第5章

neverwasafraidofyoudogs，andneverwillbe！’

Theinterpretertranslated，andagaintheyallbegantotalkatonce。

Theyjabberedforalongtime，andthenthedarkmanjumpedup，cametoZhí；lin，andsaid:’DzhigitRuss，dzhigitRuss！’

(Dzhigitintheirlanguagemeans’brave。’)Andhelaughed，andsaidsomethingtotheinterpreter，whotranslated:’Onethousandroubleswillsatisfyhim。’

Zhí；linstucktoit:’Iwillnotgivemorethanfivehundred。

Andifyoukillmeyou’llgetnothingatall。’

TheTartarstalkedawhile，thensenttheservantouttofetchsomething，andkeptlooking，nowatZhí；lin，nowatthedoor。Theservantreturned，followedbyastout，bare-footed，tatteredman，whoalsohadhislegshackled。

Zhí；lingaspedwithsurprise:itwasKostí；lin。He，too，hadbeentaken。Theywereputsidebyside，andbegantotelleachotherwhathadoccurred。Whiletheytalked，theTartarslookedoninsilence。

Zhí；linrelatedwhathadhappenedtohim；andKostí；lintoldhowhishorsehadstopped，hisgunmissedfire，andthissameAbdulhadovertakenandcapturedhim。

Abduljumpedup，pointedtoKostí；lin，andsaidsomething。Theinterpretertranslatedthattheybothnowbelongedtoonemaster，andtheonewhofirstpaidtheransomwouldbesetfreefirst。

’Therenow，’hesaidtoZhí；lin，’yougetangry，butyourcomradehereisgentle；hehaswrittenhome，andtheywillsendfivethousandroubles。Sohewillbewellfedandwelltreated。’

Zhí；linreplied:’Mycomradecandoashelikes；maybeheisrich，Iamnot。ItmustbeasIsaid。Killme，ifyoulike——youwillgainnothingbyit；butIwillnotwriteformorethanfivehundredroubles。’

Theyweresilent。SuddenlyupsprangAbdul，broughtalittlebox，tookoutapen，ink，andabitofpaper，gavethemtoZhí；lin，slappedhimontheshoulder，andmadeasignthatheshouldwrite。

Hehadagreedtotakefivehundredroubles。

’Waitabit！’saidZhí；lintotheinterpreter；’tellhimthathemustfeedusproperly，giveusproperclothesandboots，andletusbetogether。Itwillbemorecheerfulforus。Andhemusthavetheseshacklestakenoffourfeet，’andZhí；linlookedathismasterandlaughed。

Themasteralsolaughed，heardtheinterpreter，andsaid:’Iwillgivethemthebestofclothes:acloakandbootsfittobemarriedin。Iwillfeedthemlikeprinces；andiftheyliketheycanlivetogetherinthebarn。ButIcan’ttakeofftheshackles，ortheywillrunaway。Theyshallbetakenoff，however，atnight。’AndhejumpedupandslappedZhí；linontheshoulder，exclaiming:’Yougood，Igood！’

Zhí；linwrotetheletter，butaddresseditwrongly，sothatitshouldnotreachitsdestination，thinkingtohimself:’I’llrunaway！’

Zhí；linandKostí；linweretakenbacktothebarnandgivensomemaizestraw，ajugofwater，somebread，twooldcloaks，andsomeworn-outmilitaryboots——evidentlytakenfromthecorpsesofRussiansoldiers，Atnighttheirshacklesweretakenofftheirfeet，andtheywerelockedupinthebarn。

Zhí；linandhisfriendlivedinthiswayforawholemonth。Themasteralwayslaughedandsaid:’You，Ivá；n，good！I，Abdul，good！’Buthefedthembadlygivingthemnothingbutunleavenedbreadofmillet-flourbakedintoflatcakes，orsometimesonlyunbakeddough。

Kostí；linwrotehomeasecondtime，anddidnothingbutmopeandwaitforthemoneytoarrive。Hewouldsitfordaystogetherinthebarnsleeping，orcountingthedaystillalettercouldcome。

Zhí；linknewhisletterwouldreachnoone，andhedidnotwriteanother。Hethought:’Wherecouldmymothergetenoughmoneytoransomme？AsitisshelivedchieflyonwhatIsenther。

Ifshehadtoraisefivehundredroubles，shewouldbequiteruined。WithGod’shelpI’llmanagetoescape！’

Sohekeptonthelook-out，planninghowtorunaway。

HewouldwalkabouttheAoulwhistling；orwouldsitworking，modellingdollsofclay，orweavingbasketsoutoftwigs:forZhí；linwascleverwithhishands。

OncehemodelledadollwithanoseandhandsandfeetandwithaTartargownon，andputitupontheroof。WhentheTartarwomencameouttofetchwater，themaster’sdaughter，Dina，sawthedollandcalledthewomen，whoputdowntheirjugsandstoodlookingandlaughing。Zhí；lintookdownthedollandhelditouttothem。Theylaughed，butdarednottakeit。Heputdownthedollandwentintothebarn，waitingtoseewhatwouldhappen。

