrors of hell that we have suffered.
Did they paint your body with tar, and put you up on the highest