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　　’Ididhimnoharm，’repliedZh&iacute；lin。’Ionlywantedtoseehowhelived。’

　　ThemasterrepeatedwhatZh&iacute；linsaid。

　　Buttheoldmanwasinarage；hehissedandjabbered，showinghistusks，andshakinghisfistsatZh&iacute；lin。

　　Zh&iacute；lincouldnotunderstandall，buthegatheredthattheoldmanwastellingAbdulheoughtnottokeepRussiansintheAoul，butoughttokillthem。Atlasttheoldmanwentaway。

　　Zh&iacute；linaskedthemasterwhotheoldmanwas。

　　’Heisagreatman！’saidthemaster。’Hewasthebravestofourfellows；

　　hekilledmanyRussiansandwasatonetimeveryrich。

　　Hehadthreewivesandeightsons，andtheyalllivedinonevillage。

　　ThentheRussianscameanddestroyedthevillage，andkilledsevenofhissons。Onlyonesonwasleft，andhegavehimselfuptotheRussians。Theoldmanalsowentandgavehimselfup，andlivedamongtheRussiansforthreemonths。Attheendofthattimehefoundhisson，killedhimwithhisownhands，andthenescaped。Afterthatheleftofffighting，andwenttoMeccatopraytoGod；thatiswhyhewearsaturban。OnewhohasbeentoMeccaiscalled“Hadji，“andwearsaturban。Hedoesnotlikeyoufellows。Hetellsmetokillyou。ButIcan’tkillyou。I

　　havepaidmoneyforyouand，besides，Ihavegrownfondofyou，Iv&aacute；n。

　　Farfromkillingyou，IwouldnotevenletyougoifI

　　hadnotpromised。’Andhelaughed，sayinginRussian，’You，Iv&aacute；n，good；I，Abdul，good！’

　　Zh&iacute；linlivedinthiswayforamonth。DuringthedayhesaunteredabouttheAoulorbusiedhimselfwithsomehandicraft，butatnight，whenallwassilentintheAoul，hedugatthefloorofthebarn。Itwasnoeasytaskdigging，becauseofthestones；butheworkedawayatthemwithhisfile，andatlasthadmadeaholeunderthewalllargeenoughtogetthrough。

　　’IfonlyIcouldgettoknowthelayoftheland，’thoughthe，’andwhichwaytogo！ButnoneoftheTartarswilltellme。’

　　Sohechoseadaywhenthemasterwasawayfromhome，andsetoffafterdinnertoclimbthehillbeyondthevillage，andtolookaround。ButbeforeleavinghomethemasteralwaysgaveorderstohissontowatchZh&iacute；lin，andnottolosesightofhim。SotheladranafterZh&iacute；lin，shouting:’Don’tgo！Fatherdoesnotallowit。I’llcalltheneighboursifyouwon’tcomeback。’

　　Zh&iacute；lintriedtopersuadehim，andsaid:’I’mnotgoingfar；I

　　onlywanttoclimbthathill。Iwanttofindaherb——tocuresickpeoplewith。Youcomewithmeifyoulike。HowcanIrunawaywiththeseshackleson？To-morrowI’llmakeabowandarrowsforyou。’

　　Sohepersuadedthelad，andtheywent。Tolookatthehill，itdidnotseemfartothetop；butitwashardwalkingwithshacklesonhisleg。Zh&iacute；linwentonandon，butitwasallhecoulddotoreachthetop。Therehesatdownandnotedhowthelandlay。Tothesouth，beyondthebarn，wasavalleyinwhichaherdofhorseswaspasturingandatthebottomofthevalleyonecouldseeanotherAoul。Beyondthatwasastillsteeperhill，andanotherhillbeyondthat。Betweenthehills，inthebluedistance，wereforests，andstillfurtheroffweremountains，risinghigherandhigher。

　　Thehighestofthemwerecoveredwithsnow，whiteassugar；andonesnowypeaktoweredabovealltherest。Totheeastandtothewestwereothersuchhills，andhereandtheresmokerosefromAoulsintheravines。’Ah，’thoughthe，’allthatisTartarcountry。’AndheturnedtowardstheRussianside。Athisfeethesawariver，andtheAoulhelivedin，surroundedbylittlegardens。Hecouldseewomen，liketinydolls，sittingbytheriverrinsingclothes。BeyondtheAoulwasahill，lowerthantheonetothesouth，andbeyondittwootherhillswellwooded；

　　andbetweenthese，asmoothbluishplain，andfar，faracrosstheplainsomethingthatlookedlikeacloudofsmoke。Zh&iacute；lintriedtorememberwherethesunusedtoriseandsetwhenhewaslivinginthefort，andhesawthattherewasnomistake:theRussianfortmustbeinthatplain。Betweenthosetwohillshewouldhavetomakehiswaywhenheescaped。

　　Thesunwasbeginningtoset。Thewhite，snowymountainsturnedred，andthedarkhillsturneddarker；mistsrosefromtheravine，andthevalley，wherehesupposedtheRussianforttobe，seemedonfirewiththesunsetglow。Zh&iacute；linlookedcarefully。

