Life was made utterly wretched for them. Their clogs were not taken off
even at night, and they were not let out at all.
Unbaked dough was thrown down to them as though they were dogs, and water
was let down in a jug. In the pit it was damp and suffocating.
Kostuilin became ill, and swelled up, and had rheumatism all over his body,
and he groaned or slept all the time.
Even Zhilin lost his spirits; he sees that they are in desperate straits.
And he does not know how to get out.
He had begun to make an excavation, but there was nowhere to hide the
earth; Abdul discovered it, and threatened to kill him.
He was squatting down one time in the pit, and thinking about life and
liberty, and he grew sad.
Suddenly a cake[103] fell directly into his lap, then another, and some
cherries followed. He looked up, and there was Dina. She peered down at
him, laughed, and then ran away. And Zhilin began to conjecture, "Couldn't
Dina help me?"
[Footnote 103: _lepyóshka._]
He cleared out a little place in the pit, picked up some clay, and made
some dolls. He made men and women, horses and dogs; he said to himself,
"When Dina comes, I will give them to her."
But Dina did not make her appearance on the next day. And Zhilin hears the
trampling of horses' hoofs: men came riding up: the Tatars collected at the
mosque, arguing, shouting, and talking about the Russians.
The voice of the old man was heard. Zhilin could not understand very well,
but he made out that the Russians were somewhere near, and the Tatars were
afraid that they would attack the aul, and they did not know what to do
with the prisoners.
They talked a while, and went away. Suddenly Zhilin heard a rustling at the
edge of the pit.
He sees Dina squatting on her heels, with her knees higher than her head;
she leaned over, her necklace hung down and swung over the pit. And her
little eyes twinkled like stars. She took from her sleeve two cheesecakes,
and threw them down to him. Zhilin accepted them, and said, "Why did you
stay away so long? I have been making you some dolls. Here they are." He
began to toss them up to her one at a time.
But she shook her head, and would not look at them. "I can't take them,"
said she. She said nothing more for a time, but sat there: then she said,
"Iván, they want to kill you."
She made a significant motion across her throat.
"Who wants to kill me?"
"Father. The old man has ordered him to. But I am sorry for you."
And Zhilin said, "Well, then, if you are sorry for me, bring me a long
stick." She shook her head, meaning that it was impossible.
He clasped his hands in supplication to her. "Dina, please! Bring one to
me, Dínushka!"
"I can't," said she. "They would see me; they are all at home." And she ran
away.
Afterwards, Zhilin was sitting there in the evening, and wondering what he
should do. He kept raising his eyes. He could see the stars, but the moon
was not yet up. The mulla uttered his call, then all became silent.
Zhilin began already to doze, thinking to himself, "The little maid is
afraid."
Suddenly a piece of clay fell on his head; he glanced up; a long pole was
sliding over the edge of the pit, it slid out, began to descend toward him,
it reached the bottom of the pit. Zhilin was delighted. He seized it,
pulled it along,--it was a strong pole. He had noticed it before on Abdul's
roof.
He gazed up; the stars were shining high in the heavens, and Dina's eyes,
at the edge of the pit, gleamed in the darkness like a cat's.
She craned her head over, and whispered, "Iván, Iván." And she waved her
hands before her face, meaning, "Softly, please."
"What is it?" said Zhilin.
"All have gone, there are only two at home."
And Zhilin said, "Well, Kostuilin, let us go, let us make our last attempt.
I will help you."
Kostuilin, however, would not hear to it.
"No," says he, "it is not meant for me to get away from here. How could I
go when I haven't even strength to turn over?"
"All right, then. Good-by.[104] Don't think me unkind."
[Footnote 104: _proshchaï._]
He kissed Kostuilin.
He clasped the pole, told Dina to hold it firmly, and tried to climb up.
Twice he fell back,--his clog so impeded him. Kostuilin boosted him; he
managed to get to the top: Dina pulled on the sleeves of his shirt with all
her might, laughing heartily.
Zhilin pulled up the pole, and said, "Carry it back to its place, Dina, for
if they found it they would flog you."
She dragged off the pole, and Zhilin began to go down the mountain. When he
had reached the bottom of the cliff, he took a sharp stone, and tried to
break the padlock of his clog. But the lock was strong; he could not strike
it fairly.
He hears some one hurrying down the hill, with light, skipping steps. He
thinks, "That is probably Dina again."