Part 41 (1/2)
”That is true. In his native country a man is more inclined to listen to the voice of G.o.d, and a hard disposition is softened there more easily. For virtue is immanent in everyone's soul, but the way into the soul is often dark and crooked and difficult to find. People often need a pretext to bring them on to the highroad to good and salvation.”
Father Pantelay talked at great length on the difficulties of such a task, and, as Jzef was an attentive listener and did not argue with him, they soon became great friends. Meanwhile Stefan gradually made preparations for the journey by buying up the best dogs.
At length they started on their long missionary journey.
It seemed like a waking dream to the two friends when, surrounded by a crowd of inhabitants, they shouted to the dogs and were borne away at full speed along the track. Excitedly they looked back at the little town for the last time. The caravan consisted of three sledges, each with fifteen dogs. Buza drove in front with the provisions. Father Pantelay followed with his luggage and presents--tea, tobacco, and other valuables; Stefan and Jzef came behind. Jzef had no idea how to manage the dogs, and was of no use whatever on the journey. Father Pantelay kept looking round at them and smiling in a friendly way. He was glad that he had taken them with him, for he was setting out for an unknown country, and although G.o.d is everywhere, and always has us under His protection, yet it is pleasant to be surrounded by courageous and friendly people with whom a refres.h.i.+ng and instructive conversation is possible.
”I have never been farther in this direction than the edge of the tundra; the Spirit of G.o.d alone hovers over the waste beyond. Buza has been there; he has travelled to the world's end. Hey, Buza! what is it like farther on? Shall we be able to drink tea soon?”
”Where we stop we shall drink tea,” the Cossack answered gravely.
He was immensely impressed by his own dignity as head of the expedition. He sat on the cask of vodka as if it were a throne, watching over it with a jealous eye.
”When we have pa.s.sed the edge of the forest there will be no more houses or people to be seen. After that vodka will be all-powerful, and will have to answer every purpose; even our lives depend on it.
Those cursed Chukchee drink it like fishes, and are wild to get it.
When they've had a little, they are ready to give up everything for it; you've only to ask, and you can get anything from them. Yet we shall have nothing with us when we come back, for we shall have eaten our provisions and given away the presents. The sledges will be empty, and there won't be any means of reloading them; and as the dogs will have grown fat through resting and eating reindeer paunch at Otowaka's, there'll be no holding them, and we shall tear back. Ha, ha! Hey!” He alternately reflected, shouted, or sang a local song in a thin voice:
”O Sidorek, O Sidorek, The light breath of warm breezes Blows over land and sea!
Now go and fetch your sleigh; Harness the dogs without delay.
Out to the rocks let them swiftly take you, Out to the rocks by the sh.o.r.e of the sea, O Sidorek, O Sidorek!”
”Buza, Buza, curb your frivolity!” Father Pantelay admonished him from a distance, as, in the silence of that frozen waste, his voice reached the other travellers through the clear, cold air.
The March sun made the snowdrifts appear so bright and smooth that by contrast the smallest bush seemed like a wood, and the slightest unevenness a hill. Soon, however, the summits of distant mountains showed on the horizon, with their white line sharply defined against the blue sky. The travellers turned towards these, and spent the night in a lonely fis.h.i.+ng hut, the last human habitation, on the very outskirts of the dwindling forest. Henceforward they had only snow, rocks, and sky round them; the only trees to be seen were those washed down by the sea or by river floods, and the only people those in Otowaka's encampment.
The strong, well-fed dogs went at a brisk pace. After a day's journey the travellers unexpectedly found themselves at the brink of a steep chasm. Below it a snowy expanse showed as far as the eye could reach.
”The sea!” Buza cried.
They had guessed in time, and stopped the dogs.
”Do you see those specks s.h.i.+ning in the distance, as if they were bits of sun? Those are ice-packs. But farther away--under that cloud on the horizon--is the open sea which never freezes. They say there is land beyond it; but no one has ever been there, for whoever goes doesn't come back.”
For a while they stood entranced by the extent of the view and by the sun, which threw delicate blue shadows on the long, still, frozen waves. At last Buza reminded them that they must descend the cliffs and drive along the sh.o.r.e. They pa.s.sed dark chasms all day long, for the sea had formed a bay here, and the whole sh.o.r.e was equally steep and defended by rocks.
”The waves beat up to the very top here; they are all 'bulls,'” Buza said, using a Russian expression for the cliffs.
There is indeed something defiant and bull-like in these last natural land defences, lifting their rocky crests to the sky.
The men spent the night under some tree trunks which had been washed down there by a stream.
”Do you know,” Jzef said to Stefan, as they lay down to sleep, ”I have a superst.i.tious fear that something will stop us, and it grows with every verst we pa.s.s.”
Stefan was far too tired to a.n.a.lyze subtle emotions.
The weather continued favourable. It was only on the third day that a light, dry land breeze from the south began to blow the powdery snow from the clefts in the rocks on to their heads. The cold did not trouble them much, however, for the wall of cliffs protected them from the full blast of the wind. All the same, the Cossack shook his head and hurried on the dogs.
”It's not far now, but we must make haste. There are two promontories not far off, jutting out like stone bulls; they are called Pawal and Peweka. We shall have to cut through to the sea between them. Wet or fine, it's always windy there.”