Part 11 (2/2)
”I would not, however, venture to ht it very likely that soht be left to watch the thicket by those who seemed convinced that I had taken shelter within it I, however, crawled farther in, and then found myself in a chae to hold several persons It was lighted, though sorated over, and then covered with bushes, so ingeniously placed that no one could suspect as beneath
”There was a table and some benches, and several raised places for couches Besides this, there was a sort of cupboard to hold provisions
The place had evidently been forreat care for the purpose of concealh I concluded from the appearance of the roof and sides that there had been originally a cavern there formed by nature Whether it had been constructed by our brethren the Molokani, or at a period antecedent to the persecutions they had suffered, I could not tell to a certainty, but I thought it very likely that it was of a much more ancient date As may be supposed, I was not in a condition to consider the subject The unusual exertion and excitehmyself to my Maker, I lay down on the couch, and endeavoured to sleep Sleep, however, for long refused to visit my eyelids I listened, but not a sound could I hear Thankful was I when I felt sleep stealing on me at last”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Fears for old Sidor's Safety--Continues Journey--Encounter with young Horse-drovers--Superstitions of Russia--Young Vacia--Sleeps in a Tree
”I awoke ht still caht had not yet set in My chief anxiety was now to learn what had become of Sidor I arose, and took some of the food I found in the cupboard It consisted of bread and cheese and dried fish, with a pitcher of water The food, though very dry, was free from mould It was sufficient to sustain nature; thened, I resolved before proceeding on o back to Sidor's hut as soon as darkness would allowseized bythe braht in the pathway leading to it through the thicket I walked along cautiously, listening as I went; I heard no sound, so, re the bushes at the entrance, I looked out The sun had just set, and darkness was rapidly co on I looked around in every direction; I could see no one It was, however, safer to wait till it was so dark that I could not be distinguished at a distance, should any ofabout I went back, and sat down on the ground
When night ca-place, and walked towards Sidor's hut No light gleah theor open doorway as I approached This foreboded ill, I thought I reached the hut; all was silent I looked in at the ; I could see no one, nor could I hear a sound I entered the hut; it was eht which yet remained I discovered that even the scanty furniture, the oldto tell ested that by the cruel hand of the law he had been carried off, and would probably ere long be dragging his weary feet over the burning steppes, or the wide expanses of snow in Siberia, probably to sink down and die ere half the journey was perforht on the kind old round, and for the first tiave way to a bitter flood of tears It rong, I know It wasProvidence; but human nature is weak
I reth It ca on ht be lightened as ood I knehom he would trust, and had no hts to the necessity of taking steps for my own safety, I hurried ondawned I should have placed uessed, to venture through the forest at night, and I calculated that, after having chasedive up the pursuit and return hoht I walked on; the fresh cool air revivedcaue than I expected, for the chief portion of the night I had been in the open country At dawn I again made for a wood for the purpose of concealment, and as day advanced, and people were likely to be about, I climbed up as usual into a tree to sleep I used to fasten h with , having surveyed the country carefully, to see that there was no one apparently pursuing me, I came down and continued my journey For several days I th; and as I approached e, and expected so soon to er, and my spirits rose Yet I had still a wide extent of country to traverse I went on for days together without even seeing a huh road I should have met them, but the country itself is so thinly inhabited, that often for thirty or forty versts together not a hut is to be found My provisions were now again running short; how to replenish my stock I scarcely knew
I had reached the brow of a hill onecloser I saw that it was co a drove of horses feeding in the plain below They had kindled a large fire, and were busily cooking theirements made me suspect that they were sohtlessly, and thus getthery and weary; can you spare me some of your food?'
”They all looked at me earnestly for a minute before one of the the truth Then, satisfied apparently, they all found their tongues together
”'Gladly, gladly, stranger, whoever you are Come and sit down and rest--you are welcome'
”Ah! The candour and heartiness of youth before bitter experience has taught it topotatoes They had a large can of milk with theed his long knife into the cauldron, and drew out a potato at the point He presented it to ht lads in all, fine intelligent fellows, not serfs, but sons of freemen, saged is looked upon as honourable It is highly exciting and interesting Their herds were feeding together near them The moment one was seen to stray, one or two lads threw themselves on their own steeds, which they kept tethered near, and galloped off in pursuit of the straggler They had, too, to defend their cattle from the wolves--often hazardous work They offered me some milk, and then each lad helped himself to some potatoes; they had an abundance cooked, so that I was not depriving theht-hearted and comht by unearthly sounds, and whence they proceeded they could not tell
”'Not tell!' said one, looking up from his dish of potatoes 'We did not see what it was, but we can tell well enough It was the _Vodainoi_ calling to us fro to teht draw us into the water She has drowned many people in that way Why she does it I do not know Perhaps she wants their souls to destroy them; perhaps their bodies, to eat thelittering with jewels
She is never seen in the daytiht No one would wish to see her, for she is certain to deceive all sheis to clasp the cross, and pray to our patron saint; even then she will try to te Oh! She is very vile, with all her loveliness'
