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　　HowevermuchtheGovernortried，Aksy&oacute；nofwouldsaynomore，andsothematterhadtobeleft。

　　Thatnight，whenAksy&oacute；nofwaslyingonhisbedandjustbeginningtodoze，someonecamequietlyandsatdownonhisbed。

　　HepeeredthroughthedarknessandrecognizedMak&aacute；r。

　　’Whatmoredoyouwantofme？’askedAksy&oacute；nof。’Whyhaveyoucomehere？’

　　Mak&aacute；rSemy&oacute；nitchwassilent。SoAksy&oacute；nofsatupandsaid，’Whatdoyouwant？Goaway，orIwillcalltheguard！’

　　Mak&aacute；rSemy&oacute；nitchbentcloseoverAksy&oacute；nof，andwhispered，’Iv&aacute；nDm&iacute；tritch，forgiveme！’

　　’Whatfor？’askedAksy&oacute；nof。

　　’ItwasIwhokilledthemerchantandhidtheknifeamongyourthings。

　　Imeanttokillyoutoo，butIheardanoiseoutside；soI

　　hidtheknifeinyourbagandescapedoutofthewindow。’

　　Aksy&oacute；nofwassilent，anddidnotknowwhattosay。Mak&aacute；rSemy&oacute；nitchslidoffthebed-shelfandkneltupontheground。’Iv&aacute；nDm&iacute；tritch，’saidhe，’forgiveme！FortheloveofGod，forgiveme！IwillconfessthatitwasIwhokilledthemerchant，andyouwillbereleasedandcangotoyourhome。’

　　’Itiseasyforyoutotalk，’saidAksy&oacute；nof，’butIhavesufferedforyouthesetwenty-sixyears。WherecouldIgotonow？……

　　Mywifeisdead，andmychildrenhaveforgottenme。Ihavenowheretogo……’

　　Mak&aacute；rSemy&oacute；nitchdidnotrise，butbeathisheadonthefloor。’Iv&aacute；nDm&iacute；tritch，forgiveme！’hecried。’Whentheyfloggedmewiththeknoutitwasnotsohardtobearasitistoseeyounow……yetyouhadpityonme，anddidnottell。ForChrist’ssakeforgiveme，wretchthatIam！’Andhebegantosob。

　　WhenAksy&oacute；nofheardhimsobbinghe，too，begantoweep。

　　’Godwillforgiveyou！’saidhe。’MaybeIamahundredtimesworsethanyou。’Andatthesewordshisheartgrewlight，andthelongingforhomelefthim。Henolongerhadanydesiretoleavetheprison，butonlyhopedforhislasthourtocome。

　　InspiteofwhatAksy&oacute；nofhadsaid，MakerSemy&oacute；nitchconfessedhisguilt。Butwhentheorderforhisreleasecame，Aksy&oacute；nofwasalreadydead。

　　Writtenin1872。

　　aprisonerinthecaucasusAPRISONERINTHECAUCASUS

　　ANofficernamedZh&iacute；linwasservinginthearmyintheCaucasus。

　　Onedayhereceivedaletterfromhome。Itwasfromhismother，whowrote:’Iamgettingold，andshouldliketoseemydearsononcemorebeforeIdie。Comeandsaygood-byetomeandburyme，andthen，ifGodpleases，returntoserviceagainwithmyblessing。ButIhavefoundagirlforyou，whoissensibleandgoodandhassomeproperty。Ifyoucanloveher，youmightmarryherandremainathome。’

　　Zh&iacute；linthoughtitover。Itwasquitetrue，theoldladywasfailingfastandhemightnothaveanotherchancetoseeheralive。Hehadbettergo，and，ifthegirlwasnice，whynotmarryher？

　　SohewenttohisColonel，obtainedleaveofabsence，saidgood-byetohiscomrades，stoodthesoldiersfourpailfulsofv&oacute；dka[4]asafarewelltreat，andgotreadytogo。

　　ItwasatimeofwarintheCaucasus。Theroadswerenotsafebynightorday。IfeveraRussianventuredtorideorwalkanydistanceawayfromhisfort，theTartarskilledhimorcarriedhimofftothehills。Soithadbeenarrangedthattwiceeveryweekabodyofsoldiersshouldmarchfromonefortresstothenexttoconvoytravellersfrompointtopoint。

　　Itwassummer。Atdaybreakthebaggage-traingotreadyundershelterofthefortress；thesoldiersmarchedout；andallstartedalongtheroad。Zh&iacute；linwasonhorseback，andacartwithhisthingswentwiththebaggage-train。Theyhadsixteenmilestogo。

　　Thebaggage-trainmovedslowly；sometimesthesoldiersstopped，orperhapsawheelwouldcomeoffoneofthecarts，orahorserefusetogoon，andtheneverybodyhadtowait。

　　Whenbythesunitwasalreadypastnoon，theyhadnotgonehalftheway。Itwasdustyandhot，thesunwasscorchingandtherewasnoshelteranywhere:abareplainallround——notatree，notabush，bytheroad。

