The Cossacks by graf Tolstoy Leo (best book series to read TXT) 📕

‘I have all I want. I have victuals, thank God!’ he said proudly.

‘Well, and what of Mosev?’ he added.

Lukashka, evidently wishing to know the old man’s opinion, told

him how the officer had taken the gun from him.

‘Never mind the gun,’ said the old man. ‘If you don’t give the gun

you will get no reward.’

‘But they say. Daddy, it’s little reward a fellow gets when he is

not yet a mounted Cossack; and the gun is a fine one, a Crimean,

worth eighty rubles.’

‘Eh, let it go! I had a dispute like that with an officer, he

wanted my horse. “Give it me and you’ll be made a cornet,” says

he. I wouldn’t, and I got nothing!’

‘Yes, Daddy, but you see I have to buy a horse; and they say you

can’t get one the other side of the river under fifty rubles, and

mother has not yet sold our wine.’

‘Eh, we didn’t bother,’ said the old man; ‘when Daddy Eroshka was

your age he already stole herds of horses from the Nogay folk and

drove them across the Terek. Sometimes we’d give a fine horse for

a quart of vodka or a cloak.’

‘Why so cheap?’ asked Lukashka.

‘You’re a fool, a fool, Mark,’ said the old man contemptuously.

‘Why, that’s what one steals for, so as not to be stingy! As for

you, I suppose you haven’t so much as seen how one drives off a

herd of horses? Why don’t you speak?’

‘What’s one to say. Daddy?’ replied Lukashka. ‘It seems we are not

the same sort of men as you were.’

‘You’re a fool. Mark, a fool! “Not the same sort of men!”’

retorted the old man, mimicking the Cossack lad. ‘I was not that

sort of Cossack at your age.’

‘How’s that?’ asked Lukashka.

The old man shook his head contemptuously.

‘Daddy Eroshka was simple; he did not grudge anything! That’s why

I was kunak with all Chechnya. A kunak would come to visit me and

I’d make him drunk with vodka and make him happy and put him to

sleep with me, and when I went to see him I’d take him a present—

a dagger! That’s the way it is done, and not as you do nowadays:

the only amusement lads have now is to crack seeds and spit out

the shells!’ the old man finished contemptuously, imitating the

present-day Cossacks cracking seeds and spitting out the shells.

‘Yes, I know,’ said Lukashka; ‘that’s so!’

‘If you wish to be a fellow of the right sort, be a brave and not

a peasant! Because even a peasant can buy a horse—pay the money

and take the horse.’

They were silent for a while.

‘Well, of course it’s dull both in the village and the cordon,

Daddy: but there’s nowhere one can go for a bit of sport. All our

fellows are so timid. Take Nazarka. The other day when we went to

the Tartar village, Girey Khan asked us to come to Nogay to take

some horses, but no one went, and how was I to go alone?’

‘And what of Daddy? Do you think I am quite dried up? … No, I’m

not dried up. Let me have a horse and I’ll be off to Nogay at

once.’

‘What’s the good of talking nonsense!’ said Luke. ‘You’d better

tell me what to do about Girey Khan. He says, “Only bring horses

to the Terek, and then even if you bring a whole stud I’ll find a

place for them.” You see he’s also a shaven-headed Tartar—how’s

one to believe him?’

‘You may trust Girey Khan, all his kin were good people. His

father too was a faithful kunak. But listen to Daddy and I won’t

teach you wrong: make him take an oath, then it will be all right.

And if you go with him, have your pistol ready all the same,

especially when it comes to dividing up the horses. I was nearly

killed that way once by a Chechen. I wanted ten rubles from him

for a horse. Trusting is all right, but don’t go to sleep without

a gun.’ Lukashka listened attentively to the old man.

‘I say. Daddy, have you any stone-break grass?’ he asked after a

pause.

‘No, I haven’t any, but I’ll teach you how to get it. You’re a

good lad and won’t forget the old man…. Shall I tell you?’

‘Tell me, Daddy.’

‘You know a tortoise? She’s a devil, the tortoise is!’

‘Of course I know!’

‘Find her nest and fence it round so that she can’t get in. Well,

she’ll come, go round it, and then will go off to find the stone-break grass and will bring some along and destroy the fence.

Anyhow next morning come in good time, and where the fence is

broken there you’ll find the stone-break grass lying. Take it

wherever you like. No lock and no bar will be able to stop you.’

‘Have you tried it yourself. Daddy?’

‘As for trying, I have not tried it, but I was told of it by good

people. I used only one charm: that was to repeat the Pilgrim

rhyme when mounting my horse; and no one ever killed me!’

‘What is the Pilgrim rhyme. Daddy?’

‘What, don’t you know it? Oh, what people! You’re right to ask

Daddy. Well, listen, and repeat after me:

‘Hail! Ye, living in Sion, This is your King, Our steeds we shall

sit on, Sophonius is weeping. Zacharias is speaking, Father

Pilgrim, Mankind ever loving.’

‘Kind ever loving,’ the old man repeated. ‘Do you know it now? Try

it.’

Lukashka laughed.

‘Come, Daddy, was it that that hindered their killing you? Maybe

it just happened so!’

‘You’ve grown too clever! You learn it all, and say it. It will do

you no harm. Well, suppose you have sung “Pilgrim”, it’s all

right,’ and the old man himself began laughing. ‘But just one

thing, Luke, don’t you go to Nogay!’

‘Why?’

‘Times have changed. You are not the same men. You’ve become

rubbishy Cossacks! And see how many Russians have come down on us!

You’d get to prison. Really, give it up! Just as if you could! Now

Girchik and I, we used…’

And the old man was about to begin one of his endless tales, but

Lukashka glanced at the window and interrupted him.

‘It is quite light. Daddy. It’s time to be off. Look us up some

day.’

‘May Christ save you! I’ll go to the officer; I promised to take

him out shooting. He seems a good fellow.’