The Cossacks: A Tale of 1852 Read online

  Chapter XXXVII

  'Your health!' said Lukashka, taking from his mother's hands a cupfilled to the brim with chikhir and carefully raising it to his bowedhead.

  'A bad business!' said Nazarka. 'You heard how Daddy Burlak said, "Haveyou stolen many horses?" He seems to know!'

  'A regular wizard!' Lukashka replied shortly. 'But what of it!' headded, tossing his head. 'They are across the river by now. Go and findthem!'

  'Still it's a bad lookout.'

  'What's a bad lookout? Go and take some chikhir to him to-morrow andnothing will come of it. Now let's make merry. Drink!' shoutedLukashka, just in the tone in which old Eroshka uttered the word.'We'll go out into the street and make merry with the girls. You go andget some honey; or no, I'll send our dumb wench. We'll make merry tillmorning.'

  Nazarka smiled.

  'Are we stopping here long?' he asked.

  Till we've had a bit of fun. Run and get some vodka. Here's the money.'

  Nazarka ran off obediently to get the vodka from Yamka's.

  Daddy Eroshka and Ergushov, like birds of prey, scenting where themerry-making was going on, tumbled into the hut one after the other,both tipsy.

  'Bring us another half-pail,' shouted Lukashka to his mother, by way ofreply to their greeting.

  'Now then, tell us where did you steal them, you devil?' shoutedEroshka. 'Fine fellow, I'm fond of you!'

  'Fond indeed...' answered Lukashka laughing, 'carrying sweets fromcadets to lasses! Eh, you old...'

  'That's not true, not true! ... Oh, Mark,' and the old man burst outlaughing. 'And how that devil begged me. "Go," he said, "and arrangeit." He offered me a gun! But no. I'd have managed it, but I feel foryou. Now tell us where have you been?' And the old man began speakingin Tartar.

  Lukashka answered him promptly.

  Ergushov, who did not know much Tartar, only occasionally put in a wordin Russian: 'What I say is he's driven away the horses. I know it for afact,' he chimed in.

  'Girey and I went together.' (His speaking of Girey Khan as 'Girey'was, to the Cossack mind, evidence of his boldness.) 'Just beyond theriver he kept bragging that he knew the whole of the steppe and wouldlead the way straight, but we rode on and the night was dark, and myGirey lost his way and began wandering in a circle without gettinganywhere: couldn't find the village, and there we were. We must havegone too much to the right. I believe we wandered about well--nigh tillmidnight. Then, thank goodness, we heard dogs howling.'

  'Fools!' said Daddy Eroshka. 'There now, we too used to lose our way inthe steppe. (Who the devil can follow it?) But I used to ride up ahillock and start howling like the wolves, like this!' He placed hishands before his mouth, and howled like a pack of wolves, all on onenote. 'The dogs would answer at once ... Well, go on--so you foundthem?'

  'We soon led them away! Nazarka was nearly caught by some Nogay women,he was!'

  'Caught indeed,' Nazarka, who had just come back, said in an injuredtone.

  'We rode off again, and again Girey lost his way and almost landed usamong the sand-drifts. We thought we were just getting to the Terek butwe were riding away from it all the time!'

  'You should have steered by the stars,' said Daddy Eroshka.

  'That's what I say,' interjected Ergushov,

  'Yes, steer when all is black; I tried and tried all about... and atlast I put the bridle on one of the mares and let my own horse gofree--thinking he'll lead us out, and what do you think! he just gave asnort or two with his nose to the ground, galloped ahead, and led usstraight to our village. Thank goodness! It was getting quite light. Webarely had time to hide them in the forest. Nagim came across the riverand took them away.'

  Ergushov shook his head. 'It's just what I said. Smart. Did you getmuch for them?'

  'It's all here,' said Lukashka, slapping his pocket.

  Just then his mother came into the room, and Lukashka did not finishwhat he was saying.

  'Drink!' he shouted.

  'We too, Girich and I, rode out late one night...' began Eroshka.

  'Oh bother, we'll never hear the end of you!' said Lukashka. 'I amgoing.' And having emptied his cup and tightened the strap of his belthe went out.