IV

As soon as Pahom and his family arrived at their new abode, he applied

for admission into the Commune of a large village. He stood treat to the

Elders, and obtained the necessary documents. Five shares of Communal

land were given him for his own and his sons' use: that is to say--125

acres (not altogether, but in different fields) besides the use of

the Communal pasture. Pahom put up the buildings he needed, and bought

cattle. Of the Communal land alone he had three times as much as at his

former home, and the land was good corn-land. He was ten times better

off than he had been. He had plenty of arable land and pasturage, and

could keep as many head of cattle as he liked.

At first, in the bustle of building and settling down, Pahom was pleased

with it all, but when he got used to it he began to think that even here

he had not enough land. The first year, he sowed wheat on his share of

the Communal land, and had a good crop. He wanted to go on sowing

wheat, but had not enough Communal land for the purpose, and what he had

already used was not available; for in those parts wheat is only sown on

virgin soil or on fallow land. It is sown for one or two years, and

then the land lies fallow till it is again overgrown with prairie grass.

There were many who wanted such land, and there was not enough for all;

so that people quarrelled about it. Those who were better off, wanted it

for growing wheat, and those who were poor, wanted it to let to dealers,

so that they might raise money to pay their taxes. Pahom wanted to sow

more wheat; so he rented land from a dealer for a year. He sowed

much wheat and had a fine crop, but the land was too far from the

village--the wheat had to be carted more than ten miles. After a time

Pahom noticed that some peasant-dealers were living on separate farms,

and were growing wealthy; and he thought:

"If I were to buy some freehold land, and have a homestead on it, it

would be a different thing, altogether. Then it would all be nice and

compact."

The question of buying freehold land recurred to him again and again.

He went on in the same way for three years; renting land and sowing

wheat. The seasons turned out well and the crops were good, so that he

began to lay money by. He might have gone on living contentedly, but he

grew tired of having to rent other people's land every year, and having

to scramble for it. Wherever there was good land to be had, the peasants

would rush for it and it was taken up at once, so that unless you were

sharp about it you got none. It happened in the third year that he and

a dealer together rented a piece of pasture land from some peasants; and

they had already ploughed it up, when there was some dispute, and the

peasants went to law about it, and things fell out so that the labor

was all lost. "If it were my own land," thought Pahom, "I should be

independent, and there would not be all this unpleasantness."

So Pahom began looking out for land which he could buy; and he came

across a peasant who had bought thirteen hundred acres, but having got

into difficulties was willing to sell again cheap. Pahom bargained and

haggled with him, and at last they settled the price at 1,500 roubles,

part in cash and part to be paid later. They had all but clinched the

matter, when a passing dealer happened to stop at Pahom's one day to get

a feed for his horse. He drank tea with Pahom, and they had a talk. The

dealer said that he was just returning from the land of the Bashkirs,

far away, where he had bought thirteen thousand acres of land all for

1,000 roubles. Pahom questioned him further, and the tradesman said:

"All one need do is to make friends with the chiefs. I gave away about

one hundred roubles' worth of dressing-gowns and carpets, besides a case

of tea, and I gave wine to those who would drink it; and I got the land

for less than two cents an acre. And he showed Pahom the title-deeds,

saying:

"The land lies near a river, and the whole prairie is virgin soil."

Pahom plied him with questions, and the tradesman said:

"There is more land there than you could cover if you walked a year, and

it all belongs to the Bashkirs. They are as simple as sheep, and land

can be got almost for nothing."

"There now," thought Pahom, "with my one thousand roubles, why should I

get only thirteen hundred acres, and saddle myself with a debt besides.

If I take it out there, I can get more than ten times as much for the

money."

V

Pahom inquired how to get to the place, and as soon as the tradesman

had left him, he prepared to go there himself. He left his wife to look

after the homestead, and started on his journey taking his man with

him. They stopped at a town on their way, and bought a case of tea, some

wine, and other presents, as the tradesman had advised. On and on they

went until they had gone more than three hundred miles, and on the

seventh day they came to a place where the Bashkirs had pitched their

tents. It was all just as the tradesman had said. The people lived on

the steppes, by a river, in felt-covered tents. They neither tilled the

ground, nor ate bread. Their cattle and horses grazed in herds on the

steppe. The colts were tethered behind the tents, and the mares were

driven to them twice a day. The mares were milked, and from the milk

kumiss was made. It was the women who prepared kumiss, and they also

made cheese. As far as the men were concerned, drinking kumiss and tea,

eating mutton, and playing on their pipes, was all they cared about.

They were all stout and merry, and all the summer long they never

thought of doing any work. They were quite ignorant, and knew no

Russian, but were good-natured enough.

As soon as they saw Pahom, they came out of their tents and gathered

round their visitor. An interpreter was found, and Pahom told them he

had come about some land. The Bashkirs seemed very glad; they took Pahom

and led him into one of the best tents, where they made him sit on some

down cushions placed on a carpet, while they sat round him. They gave

him tea and kumiss, and had a sheep killed, and gave him mutton to

eat. Pahom took presents out of his cart and distributed them among the

Bashkirs, and divided amongst them the tea. The Bashkirs were delighted.

They talked a great deal among themselves, and then told the interpreter

to translate.

"They wish to tell you," said the interpreter, "that they like you, and

that it is our custom to do all we can to please a guest and to repay

him for his gifts. You have given us presents, now tell us which of the

things we possess please you best, that we may present them to you."

"What pleases me best here," answered Pahom, "is your land. Our land is

crowded, and the soil is exhausted; but you have plenty of land and it

is good land. I never saw the like of it."

The interpreter translated. The Bashkirs talked among themselves for a

while. Pahom could not understand what they were saying, but saw that

they were much amused, and that they shouted and laughed. Then they were

silent and looked at Pahom while the interpreter said:

"They wish me to tell you that in return for your presents they will

gladly give you as much land as you want. You have only to point it out

with your hand and it is yours."

The Bashkirs talked again for a while and began to dispute. Pahom asked

what they were disputing about, and the interpreter told him that some

of them thought they ought to ask their Chief about the land and not act

in his absence, while others thought there was no need to wait for his

return.