at. That is such a
poison that folks will die from the mere smell of it, let alone the
fat."

"That's true," Panteley agreed.

"The lads wanted to kill him at the time, but the old people would not
let them. It would never have done to kill him; he knew the place where
the treasure is hidden, and not another soul did know. The treasures
about here are charmed so that you may find them and not see them, but
he did see them. At times he would walk along the river bank or in the
forest, and under the bushes and under the rocks there would be little
flames, little flames... little flames as though from brimstone. I have
seen them myself. Everyone expected that Yefim would show people the
places or dig the treasure up himself, but he--as the saying is, like a
dog in the manger--so he died without digging it up himself or showing
other people."

The overseer lit a pipe, and for an instant lighted up his big
moustaches and his sharp, stern-looking, and dignified nose. Little
circles of light danced from his hands to his cap, raced over the saddle
along the horse's back, and vanished in its mane near its ears.

"There are lots of hidden treasures in these parts," he said.

And slowly stretching, he looked round him, resting his eyes on the
whitening east and added:

"There must be treasures."

"To be sure," sighed the old man, "one can see from every sign there are
treasures, only there is no one to dig them, brother. No one knows the
real places; besides, nowadays, you must remember, all the treasures are
under a charm. To find them and see them you must have a talisman, and
without a talisman you can do nothing, lad. Yefim had talismans, but
there was no getting anything out of him, the bald devil. He kept them,
so that no one could get them."

The young shepherd crept two paces nearer to the old man and, propping
his head on his fists, fastened his fixed stare upon him. A childish
expression of terror and curiosity gleamed in his dark eyes, and seemed
in the twilight to stretch and flatten out the large features of his
coarse young face. He was listening intently.

"It is even written in the Scriptures that there are lots of treasures
hidden here," the old man went on; "it is so for sure... and no
mistake about it. An old soldier of Novopavlovka was shown at Ivanovka
a writing, and in this writing it was printed about the place of the
treasure and even how many pounds of gold was in it and the sort of
vessel it w