a hero of our time-第2章

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scarcely　time　to　throw　my　felt　cloak　round　me　when　down　came　the　snow。　　I　looked　at　the　staff…captain　with　profound　respect。

〃We　shall　have　to　pass　the　night　here；〃　he　said；　vexation　in　his　tone。　　〃There's　no　crossing　the　mountains　in　such　a　blizzard。　　I　say；　have　there　been　any　avalanches　on　Mount　Krestov？〃　he　inquired　of　the　driver。

〃No；　sir；〃　the　Ossete　answered；　〃but　there　are　a　great　many　threatening　to　fall　　a　great　many。〃

Owing　to　the　lack　of　a　travellers'　room　in　the　Station；　we　were　assigned　a　night's　lodging　in　a　smoky　hut。　　I　invited　my　fellow…traveller　to　drink　a　tumbler　of　tea　with　me；　as　I　had　brought　my　cast…iron　teapot　　my　only　solace　during　my　travels　in　the　Caucasus。

One　side　of　the　hut　was　stuck　against　the　cliff；　and　three　wet　and　slippery　steps　led　up　to　the　door。　　I　groped　my　way　in　and　stumbled　up　against　a　cow　（with　these　people　the　cow…house　supplies　the　place　of　a　servant's　room）。　　I　did　not　know　which　way　to　turn　　sheep　were　bleating　on　the　one　hand　and　a　dog　growling　on　the　other。　Fortunately；　however；　I　perceived　on　one　side　a　faint　glimmer　of　light；　and　by　its　aid　I　was　able　to　find　another　opening　by　way　of　a　door。　　And　here　a　by　no　means　uninteresting　picture　was　revealed。　　The　wide　hut；　the　roof　of　which　rested　on　two　smoke…grimed　pillars；　was　full　of　people。　　In　the　centre　of　the　floor　a　small　fire　was　crackling；　and　the　smoke；　driven　back　by　the　wind　from　an　opening　in　the　roof；　was　spreading　around　in　so　thick　a　shroud　that　for　a　long　time　I　was　unable　to　see　about　me。　　Seated　by　the　fire　were　two　old　women；　a　number　of　children　and　a　lank　Georgian　　all　of　them　in　tatters。　　There　was　no　help　for　it！　　We　took　refuge　by　the　fire　and　lighted　our　pipes；　and　soon　the　teapot　was　singing　invitingly。

〃Wretched　people；　these！〃　I　said　to　the　staff…captain；　indicating　our　dirty　hosts；　who　were　silently　gazing　at　us　in　a　kind　of　torpor。

〃And　an　utterly　stupid　people　too！〃　he　replied。　　〃Would　you　believe　it；　they　are　absolutely　ignorant　and　incapable　of　the　slightest　civilisation！　　Why　even　our　Kabardians　or　Chechenes；　robbers　and　ragamuffins　though　they　be；　are　regular　dare…devils　for　all　that。　　Whereas　these　others　have　no　liking　for　arms；　and　you'll　never　see　a　decent　dagger　on　one　of　them！　Ossetes　all　over！〃

〃You　have　been　a　long　time　in　the　Chechenes'　country？〃

〃Yes；　I　was　quartered　there　for　about　ten　years　along　with　my　company　in　a　fortress；　near　Kamennyi　Brod。＇1＇　　Do　you　know　the　place？〃

＇1＇　Rocky　Ford。

〃I　have　heard　the　name。〃

〃I　can　tell　you；　my　boy；　we　had　quite　enough　of　those　dare…devil　Chechenes。　　At　the　present　time；　thank　goodness；　things　are　quieter；　but　in　the　old　days　you　had　only　to　put　a　hundred　paces　between　you　and　the　rampart　and　wherever　you　went　you　would　be　sure　to　find　a　shaggy　devil　lurking　in　wait　for　you。　　You　had　just　to　let　your　thoughts　wander　and　at　any　moment　a　lasso　would　be　round　your　neck　or　a　bullet　in　the　back　of　your　head！　　Brave　fellows；　though！〃　。　。　。

〃You　used　to　have　many　an　adventure；　I　dare　say？〃　I　said；　spurred　by　curiosity。

〃Of　course！　　Many　a　one。〃　。　。　。

Hereupon　he　began　to　tug　at　his　left　moustache；　let　his　head　sink　on　to　his　breast；　and　became　lost　in　thought。　　I　had　a　very　great　mind　to　extract　some　little　anecdote　out　of　him　　a　desire　natural　to　all　who　travel　and　make　notes。

Meanwhile；　tea　was　ready。　　I　took　two　travel…　ling…tumblers　out　of　my　portmanteau；　and；　filling　one　of　them；　set　it　before　the　staff…captain。　He　sipped　his　tea　and　said；　as　if　speaking　to　himself；　〃Yes；　many　a　one！〃　　This　exclamation　gave　me　great　hopes。　　Your　old　Caucasian　officer　loves；　I　know；　to　talk　and　yarn　a　bit；　he　so　rarely　succeeds　in　getting　a　chance　to　do　so。　　It　may　be　his　fate　to　be　quartered　five　years　or　so　with　his　company　in　some　out…of…the…way　place；　and　during　the　whole　of　that　time　he　will　not　hear　〃good　morning〃　from　a　soul　（because　the　sergeant　says　〃good　health〃）。　　And；　indeed；　he　would　have　good　cause　to　wax　loquacious　　with　a　wild　and　interesting　people　all　around　him；　danger　to　be　faced　every　day；　and　many　a　marvellous　incident　happening。　　It　is　in　circum…　stances　like　this　that　we　involuntarily　complain　that　so　few　of　our　countrymen　take　notes。

