The drum awoke me early the next morning. I went out on the square.
Pougatcheff’s troops were there, falling into rank, around the gibbet,
to which still hung the victims of yesterday. The Cossacks were mounted;
the infantry and artillery, with our single gun, were accoutred ready
for the march. The inhabitants were also assembled there awaiting the
usurper. Before the steps of the Commandant’s house a Cossack held by
the bridle a magnificent white horse. My eyes sought the body of our
good Basilia. It had been dragged aside and covered with an old bark
mat. At last Pougatcheff came out on the steps, and saluted the crowd.
All heads were bared. One of the chiefs handed him a bag of copper coin,
which he threw by the handful among the people. Perceiving me in the
crowd, he signed to me to approach.
“Listen,” said he, “go at once to Orenbourg, and say from me, to the
Governor and all the Generals, that I shall be there in a week. Counsel
them to receive me with submission and filial love, otherwise they shall
not escape the direst torture. A pleasant journey to you.” The principal
followers of Pougatcheff surrounded him, Alexis amongst others. The
usurper turned to the people, and pointing to Alexis, said: “Behold your
new Commandant; obey him in every thing; he is responsible for you and
for the fortress.”
The words made me shudder. What would become of Marie? Pougatcheff
descended the steps and vaulted quickly into his saddle without the aid
of his attendant Cossacks. At that moment Saveliitch came out of the
crowd, approached the usurper, and presented him a sheet of paper.
“What is this?” asked Pougatcheff, with dignity.
“Read, you will deign to see,” replied the serf.
Pougatcheff examined the paper. “You write very illegibly; where is my
Secretary?”
A boy in corporal’s uniform came running to the brigand. “Read aloud,”
said he. I was curious to know for what purpose the old man had written
to Pougatcheff. The Secretary began to spell out in a loud voice what
follows:
“Two dressing-gowns, one in percale, the other in striped silk, six
roubles.”
“What does this mean?” said Pougatcheff, frowning.
“Command him to read on,” replied Saveliitch, with perfect calmness.
The Secretary continued: “One uniform in fine green cloth, seven
roubles; one pair of white cloth pantaloons, five roubles; twelve
shirts of Holland linen, with cuffs, ten roubles; one case containing a
tea-service, two roubles.”
“What nonsense is this?” said Pougatcheff.
“What have I to do with tea-sets and Holland cuffs?”
Saveliitch coughed to clear his voice, and began to explain: “That, my
lord, deign to understand, is the bill of my master’s goods carried off
by the thieves.”
“What thieves?” asked Pougatcheff, with a terrible air.
“Pardon me,” said Saveliitch. “Thieves? No, they were not thieves; my
tongue slipped; yet your boys went through everything and carried off
plenty. That can not be denied. Do not be angry. The horse has four legs
and yet he stumbles. Command that he read to the end.”
“Well, read,” said Pougatcheff.
“One Persian blanket, one quilt of wadded silk, four roubles; one
pelisse of fox-skin, covered with red ratine, forty roubles; one small
touloup of hare-skin left with your grace, on the steppe, fifteen
roubles.”
“What?” cried Pougatcheff, with flashing eyes.
I must say I feared for the old man, who was beginning new explanations,
when the brigand interrupted him:
“How dare you annoy me with these trifles?” said he, snatching the paper
from the Secretary and throwing it in the old man’s face. “You have been
despoiled! old fool! great harm! You ought to thank God that you are not
hanging up there, with the other rebels, both you and your master. I’ll
give you a hare-skin touloup! Do you know that I will have you flayed
alive, that touloups may be made of you?”
“As you please,” replied Saveliitch; “but I am not a free man, and I am
responsible for my master’s goods.”
Pougatcheff, who was evidently playing the magnanimous, turned his head
and set off without a word. Alexis and the other chiefs followed him.
The whole army left the fortress in good order, the people forming an
escort. I stayed alone on the square with Saveliitch, who held in his
hand the bill and considered it with deep regret. I could not help
laughing.
“Laugh, my lord, laugh, but when the household is to be furnished again,
we shall see if it be a laughing matter.”
I went to learn of Marie Mironoff. Accoulina met me and told me a sad
piece of news. During the night a burning fever had seized the poor
girl. Accoulina took me into her chamber. The invalid was delirious and
did not recognize me. I was shocked by the change in her countenance.
The position of this sorrowing orphan, without defenders, alarmed me as
much as my inability to protect grieved me. Alexis, above all, was to
be feared. Chief, invested with the usurper’s authority, in the fortress
with this unhappy girl, he was capable of any crime. What ought I to
do to deliver her? To set out at once for Orenbourg, to hasten the
deliverance of Belogorsk, and to co-operate in it, if possible. I took
leave of Father Garasim and Accoulina, recommending to them Marie, who I
already looked upon as my wife. I kissed the young girl’s hand, and left
the room.
“Adieu, Peter Grineff,” said Accoulina. “Do not forget us. Except you,
Marie has no support or consolation.” Choked by emotion, I did not
reply. Out on the square, I stopped an instant before the gibbet. With
bare head I reverently saluted the loyal dead, and took the road to
Orenbourg, accompanied by Saveliitch, who would not abandon me. Thus
plunged in thought, I walked on. Hearing horses galloping behind me, I
turned my head and saw a Cossack from the fortress leading a horse, and
making signs to me that I should wait. I recognized our Corporal. Having
caught up with us, he dismounted from his own horse, and giving me the
bridle of the other, said: “Our Czar makes you a gift of a horse, and
a pelisse from his own shoulder.” To the saddle was tied a sheep-skin
touloup. I put it on, mounted the horse, taking Saveliitch up behind me.
“You see, my lord,” said my serf, “that my petition to the bandit was
not useless! And although this old hack and this peasant’s touloup are
not worth half what the rascals stole, yet they are better than nothing.
‘A worthless dog yields even a handful of hair.’”