s are eaten as dainties there. If you wish to
hang Alexis, hang on the same gibbet this young fellow, that they may be
equal."
These words seemed to shake the chief. Happily the other wretch opposed
this view.
"Silence," said this powerful fellow. "You think of nothing but hanging
and strangling. It becomes _you_ to play the hero. To look at you, no
one knows where your soul is."
"And which of the saints are you?" replied the old man.
"Generals," said Pougatcheff, with dignity, "an end to your quarrels.
It would be no great loss if all the mangy dogs from Orenbourg were
dangling their legs under the same cross-beam; but it would be a
misfortune if our own good dogs should bite each other."
Feeling the necessity of changing the conversation, I turned to
Pougatcheff with a smile, and said:
"Ah! I forgot to thank you for the horse and touloup. Without your aid
I should not have reached the city. I would have died from cold on the
journey." My trick succeeded. Pougatcheff regained his good humor.
"The beauty of debt is the payment thereof," said he, winking. "Tell
me your story. What have you to do with the young girl that Alexis
persecutes? Has she caught your heart, too?"
"She is my promised bride," said I, seeing no risk in speaking the
truth.
"Your promised bride! Why did you not tell me sooner? We'll marry you,
and be at your wedding. Listen, Field-marshal," said he. "We are old
friends, his lordship and I. Lets us go to supper. Tomorrow we shall
see what is to be done with him. Night brings wisdom, and the morning is
better than the evening."
I would gladly have excused myself from proposed honor, but it was
impossible. Two Cossacks girls covered the table with a white cloth, and
brought bread, soup made of fish, and pitchers of wine and beer. Thus,
for the second time, I was at table with Pougatcheff and his terrible
companions. The orgie lasted far into the night. Drunkenness at last
triumphed. Pougatcheff fell asleep in his place, and his companions
signed to me to leave him. I went out with them. The sentry locked me
up in a dark hole, where I found Saveliitch. He was so surprised by all
that he saw and heard, that he asked no questions. Lying in darkness, he
soon fell asleep.
The next morning Pougatcheff sent for me. Before his door stood a
kibitka, with three horses abreast. The street was crowded. Pougatcheff,
whom I met in the entry of his hut, was dressed for a journey, in a
pelisse
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