The Daughter of the Commandant Read online

  CHAPTER VI.

  PUGATCHEF.

  Before beginning to relate those strange events to which I was witness,I must say a few words about the state of affairs in the district ofOrenburg about the end of the year 1773. This rich and large provincewas peopled by a crowd of half-savage tribes, who had latelyacknowledged the sovereignty of the Russian Tzars. Their perpetualrevolts, their impatience of all rule and civilized life, theirtreachery and cruelty, obliged the authorities to keep a sharp watchupon them in order to reduce them to submission.

  Forts had been placed at suitable points, and in most of them troopshad been permanently established, composed of Cossacks, formerlypossessors of the banks of the River Yaik. But even these Cossacks, whoshould have been a guarantee for the peace and quiet of the country, hadfor some time shown a dangerous and unruly spirit towards the ImperialGovernment. In 1772 a riot took place in the principal settlement. Thisriot was occasioned by the severe measures taken by General Traubenberg,in order to quell the insubordination of the army. The only result wasthe barbarous murder of Traubenberg, the substitution of new chiefs, andat last the suppression of the revolt by volleys of grape and harshpenalties.

  All this befell shortly before my coming to Fort Belogorsk. Then allwas, or seemed, quiet. But the authorities had too lightly lent faithto the pretended repentance of the rebels, who were silently broodingover their hatred, and only awaiting a favourable opportunity to reopenthe struggle.

  One evening (it was early in October, 1773) I was alone in my quarters,listening to the whistling of the autumn wind and watching the cloudspassing rapidly over the moon. A message came from the Commandant thathe wished to see me at once at his house. I found there Chvabrine, IwanIgnatiitch, and the "_ouriadnik_" of the Cossacks. Neither the wife nordaughter of the Commandant was in the room. He greeted me in an absentmanner. Then, closing the door, he made everybody sit down, except the"_ouriadnik_," who remained standing, drew a letter from his pocket, andsaid to us--

  "Gentlemen, important news. Listen to what the General writes."

  He put on his spectacles and read as follows:--

  "_To the Commandant of Fort Belogorsk,

  "Captain Mironoff, these. (Secret.)_

  "I hereby inform you that the fugitive and schismatic Don Cossack,Emelian Pugatchef, after being guilty of the unpardonable insolence ofusurping the name of our late Emperor, Peter III.,[49] has assembled agang of robbers, excited risings in villages on the Yaik, and taken andoven destroyed several forts, while committing everywhere robberies andmurders. In consequence, when you shall receive this, it will be yourduty to take such measures as may be necessary against the aforesaidrascally usurper, and, if possible, crush him completely should heventure to attack the fort confided to your care."

  "Take such measures as may be necessary," said the Commandant, takingoff his spectacles and folding up the paper. "You know it is very easyto say that. The scoundrel seems in force, and we have but a hundred andthirty men, even counting the Cossacks, on whom we must not count toomuch, be it said, without any reproach to you, Maximitch." The"_ouriadnik_" smiled. "Nevertheless, let us do our duty, gentlemen. Beready, place sentries, let there be night patrols in case of attack,shut the gates, and turn out the troops. You, Maximitch, keep a sharpeye on the Cossacks; look to the cannon, and let it be well cleansed;and, above all, let everything be kept secret. Let no one in the fortknow anything until the time comes."

  After thus giving his orders, Ivan Kouzmitch dismissed us. I went outwith Chvabrine, speculating upon what we had just heard.

  "What do you think of it? How will it all end?" I asked him.

  "God knows," said he; "we shall see. As yet there is evidently nothingserious. If, however--"

  Then he fell into a brown study while whistling absently a French air.

  In spite of all our precautions the news of Pugatchef's appearancespread all over the fort. Whatever was the respect in which IvanKouzmitch held his wife, he would not have revealed to her for the worlda secret confided to him on military business.

  After receiving the General's letter he had rather cleverly got rid ofVassilissa Igorofna by telling her that Father Garasim had heard mostextraordinary news from Orenburg, which he was keeping most profoundlydark.

  Vassilissa Igorofna instantly had a great wish to go and see the Pope'swife, and, by the advice of Ivan Kouzmitch, she took Masha, lest sheshould be dull all alone.

  Left master of the field, Ivan Kouzmitch sent to fetch us at once, andtook care to shut up Polashka in the kitchen so that she might not spyupon us.

  Vassilissa Igorofna came home without having been able to worm anythingout of the Pope's wife; she learnt upon coming in that during herabsence Ivan Kouzmitch had held a council of war, and that Palashka hadbeen locked up. She suspected that her husband had deceived her, and sheimmediately began overwhelming him with questions. But Ivan Kouzmitchwas ready for this onset; he did not care in the least, and he boldlyanswered his curious better-half--

  "Look here, little mother, the country-women have taken it into theirheads to light fires with straw, and as that might be the cause of amisfortune, I assembled my officers, and I ordered them to watch thatthe women do not make fires with straw, but rather with faggots andbrambles."

