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　　’Yes，’repliedhe，’thatcanbedonequiteeasily。Wehaveascribe，andwewillgototownwithyouandhavethedeedproperlysealed。’

　　’Andwhatwillbetheprice？’askedPah&oacute；m。

　　’Ourpriceisalwaysthesame:onethousandroublesaday。’

　　Pah&oacute；mdidnotunderstand。

　　’Aday？Whatmeasureisthat？Howmanyacreswouldthatbe？’

　　’Wedonotknowhowtoreckonitout，’saidtheChief。’Wesellitbytheday。Asmuchasyoucangoroundonyourfeetinadayisyours，andthepriceisonethousandroublesaday。’

　　Pah&oacute；mwassurprised。

　　’Butinadayyoucangetroundalargetractofland，’hesaid。

　　TheChieflaughed。

　　’Itwillallbeyours！’saidhe。’Butthereisonecondition:Ifyoudon’treturnonthesamedaytothespotwhenceyoustarted，yourmoneyislost。’

　　’ButhowamItomarkthewaythatIhavegone？’

　　’Why，weshallgotoanyspotyoulike，andstaythere。Youmuststartfromthatspotandmakeyourround，takingaspadewithyou。Whereveryouthinknecessary，makeamark。Ateveryturning，digaholeandpileuptheturf；thenafterwardswewillgoroundwithaploughfromholetohole。Youmaymakeaslargeacircuitasyouplease，butbeforethesunsetsyoumustreturntotheplaceyoustartedfrom。Allthelandyoucoverwillbeyours。’

　　Pah&oacute；mwasdelighted。Itwasdecidedtostartearlynextmorning。

　　Theytalkedawhile，andafterdrinkingsomemorekumissandeatingsomemoremutton，theyhadteaagain，andthenthenightcameon。TheygavePah&oacute；mafeather-bedtosleepon，andtheBashk&iacute；rsdispersedforthenight，promisingtoassemblethenextmorningatdaybreakandrideoutbeforesunrisetotheappointedspot。

　　Pah&oacute；mlayonthefeather-bed，butcouldnotsleep。Hekeptthinkingabouttheland。

　　’WhatalargetractIwillmarkoff！’thoughthe。’Icaneasilydothirty-fivemilesinaday。Thedaysarelongnow，andwithinacircuitofthirty-fivemileswhatalotoflandtherewillbe！Iwillsellthepoorerland，orletittopeasants，butI’llpickoutthebestandfarmit。Iwillbuytwoox-teams，andhiretwomorelabourers。

　　Aboutahundredandfiftyacresshallbeplough-land，andIwillpasturecattleontherest。’

　　Pah&oacute；mlayawakeallnight，anddozedoffonlyjustbeforedawn。

　　Hardlywerehiseyesclosedwhenhehadadream。Hethoughthewaslyinginthatsametent，andheardsomebodychucklingoutside。

　　Hewonderedwhoitcouldbe，androseandwentoutandhesawtheBashk&iacute；rChiefsittinginfrontofthetentholdinghissidesandrollingaboutwithlaughter。GoingnearertotheChief，Pah&oacute；masked:’Whatareyoulaughingat？’ButhesawthatitwasnolongertheChief，butthedealerwhohadrecentlystoppedathishouseandhadtoldhimabouttheland。JustasPah&oacute；mwasgoingtoask，’Haveyoubeenherelong？’hesawthatitwasnotthedealer，butthepeasantwhohadcomeupfromtheVolga，longago，toPah&oacute；m’soldhome。Thenhesawthatitwasnotthepeasanteither，buttheDevilhimselfwithhoofsandhornssittingthereandchuckling，andbeforehimlayamanbarefoot，prostrateontheground，withonlytrousersandashirton。AndPah&oacute；mdreamtthathelookedmoreattentivelytoseewhatsortofamanitwasthatwaslyingthere，andhesawthatthemanwasdeadandthatitwashimself！

　　Heawokehorror-struck。

　　’Whatthingsonedoesdream，’thoughthe。

　　Lookingroundhesawthroughtheopendoorthatthedawnwasbreaking。

　　’It’stimetowakethemup，’thoughthe。’Weoughttobestarting。’

　　Hegotup，rousedhismanwhowassleepinginhiscart，badehimharness；

　　andwenttocalltheBashk&iacute；rs。

　　’It’stimetogotothesteppetomeasuretheland，’hesaid。

　　TheBashk&iacute；rsroseandassembled，andtheChiefcametoo。Thentheybegandrinkingkumissagain，andofferedPah&oacute；msometea，buthewouldnotwait。

　　’Ifwearetogo，letusgo。Itishightime，’saidhe。

　　TheBashk&iacute；rsgotreadyandtheyallstarted:somemountedonhorses，andsomeincarts。Pah&oacute；mdroveinhisownsmallcartwithhisservant，andtookaspadewithhim。Whentheyreachedthesteppe，themorningredwasbeginningtokindle。TheyascendedahillockcalledbytheBashk&iacute；rsashikhananddismountingfromtheircartsandtheirhorses，gatheredinonespot。TheChiefcameuptoPah&oacute；mandstretchingouthisarmtowardstheplain:

