beasts, men and gods-第3节

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　Through　many　woods　and　over　many　mountains　we　traveled　in　search　of　gold　and　we　had　an　agreement　to　divide　all　we　got　into　even　shares。　　But　Gavronsky　suddenly　went　out　to　the　'Taiga'　on　the　Yenisei　and　disappeared。　　After　five　years　we　heard　that　he　had　found　a　very　rich　gold　mine　and　had　become　a　rich　man；　then　later　that　he　and　his　wife　with　him　had　been　murdered。　。　。　。〃　　Ivan　was　still　for　a　moment　and　then　continued：

〃This　is　their　old　hut。　　Here　he　lived　with　his　wife　and　somewhere　on　this　river　he　took　out　his　gold。　　But　he　told　nobody　where。　　All　the　peasants　around　here　know　that　he　had　a　lot　of　money　in　the　bank　and　that　he　had　been　selling　gold　to　the　Government。　　Here　they　were　murdered。〃

Ivan　stepped　to　the　stove；　took　out　a　flaming　stick　and；　bending　over；　lighted　a　spot　on　the　floor。

〃Do　you　see　these　spots　on　the　floor　and　on　the　wall？　　It　is　their　blood；　the　blood　of　Gavronsky。　　They　died　but　they　did　not　disclose　the　whereabouts　of　the　gold。　　It　was　taken　out　of　a　deep　hole　which　they　had　drifted　into　the　bank　of　the　river　and　was　hidden　in　the　cellar　under　the　shed。　　But　Gavronsky　gave　nothing　away。　。　。　。　　AND　LORD　HOW　I　TORTURED　THEM！　　I　burned　them　with　fire；　I　bent　back　their　fingers；　I　gouged　out　their　eyes；　but　Gavronsky　died　in　silence。〃

He　thought　for　a　moment；　then　quickly　said　to　me：

〃I　have　heard　all　this　from　the　peasants。〃　　He　threw　the　log　into　the　stove　and　flopped　down　on　the　bench。　　〃It's　time　to　sleep；〃　he　snapped　out；　and　was　still。

I　listened　for　a　long　time　to　his　breathing　and　his　whispering　to　himself；　as　he　turned　from　one　side　to　the　other　and　smoked　his　pipe。

In　the　morning　we　left　this　scene　of　so　much　suffering　and　crime　and　on　the　seventh　day　of　our　journey　we　came　to　the　dense　cedar　wood　growing　on　the　foothills　of　a　long　chain　of　mountains。

〃From　here；〃　Ivan　explained　to　me；　〃it　is　eighty　versts　to　the　next　peasant　settlement。　　The　people　come　to　these　woods　to　gather　cedar　nuts　but　only　in　the　autumn。　　Before　then　you　will　not　meet　anyone。　Also　you　will　find　many　birds　and　beasts　and　a　plentiful　supply　of　nuts；　so　that　it　will　be　possible　for　you　to　live　here。　　Do　you　see　this　river？　　When　you　want　to　find　the　peasants；　follow　along　this　stream　and　it　will　guide　you　to　them。〃

Ivan　helped　me　build　my　mud　hut。　　But　it　was　not　the　genuine　mud　hut。　　It　was　one　formed　by　the　tearing　out　of　the　roots　of　a　great　cedar；　that　had　probably　fallen　in　some　wild　storm；　which　made　for　me　the　deep　hole　as　the　room　for　my　house　and　flanked　this　on　one　side　with　a　wall　of　mud　held　fast　among　the　upturned　roots。　Overhanging　ones　formed　also　the　framework　into　which　we　interlaced　the　poles　and　branches　to　make　a　roof；　finished　off　with　stones　for　stability　and　snow　for　warmth。　　The　front　of　the　hut　was　ever　open　but　was　constantly　protected　by　the　guardian　naida。　　In　that　snow…　covered　den　I　spent　two　months　like　summer　without　seeing　any　other　human　being　and　without　touch　with　the　outer　world　where　such　important　events　were　transpiring。　　In　that　grave　under　the　roots　of　the　fallen　tree　I　lived　before　the　face　of　nature　with　my　trials　and　my　anxiety　about　my　family　as　my　constant　companions；　and　in　the　hard　struggle　for　my　life。　　Ivan　went　off　the　second　day；　leaving　for　me　a　bag　of　dry　bread　and　a　little　sugar。　　I　never　saw　him　again。