  "And why were you obliged to shut up Polashka?" his wife asked him. "Whywas the poor girl obliged to stay in the kitchen till we came back?"

  Ivan Kouzmitch was not prepared for such a question; he stammered someincoherent words.

  Vassilissa Igorofna instantly understood that her husband had deceivedher, but as she could not at that moment get anything out of him, sheforebore questioning him, and spoke of some pickled cucumbers whichAkoulina Pamphilovna knew how to prepare in a superlative manner. Allnight long Vassilissa Igorofna lay awake trying to think what herhusband could have in his head that she was not permitted to know.

  The morrow, on her return from mass, she saw Iwan Ignatiitch busyclearing the cannon of the rags, small stones, bits of wood,knuckle-bones, and all kinds of rubbish that the little boys had crammedit with.

  "What can these warlike preparations mean?" thought the Commandant'swife. "Can it be that they are afraid of an attack by the Kirghiz; butthen is it likely that Ivan Kouzmitch would hide from me such a trifle?"

  She called Iwan Ignatiitch, determined to have out of him the secretwhich was provoking her feminine curiosity.

  Vassilissa Igorofna began by making to him some remarks on householdmatters, like a judge who begins a cross-examination by questionsirrelevant to the subject in hand, in order to reassure and lull thewatchfulness of the accused. Then, after a few minutes' silence, shegave a deep sigh, and said, shaking her head--

  "Oh! good Lord! Just think what news! What will come of all this?"

  "Eh! my little mother," replied Iwan Ignatiitch; "the Lord is merciful.We have soldiers enough, and much, powder; I have cleared the cannon.Perhaps we may be able to defeat this Pugatchef. If God do not forsakeus, the wolf will eat none of us here."

  "And what manner of man is this Pugatchef?" questioned the Commandant'swife.

  Iwan Ignatiitch saw plainly that he had said too much, and bit histongue; but it was too late. Vassilissa Igorofna obliged him to tell herall, after giving her word that she would tell no one.

  She kept her promise, and did not breathe a word indeed to anyone, saveonly to the Pope's wife, and that for the very good reason that the goodlady's cow, being still out on the steppe, might be "lifted" by therobbers.

  Soon everybody was talking of Pugatchef. The rumours abroad about himwere very diverse. The Commandant sent the "_ouriadnik_" on a mission tolook well into all in the neighbouring village and little forts. The"_ouriadnik_" came back after an absence of two days, and reported thathe had seen in the steppe, about sixty versts from the fort, many fires,and that he had heard the Bashkirs say that an innumerable force wasapproaching. He had nothing of a more detailed or accurate nature torelate, having been afraid of going too far.

  We
soon began to notice a certain stir among the Cossacks in thegarrison. They gathered in all the streets in little groups, spoke amongthemselves in low voices, and dispersed directly they caught sight of adragoon or any other Russian soldier. They were watched. Joulai, abaptized Kalmuck, revealed to the Commandant something very serious.According to him the "_ouriadnik_" had made a false report. On hisreturn the perfidious Cossack had told his comrades that he had advancedupon the rebels, and that he had been presented to their chief, and thatthis chief gave him his hand to kiss and had had a long interview withhim. At once the Commandant put the "_ouriadnik_" in arrest, anddeclared Joulai his substitute. This change was received by the Cossackswith manifest discontent. They grumbled aloud, and Iwan Ignatiitch, whoexecuted the Commandant's orders, heard them with his own ears saypretty clearly--

  "Only wait a bit, you garrison rat!"

  The Commandant had intended to cross-examine his prisoner that same day,but the "_ouriadnik_" had escaped, doubtless with the connivance of hisaccomplices.

  Another thing occurred to augment the Commandant's disquiet; a Bashkirwas taken bearing seditious letters. Upon this occasion the Commandantdecided upon assembling his officers anew, and in order to do that hewished again to get rid of his wife under some plausible pretext. But asIvan Kouzmitch was one of the most upright and sincere of men he couldnot think of any other way than that which he had already employed on aprevious occasion.

  "Do you know, Vassilissa Igorofna," said he to her, while clearing histhroat once or twice, "it is said that Father Garosim has received fromthe town--"

  "Hold your tongue," interrupted his wife; "you want again to call acouncil of war, and talk without me about Emelian Pugatchef; but youwill not deceive me this time."

  Ivan Kouzmitch opened his eyes wide.

  "Well, little mother," said he, "if you know all, stay; there is nothingmore to be done, we will talk before you."

  "Yes, you are quite right, my little father," rejoined she; "it is ofno use your trying to play the sly fox. Send for the officers."

  We again met. Ivan Kouzmitch read to us, before his wife, Pugatchef'sproclamation, drawn up by some illiterate Cossack. The robber proclaimedhis intention of marching directly upon our fort, inviting the Cossacksand the soldiers to join him, and counselling the chiefs not towithstand him, threatening them, should they do so, with the utmosttorture.