　　Somethingseemedtobequiveringinthevalleylikesmokefromachimney，andhefeltsuretheRussianfortresswasthere。

　　Ithadgrownlate。TheMullah’scrywasheard。Theherdswerebeingdrivenhome，thecowswerelowing，andtheladkeptsaying，’Comehome！’ButZh&iacute；lindidnotfeelinclinedtogoaway。

　　Atlast，however，theywentback。’Well，’thoughtZh&iacute；lin，’nowthatIknowtheway，itistimetoescape。’Hethoughtofrunningawaythatnight。Thenightsweredark——themoonhadwaned。Butasill-luckwouldhaveit，theTartarsreturnedhomethatevening。Theygenerallycamebackdrivingcattlebeforethemandingoodspirits。Butthistimetheyhadnocattle。AlltheybroughthomewasthedeadbodyofaTartar——theredone’sbrother——whohadbeenkilled。Theycamebacklookingsullen，andtheyallgatheredtogetherfortheburial。Zh&iacute；linalsocameouttoseeit。

　　Theywrappedthebodyinapieceoflinen，withoutanycoffin，andcarrieditoutofthevillage，andlaiditonthegrassundersomeplane-trees。TheMullahandtheoldmencame。Theywoundclothesroundtheircaps，tookofftheirshoes，andsquattedontheirheels，sidebyside，nearthecorpse。

　　TheMullahwasinfront:behindhiminarowwerethreeoldmeninturbans，andbehindthemagaintheotherTartars。Allcastdowntheireyesandsatinsilence。Thiscontinuedalongtime，untiltheMullahraisedhisheadandsaid:’Allah！’whichmeansGod。Hesaidthatoneword，andtheyallcastdowntheireyesagain，andwereagainsilentforalongtime。Theysatquitestill，notmovingormakinganysound。

　　AgaintheMullahliftedhisheadandsaid，’Allah！’andtheyallrepeated:

　　’Allah！Allah！’andwereagainsilent。

　　Thedeadbodylayimmovableonthegrass，andtheysatasstillasiftheytooweredead。Notoneofthemmoved。Therewasnosoundbutthatoftheleavesoftheplane-treesstirringinthebreeze。ThentheMullahrepeatedaprayer，andtheyallrose。

　　Theyliftedthebodyandcarrieditintheirarmstoaholeintheground。Itwasnotanordinaryhole，butwashollowedoutunderthegroundlikeavault。Theytookthebodyunderthearmsandbythelegs，bentit，andletitgentlydown，pushingitundertheearthinasittingposture，withthehandsfoldedinfront。

　　TheNog&aacute；ybroughtsomegreenrushes，whichtheystuffedintothehole，and，quicklycoveringitwithearth，theysmoothedtheground，andsetanuprightstoneattheheadofthegrave。Thentheytrodtheearthdown，andagainsatinarowbeforethegrave，keepingsilenceforalongtime。

　　Atlasttheyrose，said’Allah！Allah！Allah！’andsighed。

　　Thered-beardedTartargavemoneytotheoldmen；thenhetoorose，tookawhip，struckhimselfwithitthreetimesontheforehead，andwenthome。

　　ThenextmorningZh&iacute；linsawtheredTartar，followedbythreeothers，leadingamareoutofthevillage。Whentheywerebeyondthevillage，thered-beardedTartartookoffhistunicandturneduphissleeves，showinghisstoutarms。Thenhedrewadaggerandsharpeneditonawhetstone。TheotherTartarsraisedthemare’shead，andhecutherthroat，threwherdownandbeganskinningher，looseningthehidewithhisbighands。Womenandgirlscameandbegantowashtheentrailsandtheinwards。Themarewascutup，thepiecestakenintothehut，andthewholevillagecollectedattheredTartar’shutforafuneralfeast。

　　Forthreedaystheywentoneatingthefleshofthemare，drinkingbuza，andprayingforthedeadman。AlltheTartarswereathome。Onthefourthdayatdinner-timeZh&iacute；linsawthempreparingtogoaway。Horseswerebroughtout，theygotready，andsometenofthemtheredoneamongthemrodeaway；butAbdulstayedathome。Itwasnewmoon，andthenightswerestilldark。

　　’Ah！’thoughtZh&iacute；lin，’to-nightisthetimetoescape。’AndhetoldKost&iacute；lin；butKost&iacute；lin’sheartfailedhim。

　　’Howcanweescape？’hesaid。’Wedon’tevenknowtheway。’

　　’Iknowtheway，’saidZh&iacute；lin。

　　’Evenifyoudo’’saidKost&iacute；lin，’wecan’treachthefortinonenight。’

　　’Ifwecan’t，’saidZh&iacute；lin，’we’llsleepintheforest。Seehere，Ihavesavedsomecheeses。What’sthegoodofsittingandmopinghere？Iftheysendyourransom——wellandgood；butsupposetheydon’tmanagetocollectit？TheTartarsareangrynow，becausetheRussianshavekilledoneoftheirmen。Theyaretalkingofkillingus。’

　　Kost&iacute；linthoughtitover。

　　’Well，let’sgo，’saidhe。