　　’See，’saidhe，’allthis，asfarasyoureyecanreach，isours。Youmayhaveanypartofityoulike。’

　　Pah&oacute；m’seyesglistened:itwasallvirginsoil，asflatasthepalmofyourhand，asblackastheseedofapoppy，andinthehollowsdifferentkindsofgrassesgrewbreasthigh。

　　TheChieftookoffhisfox-furcap，placeditonthegroundandsaid:

　　’Thiswillbethemark。Startfromhere，andreturnhereagain。Allthelandyougoroundshallbeyours。’

　　Pah&oacute；mtookouthismoneyandputitonthecap。Thenhetookoffhisoutercoat，remaininginhissleevelessunder-coat。Heunfastenedhisgirdleandtiedittightbelowhisstomach，putalittlebagofbreadintothebreastofhiscoat，andtyingaflaskofwatertohisgirdle，hedrewupthetopsofhisboots，tookthespadefromhisman，andstoodreadytostart。Heconsideredforsomemomentswhichwayhehadbettergo——itwastemptingeverywhere。

　　’Nomatter，’heconcluded，’Iwillgotowardstherisingsun。’

　　Heturnedhisfacetotheeast，stretchedhimselfandwaitedforthesuntoappearabovetherim。

　　’Imustlosenotime，’hethought，’anditiseasierwalkingwhileitisstillcool。’

　　Thesun’srayshadhardlyflashedabovethehorizon，beforePah&oacute；m，carryingthespadeoverhisshoulderwentdownintothesteppe。

　　Pah&oacute；mstartedwalkingneitherslowlynorquickly。Afterhavinggoneathousandyardshestopped，dugahole，andplacedpiecesofturfoneonanothertomakeitmorevisible。Thenhewenton；andnowthathehadwalkedoffhisstiffnesshequickenedhispace。Afterawhileheduganotherhole。

　　Pah&oacute；mlookedback。Thehillockcouldbedistinctlyseeninthesunlight，withthepeopleonit，andtheglitteringtyresofthecart-wheels。AtaroughguessPah&oacute；mconcludedthathehadwalkedthreemiles。Itwasgrowingwarmer；hetookoffhisunder-coat，flungitacrosshisshoulder，andwentonagain。Ithadgrownquitewarmnow；helookedatthesun，itwastimetothinkofbreakfast。

　　’Thefirstshiftisdone，buttherearefourinaday，anditistoosoonyettoturn。ButIwilljusttakeoffmyboots，’saidhetohimself。

　　Hesatdown，tookoffhisboots，stuckthemintohisgirdle，andwenton。Itwaseasywalkingnow。

　　’Iwillgoonforanotherthreemiles，’thoughthe，’andthenturntotheleft。Thisspotissofine，thatitwouldbeapitytoloseit。Thefurtheronegoes，thebetterthelandseems。’

　　Hewentstraightonforawhile，andwhenhelookedround，thehillockwasscarcelyvisibleandthepeopleonitlookedlikeblackants，andhecouldjustseesomethingglisteningthereinthesun。

　　’Ah，’thoughtPah&oacute；m，’Ihavegonefarenoughinthisdirection，itistimetoturn。BesidesIaminaregularsweat，andverythirsty。’

　　Hestopped，dugalargehole，andheapeduppiecesofturf。Nextheuntiedhisflask，hadadrink，andthenturnedsharplytotheleft。Hewentonandon；thegrasswashigh，anditwasveryhot。

　　Pah&oacute；mbegantogrowtired:helookedatthesunandsawthatitwasnoon。

　　’Well，’hethought，’Imusthavearest。’

　　Hesatdown，andatesomebreadanddranksomewater；buthedidnotliedown，thinkingthatifhedidhemightfallasleep。Aftersittingalittlewhile，hewentonagain。Atfirsthewalkedeasily:

　　thefoodhadstrengthenedhim；butithadbecometerriblyhot，andhefeltsleepy；stillhewenton，thinking:’Anhourtosuffer，alife-timetolive。’

　　Hewentalongwayinthisdirectionalso，andwasabouttoturntotheleftagain，whenheperceivedadamphollow:’Itwouldbeapitytoleavethatout，’hethought。’Flaxwoulddowellthere。’Sohewentonpastthehollow，anddugaholeontheothersideofitbeforeheturnedthecorner。Pah&oacute；mlookedtowardsthehillock。

　　Theheatmadetheairhazy:itseemedtobequivering，andthroughthehazethepeopleonthehillockcouldscarcelybeseen。

　　’Ah！’thoughtPah&oacute；m，’Ihavemadethesidestoolong；Imustmakethisoneshorter。’Andhewentalongthethirdsidesteppingfaster。Helookedatthesun:itwasnearlyhalfwaytothehorizon，andhehadnotyetdonetwomilesofthethirdsideofthesquare。Hewasstilltenmilesfromthegoal。