While the Bashkirs were disputing, a man in a large fox-fur cap appeared
on the scene. They all became silent and rose to their feet. The
interpreter said, "This is our Chief himself."
Pahom immediately fetched the best dressing-gown and five pounds of
tea, and offered these to the Chief. The Chief accepted them, and seated
himself in the place of honour. The Bashkirs at once began telling him
something. The Chief listened for a while, then made a sign with his
head for them to be silent, and addressing himself to Pahom, said in
Russian:
"Well, let it be so. Choose whatever piece of land you like; we have
plenty of it."
"How can I take as much as I like?" thought Pahom. "I must get a deed to
make it secure, or else they may say, 'It is yours,' and afterwards may
take it away again."
"Thank you for your kind words," he said aloud. "You have much land, and
I only want a little. But I should like to be sure which bit is mine.
Could it not be measured and made over to me? Life and death are in
God's hands. You good people give it to me, but your children might wish
to take it away again."
"You are quite right," said the Chief. "We will make it over to you."
"I heard that a dealer had been here," continued Pahom, "and that you
gave him a little land, too, and signed title-deeds to that effect. I
should like to have it done in the same way."
The Chief understood.
"Yes," replied he, "that can be done quite easily. We have a scribe, and
we will go to town with you and have the deed properly sealed."
"And what will be the price?" asked Pahom.
"Our price is always the same: one thousand roubles a day."
Pahom did not understand.
"A day? What measure is that? How many acres would that be?"
"We do not know how to reckon it out," said the Chief. "We sell it by
the day. As much as you can go round on your feet in a day is yours, and
the price is one thousand roubles a day."
Pahom was surprised.
"But in a day you can get round a large tract of land," he said.
The Chief laughed.
"It will all be yours!" said he. "But there is one condition: If you
don't return on the same day to the spot whence you started, your money
is lost."
"But how am I to mark the way that I have gone?"
"Why, we shall go to any spot you like, and stay there. You must start
from that spot and make your round, taking a spade with you. Wherever
you think necessary, make a mark. At every turning, dig a hole and pile
up the turf; then afterwards we will go round with a plough from hole to
hole. You may make as large a circuit as you please, but before the sun
sets you must return to the place you started from. All the land you
cover will be yours."
Pahom was delighted. It-was decided to start early next morning. They
talked a while, and after drinking some more kumiss and eating some more
mutton, they had tea again, and then the night came on. They gave Pahom
a feather-bed to sleep on, and the Bashkirs dispersed for the night,
promising to assemble the next morning at daybreak and ride out before
sunrise to the appointed spot.