The next morning Alex Dinon was forty kilometres south of the prison. He moved quickly and stayed away from towns and villages. It was winter and the weather was cold, so there we're not many people in the fields. He looked behind him often, but nobody saw him and nobody followed him.
At midday he found a quiet field and lay down under some small trees. He slept at once.
At about three 0'clock Alex opened his eyes, and saw an old woman in front of him.
'What are you doing in my field, young man?'she said.
Alex sat up quickly. 'I'm sorry' he said. 'I was tired, and needed some sleep. I'm going now.'
'You're very dirty,' the old woman said. 'Look at you! Where are you going?'
'North,' Alex said. He stood up and began to move away.
'Don't run away. I'm only an old woman.' She looked at him carefully. 'You're dirty, and hungry, and tired... and afraid. Am I right?'
Alex smiled slowly. 'Yes,' he said.
'Well come back to my house and have some food. And you can have some of my husband's old clothes. He died last winter.'
Alex looked at her. It was true. He was hungry and tiredand dirty.