to reflect," I said to the old man. "I must go; it is
impossible for me not to go. Do not make yourself wretched, Saveliitch.
God is good; we shall perhaps meet again. Mind you be not ashamed to
spend my money; do not be a miser. Buy all you have need of, even if you
pay three times the value of things. I make you a present of the money
if in three days' time I be not back."

"What's that you're saying, sir?" broke in Saveliitch; "that I shall
consent to let you go alone? Why, don't dream of asking me to do so. If
you have resolved to go I will e'en go along with you, were it on foot;
but I will not forsake you. That I should stay snugly behind a stone
wall! Why, I should be mad! Do as you please, sir, but I do not leave
you."

I well knew it was not possible to contradict Saveliitch, and I allowed
him to make ready for our departure.

In half-an-hour I was in the saddle on my horse, and Saveliitch on a
thin and lame "_garron_," which a townsman had given him for nothing,
having no longer anything wherewith to feed it. We gained the town
gates; the sentries let us pass, and at last we were out of Orenburg.

Night was beginning to fall. The road I had to follow passed before the
little village of Berd, held by Pugatchef. This road was deep in snow,
and nearly hidden; but across the steppe were to be seen tracks of
horses each day renewed.

I was trotting. Saveliitch could hardly keep up with me, and cried to me
every minute--

"Not so fast, sir, in heaven's name not so fast! My confounded
'_garron_' cannot catch up your long-legged devil. Why are you in such a
hurry? Are we bound to a feast? Rather have we our necks under the axe.
Petr' Andrejitch! Oh! my father, Petr' Andrejitch! Oh, Lord! this
'_boyar's_' child will die, and all for nothing!"

We soon saw twinkling the fires of Berd. We were approaching the deep
ravines which served as natural fortifications to the little settlement.
Saveliitch, though keeping up to me tolerably well, did not give over
his lamentable supplications. I was hoping to pass safely by this
unfriendly place, when all at once I made out in the dark five peasants,
armed with big sticks.

It was an advance guard of Pugatchef's camp. They shouted to us--

"Who goes there?"

Not knowing the pass-word, I wanted to pass them without reply, but in
the same moment they surrounded me, and one of them seized my horse by
the bridle. I drew my sword, and struck the peasant on the head. His
hi