An Ordeal
IT was small wonder that Sergey for a long minute stood aghast,
helpless with surprise and fear. But with a strong effort he pulled
himself together, reflecting that it was certainly better and safer
for him to be with several people than with his uncle alone. And
anyway, as Matvey had told him, he was not really friendless, since the
Heavenly Father was pledged to guard His trusting children, even as He
had guarded Daniel in the den, and his friends in the burning, fiery
furnace.
So when the question was repeated, "What hast thou done with my jewel?"
Sergey faced the speaker firmly and said, "I have it not; I handed it
over to one who will try to restore it to its rightful owner."
"That am I!" shouted Abram. "Speak the truth for once, thou little
viper! Was not the ruby ring mine?"
"Yes, certainly," replied Sergey, "if your name is Elena."
A loud guffaw went round the circle, and one huge man, who seemed to
be in some sort the leader, said with a pleased chuckle, "He had thee
there, Kapoostin!"
"'Yevgen to Elena' was plainly engraved inside the ring," said Sergey.
"So it could hardly belong to this uncle of mine—at least, not
rightfully."
"Ah! But with us might is right!" replied the big leader. "We have been
oppressed and down-trodden in the past, so now we, in our turn, have
become the oppressors."
"But all this is not to the point," interrupted Abram. "I for one
believe not what the boy says. He most likely has the jewel hidden away
upon his person. Captain, may I search him?"
"Yes," answered the big man. "But mind, no violence!"
"You dropped it, uncle, and it rolled into a corner when you were very
drunk and did not notice. I picked it up and gave it into safe keeping,
and there it is now!"
"So thou sayest! But I search thee all the same!"
Sergey submitted silently, and the search was a thorough one, but of
course no ring was found.
"So the boy spoke the truth," said the chief when the search was over.
"And thou, Elena, must look elsewhere for thy ring."
And again a burst of laughter shook the sides of the men.
"Sir Captain," said Sergey, "I was just starting on a raft voyage. My
friends will miss me and be distressed. Have I your leave to go back to
the river and rejoin them?"
"Let him not go, Captain!" cried Abram. "He will betray us to the
police the next place the raft comes to, and then we shall be caught
and sent to Siberia."
"It is quite likely, Abram Kapoostin, that this, or worse, may be thy
fate anyway. But as for the boy," added the Captain, "well—I would
rather keep him than let him go, of course, for he would be useful to
us.
"Look here, youngster! Wilt thou join us? We are not altogether a bad
lot. If we sometimes rob the rich, at least we do not harry the poor.
Some of us are in service, some are artisans, others clerks, and a few
are students. When a big, wealthy house is left in charge of careless
or drunken servants we are burglars and take all we can find.
"And now and again a rich traveller or two pay toll, but we never maim
nor murder. All of us being engaged in some sort of work, we can only
meet occasionally to make plans and compare notes. We have all had
grievances in the past, and now it is sometimes our turn to be on the
upper end of the see-saw."
"Why try to explain all this to a mere child, Captain?" grumbled Abram.
"If you want him, keep him. I will have him under my eye, and if he
tries to get away, he shall suffer for it."
"Thanks, Kapoostin! When I am in need of thine advice, I will ask for
it. Now, boy—wilt thou take service—say as page in a nobleman's house
(there are large estates about here), and secretly be one of us and
play into our hands, meeting with us now and again thus in the forest?"
There was dead silence for a minute. Then the lad's answer came in
clear tones:
"No, Sir Captain, I will not!"
The men looked at each other in surprise.
"And why?" demanded the chief.
"There is more than one reason," replied Sergey.
"Let us hear them!"
"First, Sir Captain, my voyage on the raft was planned on purpose to
get me away from my uncle, because I could be neither good nor happy
living with him."
"Now for reason number two!"
"I was brought up by my parents," said Sergey, "to be honest and
truthful, to believe in a good God, and to try to be obedient and
faithful to Him. I could not continue thus if I became one of your
band."
"Well now," said the chief, looking round at the faces in the
torch-light, with an amused smile on his lips—"we have got it this
time, have we not? Bless the brat! I would not have him at a gift after
that! He shall go back to his raft and be rid of us all, and especially
of this bad-egg uncle of his."
"He will betray us if you let him go, Captain," said Kapoostin.
"I don't think he will," replied the chief, "and moreover, I don't
think he can. He has no idea who we all are, and as, at our meetings,
we wear wigs and beards, he could not recognise any of us, even if he
did happen to meet us elsewhere. But say, child—wouldest thou betray
us—were it in thy power, and send us to Siberia?"
"No, Sir Captain, you have done me no harm; I would not betray you."
"On thy word of honour?"
"On my word of honour."
"Then farewell, little lad."
"Farewell, Sir Captain, and thank you."
"Take him back to the river, Kapoostin," said the big man. "And thou,
Appolon, go too, to protect the boy from this uncle of his."
And the three passed out of the building and vanished into the darkness
of the forest.