CHAPTER　III

THE　STRUGGLE　FOR　LIFE


Then　I　was　alone。　　Around　me　only　the　wood　of　eternally　green　cedars　covered　with　snow；　the　bare　bushes；　the　frozen　river　and；　as　far　as　I　could　see　out　through　the　branches　and　the　trunks　of　the　trees；　only　the　great　ocean　of　cedars　and　snow。　　Siberian　taiga！　How　long　shall　I　be　forced　to　live　here？　　Will　the　Bolsheviki　find　me　here　or　not？　　Will　my　friends　know　where　I　am？　　What　is　happening　to　my　family？　　These　questions　were　constantly　as　burning　fires　in　my　brain。　　Soon　I　understood　why　Ivan　guided　me　so　long。　We　passed　many　secluded　places　on　the　journey；　far　away　from　all　people；　where　Ivan　could　have　safely　left　me　but　he　always　said　that　he　would　take　me　to　a　place　where　it　would　be　easier　to　live。　And　it　was　so。　　The　charm　of　my　lone　refuge　was　in　the　cedar　wood　and　in　the　mountains　covered　with　these　forests　which　stretched　to　every　horizon。　　The　cedar　is　a　splendid；　powerful　tree　with　wide…　spreading　branches；　an　eternally　green　tent；　attracting　to　its　shelter　every　living　being。　　Among　the　cedars　was　always　effervescent　life。　　There　the　squirrels　were　continually　kicking　up　a　row；　jumping　from　tree　to　tree；　the　nut…jobbers　cried　shrilly；　a　flock　of　bullfinches　with　carmine　breasts　swept　through　the　trees　like　a　flame；　or　a　small　army　of　goldfinches　broke　in　and　filled　the　amphitheatre　of　trees　with　their　whistling；　a　hare　scooted　from　one　tree　trunk　to　another　and　behind　him　stole　up　the　hardly　visible　shadow　of　a　white　ermine；　crawling　on　the　snow；　and　I　watched　for　a　long　time　the　black　spot　which　I　knew　to　be　the　tip　of　his　tail；　carefully　treading　the　hard　crusted　snow　approached　a　noble　deer；　at　last　there　visited　me　from　the　top　of　the　mountain　the　king　of　the　Siberian　forest；　the　brown　bear。　　All　this　distracted　me　and　carried　away　the　black　thoughts　from　my　brain；　encouraging　me　to　persevere。　　It　was　good　for　me　also；　though　difficult；　to　climb　to　the　top　of　my　mountain；　which　reached　up　out　of　the　forest　and　from　which　I　could　look　away　to　the　range　of　red　on　the　horizon。　　It　was　the　red　cliff　on　the　farther　bank　of　the　Yenisei。　　There　lay　the　country；　the　towns；　the　enemies　and　the　friends；　and　there　was　even　the　point　which　I　located　as　the　place　of　my　family。　　It　was　the　reason　why　Ivan　had　guided　me　here。　　And　as　the　days　in　this　solitude　slipped　by　I　began　to　miss　sorely　this　companion　who；　though　the　murderer　of　Gavronsky；　had　taken　care　of　me　like　a　father；　always　saddling　my　horse　for　me；　cutting　the　wood　and　doing　everything　to　make　me　comfortable。　　He　had　spent　many　winters　alone　with　nothing　except　his　thoughts；　face　to　face　with　natureI　should　say；　before　the　face　of　God。　　He　had　tried　the　horrors　of　solitude　and　had　acquired　facility　in　bearing　them。　　I　thought　sometimes；　if　I　had　to　meet　my　end　in　this　place；　that　I　would　spend　my　last　strength　to　drag　myself　to　the　top　of　the　mountain　to　die　there；　looking　away　over　the　infinite　sea　of　mountains　and　forest　toward　the　point　where　my　loved　ones　were。

