already risen and was getting his gun ready.

'Be quick and go! Finish your supper and go!' said the corporal; and
without waiting for an expression of consent he shut the door,
evidently not expecting the Cossack to obey. 'Of course,' thought he,
'if I hadn't been ordered to I wouldn't send anyone, but an officer
might turn up at any moment. As it is, they say eight abreks have
crossed over.'

'Well, I suppose I must go,' remarked Ergushov, 'it's the regulation.
Can't be helped! The times are such. I say, we must go.'

Meanwhile Lukashka, holding a big piece of pheasant to his mouth with
both hands and glancing now at Nazarka, now at Ergushov, seemed quite
indifferent to what passed and only laughed at them both. Before the
Cossacks were ready to go into ambush. Uncle Eroshka, who had been
vainly waiting under the plane tree till night fell, entered the dark
outer room.

'Well, lads,' his loud bass resounded through the low-roofed room
drowning all the other voices, 'I'm going with you. You'll watch for
Chechens and I for boars!'

Chapter VIII

It was quite dark when Uncle Eroshka and the three Cossacks, in their
cloaks and shouldering their guns, left the cordon and went towards the
place on the Terek where they were to lie in ambush. Nazarka did not
want to go at all, but Lukashka shouted at him and they soon started.
After they had gone a few steps in silence the Cossacks turned aside
from the ditch and went along a path almost hidden by reeds till they
reached the river. On its bank lay a thick black log cast up by the
water. The reeds around it had been recently beaten down.

'Shall we lie here?' asked Nazarka.

'Why not?' answered Lukashka. 'Sit down here and I'll be back in a
minute. I'll only show Daddy where to go.'

'This is the best place; here we can see and not be seen,' said
Ergushov, 'so it's here we'll lie. It's a first-rate place!'

Nazarka and Ergushov spread out their cloaks and settled down behind
the log, while Lukashka went on with Uncle Eroshka.

'It's not far from here. Daddy,' said Lukashka, stepping softly in
front of the old man; 'I'll show you where they've been--I'm the only
one that knows. Daddy.'

'Show me! You're a fine fellow, a regular Snatcher!' replied the old
man, also whispering.

Having gone a few steps Lukashka stopped, stooped down over a puddle,
and whistled. 'That's where they come to drink, d'you see?' He spoke in
a scarcely audible voice, pointing to