Chapter 21 - Page 2

ignorance of Russian;
so he turned to the scout, who also acted as interpreter. The
scout was as ragged as the other, but instead of being red-haired
he was black-haired, restless, with extremely white gleaming teeth
and sparkling black eyes. The scout willingly entered into
conversation and asked for a cigarette.

'There were five brothers,' began the scout in his broken Russian.
'This is the third brother the Russians have killed, only two are
left. He is a brave, a great brave!' he said, pointing to the
Chechen. 'When they killed Ahmet Khan (the dead brave) this one
was sitting on the opposite bank among the reeds. He saw it all.
Saw him laid in the skiff and brought to the bank. He sat there
till the night and wished to kill the old man, but the others
would not let him.'

Lukashka went up to the speaker, and sat down. 'Of what village?'
asked he.

'From there in the hills,' replied the scout, pointing to the
misty bluish gorge beyond the Terek. 'Do you know Suuk-su? It is
about eight miles beyond that.'

'Do you know Girey Khan in Suuk-su?' asked Lukashka, evidently
proud of the acquaintance. 'He is my kunak.'

'He is my neighbour,' answered the scout.

'He's a trump!' and Lukashka, evidently much interested, began
talking to the scout in Tartar.

Presently a Cossack captain, with the head of the village, arrived
on horseback with a suite of two Cossacks. The captain--one of the
new type of Cossack officers--wished the Cossacks 'Good health,'
but no one shouted in reply, 'Hail! Good health to your honour,'
as is customary in the Russian Army, and only a few replied with a
bow. Some, and among them Lukashka, rose and stood erect. The
corporal replied that all was well at the outposts. All this
seemed ridiculous: it was as if these Cossacks were playing at
being soldiers. But these formalities soon gave place to ordinary
ways of behaviour, and the captain, who was a smart Cossack just
like the others, began speaking fluently in Tartar to the
interpreter. They filled in some document, gave it to the scout,
and received from him some money. Then they approached the body.

'Which of you is Luke Gavrilov?' asked the captain.

Lukishka took off his cap and came forward.

'I have reported your exploit to the Commander. I don't know what
will come of it. I have recommended you for a cross; you're too
young to be made a sergeant. Can you read?'

'I can't.'

'But what a fine fellow to look at!' said the captain, again
playing the commander. 'Put on your cap. Which of the Gavrilovs
does he come of? ... the Broad, eh?'

'His nephew,' replied the corporal.

'I know, I know. Well, lend a hand, help them,' he said, turning
to