Chapter 18

Lukasha returned to the cordon and at the same time Daddy Eroshka
whistled to his dogs and, climbing over his wattle fence, went to
Olenin's lodging, passing by the back of the houses (he disliked
meeting women before going out hunting or shooting). He found
Olenin still asleep, and even Vanyusha, though awake, was still in
bed and looking round the room considering whether it was not time
to get up, when Daddy Eroshka, gun on shoulder and in full
hunter's trappings, opened the door.

'A cudgel!' he shouted in his deep voice. 'An alarm! The Chechens
are upon us! Ivan! get the samovar ready for your master, and get
up yourself--quick,' cried the old man. 'That's our way, my good
man! Why even the girls are already up! Look out of the window.
See, she's going for water and you're still sleeping!'

Olenin awoke and jumped up, feeling fresh and lighthearted at the
sight of the old man and at the sound of his voice.

'Quick, Vanyusha, quick!' he cried.

'Is that the way you go hunting?' said the old man. 'Others are
having their breakfast and you are asleep! Lyam! Here!' he called
to his dog. 'Is your gun ready?' he shouted, as loud as if a whole
crowd were in the hut.

'Well, it's true I'm guilty, but it can't be helped! The powder,
Vanyusha, and the wads!' said Olenin.

'A fine!' shouted the old man.

'Du tay voulay vou?' asked Vanyusha, grinning.

'You're not one of us--your gabble is not like our speech, you
devil!' the old man shouted at Vanyusha, showing the stumps of his
teeth.

'A first offence must be forgiven,' said Olenin playfully, drawing
on his high boots.

'The first offence shall be forgiven,' answered Eroshka, 'but if
you oversleep another time you'll be fined a pail of chikhir. When
it gets warmer you won't find the deer.'

'And even if we do find him he is wiser than we are,' said Olenin,
repeating the words spoken by the old man the evening before, 'and
you can't deceive him!'

'Yes, laugh away! You kill one first, and then you may talk. Now
then, hurry up! Look, there's the master himself coming to see
you,' added Eroshka, looking out of the window. 'Just see how he's
got himself up. He's put on a new coat so that you should see that
he's an officer. Ah, these people, these people!'

Sure enough Vanyusha came in and announced that the master of the
house wished to see Olenin.

'L'arjan!' he remarked profoundly, to forewarn his master of the
meaning of this visitation. Following him, the master of the house
in a new Circassian coat with an officer's stripes on the
shoulders and with polished boots (quite exceptional among
Cossacks) entered the room, swaying from side to side, and
congratulated his