A Hero of Our Time | Page 8

me now -- black as coal, with legs like
bow-strings and eyes as fine as Bela's! How strong he was too! He
would gallop as much as fifty versts at a stretch! And he was well
trained besides -- he would trot behind his master like a dog, and
actually knew his voice! Kazbich never used to tether him either -- just
the very horse for a robber! . . .
"On that evening Kazbich was more sullen than ever, and I noticed that
he was wearing a coat of mail under his tunic. 'He hasn't got that coat of
mail on for nothing,' I thought. 'He has some plot in his head, I'll be
bound!'
"It grew oppressively hot in the hut, and I went out into the air to cool
myself. Night had fallen upon the mountains, and a mist was beginning
to creep along the gorges.
"It occurred to me to pop in under the shed where our horses were
standing, to see whether they had their fodder; and, besides, it is never
any harm to take precautions. My horse was a splendid one too, and
more than one Kabardian had already cast fond glances at it, repeating
at the same time: 'Yakshi tkhe chok yakshi.'[1]
[1] "Good -- very good."
"I stole along the fence. Suddenly I heard voices, one of which I
immediately recognised.

It was that of the young pickle, Azamat, our host's son. The other
person spoke less and in a quieter tone.
"'What are they discussing there?' I won- dered. 'Surely it can't be my
horse!' I squatted down beside the fence and proceeded to play the
eavesdropper, trying not to let slip a single word. At times the noise of
songs and the buzz of voices, escaping from the hut, drowned the
conversation which I was finding interesting.
"'That's a splendid horse of yours,' Azamat was saying. 'If I were master
of a house of my own and had a stud of three hundred mares, I would
give half of it for your galloper, Kazbich!'
"'Aha! Kazbich!' I said to myself, and I called to mind the coat of mail.
"'Yes,' replied Kazbich, after an interval of silence. 'There is not such
another to be found in all Kabardia. Once -- it was on the other side of
the Terek -- I had ridden with the Abreks to seize the Russian herds.
We had no luck, so we scattered in different directions. Four Cossacks
dashed after me. I could actually hear the cries of the giaours behind
me, and in front of me there was a dense forest. I crouched down in the
saddle, committed myself to Allah, and, for the first time in my life,
insulted my horse with a blow of the whip. Like a bird, he plunged
among the branches; the sharp thorns tore my clothing, the dead boughs
of the cork-elms struck against my face! My horse leaped over tree-
trunks and burst his way through bushes with his chest! It would have
been better for me to have abandoned him at the outskirts of the forest
and concealed myself in it afoot, but it was a pity to part with him --
and the Prophet rewarded me. A few bullets whistled over my head. I
could now hear the Cossacks, who had dismounted, running upon my
tracks. Suddenly a deep gully opened before me. My galloper took
thought -- and leaped. His hind hoofs slipped back off the opposite
bank, and he re- mained hanging by his fore-feet. I dropped the bridle
and threw myself into the hollow, thereby saving my horse, which
jumped out. The Cossacks saw the whole scene, only not one of them
got down to search for me, thinking probably that I had mortally
injured myself; and I heard them rushing to catch my horse. My heart
bled within me. I crept along the hollow through the thick grass -- then

I looked around: it was the end of the forest. A few Cossacks were
riding out from it on to the clearing, and there was my Karagyoz[1]
galloping straight towards them. With a shout they all dashed forward.
For a long, long time they pursued him, and one of them, in particular,
was once or twice almost successful in throwing a lasso over his neck.
[1] Turkish for "Black-eye."
I trembled, dropped my eyes, and began to pray. After a few moments I
looked up again, and there was my Karagyoz flying along, his tail
waving -- free as the wind; and the giaours, on their jaded horses, were
trailing along far behind, one after another, across the steppe. Wallah!
It is true -- really true! Till late at night I lay in the hollow. Suddenly --
what do you think, Azamat? I