VI
While the Bashkírs were disputing, a man in a large fox-fur cap appeared
on the scene. They all became silent and rose to their feet. The interpreter
said, 'This is our Chief himself.'
Pahóm immediately fetched the best dressing-gown and five pounds of tea,
and offered these to the Chief. The Chief accepted them, and seated himself in
the place of honour. The Bashkírs at once began telling him something.
The Chief listened for a while, then made a sign with his head for them to be
silent, and addressing himself to Pahóm, said in Russian:
'Well, let it be so. Choose whatever piece of land you like; we have plenty of
it.'
'How can I take as much as I like?' thought Pahóm. 'I must get a deed to
make it secure, or else they may say, "It is yours," and afterwards may take it
away again.'
'Thank you for your kind words,' he said aloud. 'You have much land, and I only
want a little. But I should like to be sure which bit is mine. Could it not be
measured and made over to me? Life and death are in God's hands. You good
people
give it to me, but your children might wish to take it away again.'
'You are quite right,' said the Chief. 'We will make it over to you.'
'I heard that a dealer had been here,' continued Pahóm, 'and that you
gave him a little land, too, and signed title-deeds to that effect. I should
like to have it done in the same way.'
The Chief understood.
'Yes,' replied he, 'that can be done quite easily. We have a scribe, and we
will go to town with you and have the deed properly sealed.'
'And what will be the price?' asked Pahóm.
'Our price is always the same: one thousand rúbles a day.'
Pahóm did not understand.
'A day? What measure is that? How many acres would that be?'
'We do not know how to reckon it out,' said the Chief. 'We sell it by the day.
As much as you can go round on your feet in a day is yours, and the price is
one thousand rúbles a day.'
Pahóm was surprised.
'But in a day you can get round a large tract of land,' he said.
The Chief laughed.
'It will all be yours!' said he. 'But there is one condition: If you don't
return on the same day to the spot whence you started, your money is lost.'
'But how am I to mark the way that I have gone?'
'Why, we shall go to any spot you like, and stay there. You must start from
that spot and make your round, taking a spade with you. Wherever you think
necessary, make a mark. At every turning, dig a hole and pile up the turf; then
afterwards we will go round with a plough from hole to hole.
You may make as
large a circuit as you please, but before the sun sets you must return to the
place you started from. All the land you cover will be yours.'
Pahóm was delighted. It was decided to start early next morning. They
talked a while, and after drinking some more kumiss and eating some more
mutton, they had tea again, and then the night came on. They gave Pahóm
a feather-bed to sleep on, and the Bashkírs dispersed for the night,
promising to assemble the next morning at daybreak and ride out before sunrise
to the appointed spot.