〃Would　you　care　to　put　some　rum　in　your　tea？〃　I　said　to　my　companion。　　〃I　have　some　white　rum　with　me　　from　Tiflis；　and　the　weather　is　cold　now。〃

〃No；　thank　you；　sir；　I　don't　drink。〃

〃Really？〃

〃Just　so。　　I　have　sworn　off　drinking。　　Once；　you　know；　when　I　was　a　sub…lieutenant；　some　of　us　had　a　drop　too　much。　　That　very　night　there　was　an　alarm；　and　out　we　went　to　the　front；　half　seas　over！　　We　did　catch　it；　I　can　tell　you；　when　Aleksei　Petrovich　came　to　hear　about　us！　Heaven　save　us；　what　a　rage　he　was　in！　　He　was　within　an　ace　of　having　us　court…martialled。　That's　just　how　things　happen！　　You　might　easily　spend　a　whole　year　without　seeing　a　soul；　but　just　go　and　have　a　drop　and　you're　a　lost　man！〃

On　hearing　this　I　almost　lost　hope。

〃Take　the　Circassians；　now；〃　he　continued；　〃once　let　them　drink　their　fill　of　buza＇1＇　at　a　wedding　or　a　funeral；　and　out　will　come　their　knives。　　On　one　occasion　I　had　some　difficulty　in　getting　away　with　a　whole　skin；　and　yet　it　was　at　the　house　of　a　'friendly'＇2＇　prince；　where　I　was　a　guest；　that　the　affair　happened。〃

＇1＇　A　kind　of　beer　made　from　millet。

＇2＇　i。e。　acknowledging　Russian　supremacy。

〃How　was　that？〃　I　asked。

〃Here；　I'll　tell　you。〃　。　。　。

He　filled　his　pipe；　drew　in　the　smoke；　and　began　his　story。



CHAPTER　II


〃YOU　see；　sir；〃　said　the　staff…captain；　〃I　was　quartered；　at　the　time；　with　a　com…　pany　in　a　fortress　beyond　the　Terek　　getting　on　for　five　years　ago　now。　　One　autumn　day；　a　transport　arrived　with　provisions；　in　charge　of　an　officer；　a　young　man　of　about　twenty…five。　He　reported　himself　to　me　in　full　uniform；　and　announced　that　he　had　been　ordered　to　remain　in　the　fortress　with　me。　　He　was　so　very　elegant；　his　complexion　so　nice　and　white；　his　uniform　so　brand　new；　that　I　immediately　guessed　that　he　had　not　been　long　with　our　army　in　the　Caucasus。

〃'I　suppose　you　have　been　transferred　from　Russia？'　I　asked。

〃'Exactly；　captain；'　he　answered。

〃I　took　him　by　the　hand　and　said：

〃'I'm　delighted　to　see　you　　delighted！　　It　will　be　a　bit　dull　for　you　。　。　。　but　there；　we　will　live　together　like　a　couple　of　friends。　　But；　please；　call　me　simply　〃Maksim　Maksimych〃；　and；　tell　me；　what　is　this　full　uniform　for？　　Just　wear　your　forage…cap　whenever　you　come　to　me！'

〃Quarters　were　assigned　to　him　and　he　settled　down　in　the　fortress。〃

〃What　was　his　name？〃　I　asked　Maksim　Maksimych。

〃His　name　was　Grigori　Aleksandrovich　Pe…　chorin。　　He　was　a　splendid　fellow；　I　can　assure　you；　but　a　little　peculiar。　　Why；　to　give　you　an　instance；　one　time　he　would　stay　out　hunting　the　whole　day；　in　the　rain　and　cold；　the　others　would　all　be　frozen　through　and　tired　out；　but　he　wouldn't　mind　either　cold　or　fatigue。　　Then；　another　time；　he　would　be　sitting　in　his　own　room；　and；　if　there　was　a　breath　of　wind；　he　would　declare　that　he　had　caught　cold；　if　the　shutters　rattled　against　the　window　he　would　start　and　turn　pale：　yet　I　myself　have　seen　him　attack　a　boar　single…handed。　　Often　enough　you　couldn't　drag　a　word　out　of　him　for　hours　together；　but　then；　on　the　other　hand；　sometimes；　when　he　started　telling　stories；　you　would　split　your　sides　with　laughing。　　Yes；　sir；　a　very　eccentric　man；　and　he　must　have　been　wealthy　too。　　What　a　lot　of　expensive　trinkets　he　had！〃　。　。　。

〃Did　he　stay　there　long　with　you？〃　I　went　on　to　ask。

〃Yes；　about　a　year。　　And；　for　that　very　reason；　it　was　a　memorable　year　to　me。　　He　gave　me　a　great　deal　of　trouble　　but　there；　let　bygones　be　bygones！　。　。　。　　You　see；　it　is　true　enough；　there　are　people　like　that；　fated　from　birth　to　have　all　sorts　of　strange　things　happening　to　them！〃

〃Strange？〃　I　exclaimed；　with　an　air　of　curiosity；　as　I　poured　out　some　tea。



CHAPTER　III


〃WELL；　then；　I'll　tell　you；〃　said　Maksim　Maksimych。　　〃About　six　versts　from　the　fortress　there　lived　a　certain　'friendly'　prince。　His　son；　a　brat　of　about　fifteen；　was　accustomed　to　ride　over　to　visit　us。　　Not　a　day　passed　but　he　would　come；　now　for　one　thing；　now　for　another。　　And；　indeed；　Gri