However；　the　same　life　gave　me　much　matter　for　reflection　and　yet　more　occupation　for　the　physical　side。　　It　was　a　continuous　struggle　for　existence；　hard　and　severe。　　The　hardest　work　was　the　preparation　of　the　big　logs　for　the　naida。　　The　fallen　trunks　of　the　trees　were　covered　with　snow　and　frozen　to　the　ground。　　I　was　forced　to　dig　them　out　and　afterwards；　with　the　help　of　a　long　stick　as　a　lever；　to　move　them　from　their　place。　　For　facilitating　this　work　I　chose　the　mountain　for　my　supplies；　where；　although　difficult　to　climb；　it　was　easy　to　roll　the　logs　down。　　Soon　I　made　a　splendid　discovery。　　I　found　near　my　den　a　great　quantity　of　larch；　this　beautiful　yet　sad　forest　giant；　fallen　during　a　big　storm。　　The　trunks　were　covered　with　snow　but　remained　attached　to　their　stumps；　where　they　had　broken　off。　　When　I　cut　into　these　stumps　with　the　ax；　the　head　buried　itself　and　could　with　difficulty　be　drawn　and；　investigating　the　reason；　I　found　them　filled　with　pitch。　　Chips　of　this　wood　needed　only　a　spark　to　set　them　aflame　and　ever　afterward　I　always　had　a　stock　of　them　to　light　up　quickly　for　warming　my　hands　on　returning　from　the　hunt　or　for　boiling　my　tea。

The　greater　part　of　my　days　was　occupied　with　the　hunt。　　I　came　to　understand　that　I　must　distribute　my　work　over　every　day；　for　it　distracted　me　from　my　sad　and　depressing　thoughts。　　Generally；　after　my　morning　tea；　I　went　into　the　forest　to　seek　heathcock　or　blackcock。　　After　killing　one　or　two　I　began　to　prepare　my　dinner；　which　never　had　an　extensive　menu。　　It　was　constantly　game　soup　with　a　handful　of　dried　bread　and　afterwards　endless　cups　of　tea；　this　essential　beverage　of　the　woods。　　Once；　during　my　search　for　birds；　I　heard　a　rustle　in　the　dense　shrubs　and；　carefully　peering　about；　I　discovered　the　points　of　a　deer's　horns。　　I　crawled　along　toward　the　spot　but　the　watchful　animal　heard　my　approach。　　With　a　great　noise　he　rushed　from　the　bush　and　I　saw　him　very　clearly；　after　he　had　run　about　three　hundred　steps；　stop　on　the　slope　of　the　mountain。　　It　was　a　splendid　animal　with　dark　grey　coat；　with　almost　a　black　spine　and　as　large　as　a　small　cow。　　I　laid　my　rifle　across　a　branch　and　fired。　　The　animal　made　a　great　leap；　ran　several　steps　and　fell。　　With　all　my　strength　I　ran　to　him　but　he　got　up　again　and　half　jumped；　half　dragged　himself　up　the　mountain。　The　second　shot　stopped　him。　　I　had　won　a　warm　carpet　for　my　den　and　a　large　stock　of　meat。　　The　horns　I　fastened　up　among　the　branches　of　my　wall；　where　they　made　a　fine　hat　rack。

I　cannot　forget　one　very　interesting　but　wild　picture；　which　was　staged　for　me　several　kilometres　from　my　den。　　There　was　a　small　swamp　covered　with　grass　and　cranberries　scattered　through　it；　where　the　blackcock　and　sand　partridges　usually　came　to　feed　on　the　berries。　　I　approached　noiselessly　behind　the　bushes　and　saw　a　whole　flock　of　blackcock　scratching　in　the