”'What you say is very true, I doubt not,' said another lad, 'but the sounds we heard last night were as likely to have come from the wood as fro to us froly instead of handsohtened, and runs away; so far he can do reat brown monster, the colour of the bark of a tree; he never appears in the day, and at night always keeps out of the ht He does not shriek out like so about the forest as if he was in pain So it will be to the end of the world; he never sleeps and never dies Soe, was returning hoe, three versts off, where he had been to the wedding of a niece, when just as he came to the wood by the side of the hill he saw a _Leechie_ looking out at hi the trees He did not cry out, for he is a brave fellow, but tried to pass this evil spirit as fast as he could He did not think of his cross, though, and he did not say his prayers, so the _Leechie_ caught hold of hiainst the trunks of the trees and over the fallen branches and roots, till he had scarcely a whole bone left in his body The _Leechie_ did not say a word, but only went _clack, clack, clack_, and chuckled with pleasure Poor Koulik was alht of his cross Had the _Leechie_ once got him well inside the forest, I do not knoould have becoain by h to keep outside, and when he was driven in to run out again, till at length the dawn appeared, and the _Leechie_ left hith to crawl home and take to his bed Next day he went to the priest, and the priest asked hiht of his cross, and said his prayers He confessed that he had not ”Then you only got your deserts,” said the priest; ”how can you expect to be protected from evil spirits if you do not pray to the saints, you infidel? Do you think they would take the trouble of looking after you if you do not pray to thehtened out of his wits and deeply penitent, poor little Koulik promised to buy two dozen wax-tapers at least, as soon as he could scrape together thethem to the shrine of his patron saint The priest told him if he did this the _Leechie_ would not dare to attack hi lads seemed deeply interested with this story of their companion, and to believe it i to them the folly, not to say the wickedness, of such a superstition I told them that in this instance the appearance of the _Leechie_ was easily explained The cobbler Koulik had, without doubt, taken more vodka than his brain could stand, and that in his tipsy state he had fallen against the trunks and roots of the trees and hurt hiht to have known this If not, he was a blind leader of the blind If he did guess it, and knew better than to believe in such folly, he orse, and designedly ihosts and goblins and os, was a sin, and showed a total want of faith in God's guidance and providence They were all lies and inventions of the Evil One, and were introduced into the world by his The lads listened to ed them to think of what I had said, but not to talk about the ht How I longed to have a Bible to give them, but I could not spare mine Some of them could read, but they had never even heard of the book, and knew not that the religion they professed was drawn frorieved to part from these fine lads I wished them farewell They did not inquire who I was or whence I ca to the forreat help to round three times as fast as I could otherwise have done, and could besides venture to travel during the daytime, as a person on horseback with an attendant would be less suspected than a poor orn traveller on foot Thankful for the assistance so unexpectedly affordedcoent of the lads, and full of life and spirits Vacia was his name He toldproprietor, h his parents were both noble, he believed He never knew them 'Ah! I wish that I had soo with you round the world' I was pleased with the lad's warmth 'I am but a poor man myself,' I answered, 'very poor, Vacia; believe me, I could not afford you protection'--'I care not for that; I like you much, very much; not for what you appear, but for what you say You speak wisdoot that wisdom; that I spoke not of myself, but that I spoke froet the sa thus for many versts I at last reined up my horse and reminded him that he must return hoht to tire the therateful to his, but I cannot love him He has no soul--he cannot talk to ht except as to what he will eat and what he will drink He esteems his cook more than his wife--more than any one Who can love such a s 'I should much like to have your company,' I replied; 'you would ht instruct you infriend, this cannot be My course is full of difficulties and dangers, and I must not let any one share it with me' What I now said only increased the lad's ardour
Difficulties and dangers he longed to encounter He scarcely kneever, what they signified The danger was not death, but a protracted march to Siberia, or the knout, and i than wounds or death 'Co friend, weard and for your kindness, but farther I will not let you go with ave him the reins of uided it with a rough halter When he saw that I was firm, he burst into tears
”'Who shall I have to speak to ain hear such words as you have uttered?' he exclaiain I told him I was but a poor peasant, and that I could not help him All I could do was to advise him not to rest till he had found a copy of that book which had given me such wisdom as I possessed I knew not how further to afford him advice
”'I will, I will!' he exclaimed 'I will find that book before I rest from the search When I have found it, I will not cease fro it, and I will often think of you who told ht seemed to console him He told me that if I would let him ride one verst more with me he would then turn back This I could not refuse; but he rode very slowly, andone At the end of it I dis ed hastily aet into the depths of the forest before I should chance to ht have authority to stop me For several h forests, till my provisions ran short I wanted rest also A few versts on was a village, but I dared not enter it till the evening, and I must then depart privately and speedily, before any inquiriesme I had plenty of money, so that I could always purchase provisions I, one h it till I suddenly found ht elevation, and, as I looked down on the plain surrounding it, I recognised the village I was in search of
It was scarcely hts ed to push on, and for the; but I remembered that by precipitation or carelessness I should -continued toils and exertions Of course every day, as I drew nearer honised
I retreated, therefore, a little way into the forest, and cli up into a tree, secured myself as usual, and fell asleep Those who have not toiled on, day after day, can scarcely understand the suddenness hich I could lose all consciousness in sleep, or the ease hich I could again awake at the slightest unusual sound Those placed in the position I so long have been in, canof sleep”