　　Zh&iacute；linrodeoninfront，andstopped，waitingforthebaggagetoovertakehim。Thenheheardthesignal-hornsoundedbehindhim:thecompanyhadagainstopped。Sohebegantothink:’Hadn’tI

　　betterrideonbymyself？Myhorseisagoodone:iftheTartarsdoattackme，Icangallopaway。Perhaps，however，itwouldbewisertowait。’

　　Ashesatconsidering，Kost&iacute；lin，anofficercarryingagun，rodeuptohimandsaid:

　　’Comealong，Zh&iacute；lin，let’sgoonbyourselves。It’sdreadful；

　　Iamfamished，andtheheatisterrible。Myshirtiswringingwet。’

　　Kost&iacute；linwasastout，heavyman，andtheperspirationwasrunningdownhisredface。Zh&iacute；linthoughtawhile，andthenasked:’Isyourgunloaded？’

　　’Yesitis。’

　　’Well，then，let’sgo，butonconditionthatwekeeptogether。’

　　Sotheyrodeforwardalongtheroadacrosstheplain，talking，butkeepingalook-outonbothsides。Theycouldseeafarallround。Butaftercrossingtheplaintheroadranthroughavalleybetweentwohills，andZh&iacute；linsaid:’Wehadbetterclimbthathillandhavealookround，ortheTartarsmaybeonusbeforeweknowit。’

　　ButKost&iacute；linanswered:’What’stheuse？Letusgoon。’

　　Zh&iacute；lin，however，wouldnotagree。

　　’No，’hesaid；’youcanwaithereifyoulike，butI’llgoandlookround。’Andheturnedhishorsetotheleft，upthehill。Zh&iacute；lin’shorsewasahunter，andcarriedhimupthehillsideasifithadwings。

　　Hehadboughtitforahundredroublesasacoltoutofaherd，andhadbrokenitinhimself。Hardlyhadhereachedthetopofthehill，whenhesawsomethirtyTartarsnotmuchmorethanahundredyardsaheadofhim。AssoonashecaughtsightofthemheturnedroundbuttheTartarshadalsoseenhim，andrushedafterhimatfullgallop，gettingtheirgunsoutastheywent。

　　DowngallopedZh&iacute；linasfastasthehorse’slegscouldgo，shoutingtoKost&iacute；lin:’Getyourgunready！’

　　And，inthought，hesaidtohishorse:’Getmewelloutofthis，mypet；don’tstumble，forifyoudoit’sallup。OnceIreachthegun，theyshan’ttakemeprisoner。’

　　But，insteadofwaiting，Kost&iacute；lin，assoonashecaughtsightoftheTartars，turnedbacktowardsthefortressatfullspeed，whippinghishorsenowononesidenowontheother，anditsswitchingtailwasallthatcouldbeseenofhiminthedust。

　　Zh&iacute；linsawitwasabadlook-out；thegunwasgone，andwhatcouldhedowithnothingbuthissword？Heturnedhishorsetowardstheescort，thinkingtoescape，butthereweresixTartarsrushingtocuthimoff。Hishorsewasagoodone，buttheirswerestillbetter；andbesides，theywereacrosshispath。Hetriedtoreininhishorseandtoturnanotherway，butitwasgoingsofastitcouldnotstop，anddashedonstraighttowardstheTartars。

　　Hesawared-beardedTartaronagreyhorse，withhisgunraised，comeathim，yellingandshowinghisteeth。

　　’Ah，’thoughtZh&iacute；lin，’Iknowyou，devilsthatyouare。Ifyoutakemealive，you’llputmeinapitandflogme。Iwillnotbetakenalive！’

　　Zh&iacute；lin，thoughnotabigfellow，wasbrave。Hedrewhisswordanddashedatthered-beardedTartarthinking:’EitherI’llridehimdown，ordisablehimwithmysword。’

　　Hewasstillahorse’slengthawayfromhim，whenhewasfiredatfrombehind，andhishorsewashit。Itfelltothegroundwithallitsweight，pinningZh&iacute；lintotheearth。

　　Hetriedtorise，buttwoill-savouredTartarswerealreadysittingonhimandbindinghishandsbehindhisback。Hemadeaneffortandflungthemoff，butthreeothersjumpedfromtheirhorsesandbeganbeatinghisheadwiththebuttsoftheirguns。Hiseyesgrewdim，andhefellback。TheTartarsseizedhim，and，takingsparegirthsfromtheirsaddles，twistedhishandsbehindhimandtiedthemwithaTartarknot。Theyknockedhiscapoff，pulledoffhisboots，searchedhimallover，torehisclothes，andtookhismoneyandhiswatch。

　　Zh&iacute；linlookedroundathishorse。Thereitlayonitsside，poorthing，justasithadfallen；struggling，itslegsintheair，unabletotouchtheground。Therewasaholeinitshead，andblackbloodwaspouringout，turningthedusttomudforacoupleoffeetaround。

　　OneoftheTartarswentuptothehorseandbegantakingthesaddleoff，itstillkicked，sohedrewadaggerandcutitswindpipe。Awhistlingsoundcamefromitsthroat，thehorsegaveoneplunge，andallwasover。