Dinaranuptothedoll，lookedround，seizedit，andranaway。

Inthemorning，atdaybreak，helookedout。Dinacameoutofthehouseandsatdownonthethresholdwiththedoll，whichshehaddressedupinbitsofredstuff，andsherockeditlikeababy，singingaTartarlullaby。Anoldwomancameoutandscoldedher，andsnatchingthedollawayshebrokeittobits，andsentDinaaboutherbusiness。

ButZhí；linmadeanotherdoll，betterthanthefirst，andgaveittoDina。OnceDinabroughtalittlejug，putitontheground，satdowngazingathim，andlaughed，pointingtothejug。

’Whatpleasesherso？’wonderedZhí；lin。Hetookthejugthinkingitwaswater，butitturnedouttobemilk。Hedrankthemilkandsaid:’That’sgood！’

HowpleasedDinawas！’Good，Ivá；n，good！’saidshe，andshejumpedupandclappedherhands。Then，seizingthejug，sheranaway。Afterthat，shestealthilybroughthimsomemilkeveryday。

TheTartarsmakeakindofcheeseoutofgoat’smilk，whichtheydryontheroofsoftheirhouses；andsometimes，onthesly，shebroughthimsomeofthischeese。Andonce，whenAbdulhadkilledasheepshebroughtZhí；linabitofmuttoninhersleeve。

Shewouldjustthrowthethingsdownandrunaway。

Onedaytherewasaheavystorm，andtherainfellintorrentsforawholehour。Allthestreamsbecameturbid。Attheford，thewaterrosetillitwassevenfeethigh，andthecurrentwassostrongthatitrolledthestonesabout。Rivuletsflowedeverywhere，andtherumblinginthehillsneverceased。Whenthestormwasover，thewaterraninstreamsdownthevillagestreet。Zhí；lingothismastertolendhimaknife，andwithitheshapedasmallcylinder，andcuttingsomelittleboards，hemadeawheeltowhichhefixedtwodolls，oneoneachside。Thelittlegirlsbroughthimsomebitsofstuff，andhedressedthedolls，oneasapeasant，theotherasapeasantwoman。Thenhefastenedthemintheirplaces，andsetthewheelsothatthestreamshouldworkit。Thewheelbegantoturnandthedollsdanced。

Thewholevillagecollectedround。Littleboysandgirls，Tartarmenandwomen，allcameandclickedtheirtongues。

’Ah，Russ！Ah，Ivá；n！’

AbdulhadaRussianclock，whichwasbroken。HecalledZhí；linandshowedittohim，clickinghistongue。

’Giveitme，I’llmenditforyou，’saidZhí；lin。

Hetookittopieceswiththeknife，sortedthepieces，andputthemtogetheragain，sothattheclockwentallright。

Themasterwasdelighted，andmadehimapresentofoneofhisoldtunicswhichwasallinholes。Zhí；linhadtoacceptit。Hecould，atanyrate，useitasacoverletatnight。

AfterthatZhí；lin’sfamespread；andTartarscamefromdistantvillages，bringinghimnowthelockofagunorofapistol，nowawatch，tomend。Hismastergavehimsometools——pincers，gimlets，andafile。

OnedayaTartarfellill，andtheycametoZhí；linsaying，’Comeandhealhim！’Zhí；linknewnothingaboutdoctoring，buthewenttolook，andthoughttohimself，’Perhapshewillgetwellanyway。’

Hereturnedtothebarn，mixedsomewaterwithsand，andtheninthepresenceoftheTartarswhisperedsomewordsoveritandgaveittothesickmantodrink。Luckilyforhim，theTartarrecovered。

Zhí；linbegantopickuptheirlanguagealittle，andsomeoftheTartarsgrewfamiliarwithhim。Whentheywantedhim，theywouldcall:’Ivá；n！Ivá；n！’Others，however，stilllookedathimaskance，asatawildbeast。

Thered-beardedTartardislikedZhí；lin。Wheneverhesawhimhefrownedandturnedaway，orsworeathim。TherewasalsoanoldmantherewhodidnotliveintheAoul，butusedtocomeupfromthefootofthehill。Zhí；linonlysawhimwhenhepassedonhiswaytotheMosque。Hewasshort，andhadawhiteclothwoundroundhishat。Hisbeardandmoustacheswereclipped，andwhiteassnow；andhisfacewaswrinkledandbrick-red。Hisnosewashookedlikeahawk’s，hisgreyeyeslookedcruel，andhehadnoteethexcepttwotusks。Hewouldpass，withhisturbanonhishead，leaningonhisstaff，andglaringroundhimlikeawolf。IfhesawZhí；linhewouldsnortwithangerandturnaway。

OnceZhí；lindescendedthehilltoseewheretheoldmanlived。

Hewentdownalongthepathwayandcametoalittlegardensurroundedbyastonewall；andbehindthewallhesawcherryandapricottrees，andahutwithaflatroof。Hecamecloser，andsawhivesmadeofplaitedstraw，andbeesflyingaboutandhumming。

Theoldmanwaskneeling，busydoingsomethingwithahive。Zhí；linstretchedtolook，andhisshacklesrattled。

Theoldmanturnedround，and，givingayell，snatchedapistolfromhisbeltandshotatZhí；lin，whojustmanagedtoshelterhimselfbehindthestonewall。

TheoldmanwenttoZhí；lin’smastertocomplain。ThemastercalledZhí；lin，andsaidwithalaugh，’Whydidyougototheoldman’shouse？’