  The proclamation was written in coarse but emphatic terms, and waslikely to produce a great impression on the minds of simple people.

  "What a rascal," cried the Commandant's wife. "Just look what he daresto propose to us! To go out to meet him and lay our colours at his feet!Oh! the son of a dog! He doesn't then know that we have been fortyyears in the service, and that, thank heaven, we have had a taste of allsorts! Is it possible that there can have been commandants base andcowardly enough to obey this robber?"

  "Such a thing should not be possible," rejoined Ivan Kouzmitch;"nevertheless, they say the scoundrel has already got possession ofseveral forts."

  "It appears that he is in strength, indeed," observed Chvabrine.

  "We shall know directly the amount of his strength," resumed theCommandant. "Vassilissa Igorofna, give me the key of the barn. IvanIgnatiitch, bring up the Bashkir and tell Joulai to fetch the rods."[50]

  "Wait a bit, Ivan Kouzmitch," said the Commandant's wife, rising; "letme take Masha out of the house. Without I do so she would hear thecries, and they would frighten her. And as for me, to tell the truth, Iam not over curious about such matters. So hoping to see you again--"

  Torture was then so rooted in the practice of justice that thebeneficial ukase[51] ordaining its abolition remained a long time ofnone effect. It was thought that the confession of the accused wasindispensable to condemnation, an idea not merely unreasonable, butcontrary to the dictates of the simplest good sense in legal matters,for, if the denial of the accused be not accepted as proof of hisinnocence, the extorted confession should still less serve as proof ofhis guilt. Yet even now I still hear old judges sometimes regret theabolition of this barbarous custom.

  But in those days no one ever doubted of the necessity for torture,neither the judges nor the accused themselves. That is why theCommandant's order did not arouse any surprise or emotion among us. IwanIgnatiitch went off to seek the Bashkir, who was under lock and key inthe Commandant's barn, and a few minutes later he was brought into theante-room. The Commandant ordered him to be brought before him.

  The Bashkir crossed the sill with difficulty, owing to the woodenshackles he had on his feet. I glanced at him and involuntarilyshuddered.

  He lifted his high cap and remained near the door. I shall never forgetthat man; he seemed to be at least seventy years old, and he had neithernose nor ears. His head was shaven, and his beard consisted of a fewgrey hairs. He was little of stature, thin and bent; but his Tartar eyesstill sparkled.

  "Eh! eh!" said the Commandant, who recognized by these terrible marksone of the rebels punished in 1741, "you are an old wolf, by what I see.You have already been caught in our traps. 'Tis not the first time youhave rebelled, since you have been so well cropped. Come near and tellme who sent you."

  The old Bashkir remained silent, and looked at the Commandant with alook of complete idiocy.

  "Well, why don't you speak?" continued Ivan Kouzmitch. "Don't youunderstand Russ? Joulai, ask him in your language who sent him to ourfort."

  Joulai repeated Ivan Kouzmitch's question in the Tartar language. Butthe Bashkir looked at him with the same expression, and spoke never aword.

  "Jachki!" the Commandant rapped out a Tartar oath, "I'll make you speak.Here, Joulai, strip him of his striped dressing-gown, his idiot's dress,and stripe his shoulders. Now then, Joulai, touch him up properly."

  Two pensioners began undressing the Bashkir. Great uneasiness thenoverspread the countenance of the unhappy man. He began looking allround like a poor little animal in the hands of children. But when oneof the pensioners seized his hands in order to twine them round hisneck, and, stooping, upraised the old man on his shoulders, when Joulaitook the rods and lifted his hands to strike, then the Bashkir gave along, deep moan, and, throwing back his head, opened his mouth, wherein,instead of a tongue, was moving a short stump.

  We were all horrified.

  "Well," said the Commandant, "I see we can get nothing out of him.Joulai, take the Bashkir back to the barn; and as for us, gentlemen, wehave still to deliberate."

  We were continuing to discuss our situation, when Vassilissa Igorofnaburst into the room, breathless, and looking affrighted.

  "What has happened to you?" asked the Commandant, surprised.

  "Misery! misery!" replied Vassilissa Igorofna. "Fort Nijneosern wastaken this morning. Father Garasim's boy has just come back. He saw howit was taken. The Commandant and all the officers have been hanged, allthe soldiers are prisoners. The rascals are coming here."

  This unexpected news made a great impression upon me. The Commandant ofFort Nijneosern, a gentle and quiet young man, was known to me. Twomonths previously he had passed on his way from Orenburg with his youngwife, and he had stayed with Ivan Kouzmitch.

  The Nijneosernaia was only twenty-five versts away from our fort. Fromhour to hour we might expect to be attacked by Pugatchef. The probablefate of Marya Ivanofna rose vividly before my imagination, and my heartfailed me as I thought of it.

  "Listen, Ivan Kouzmitch," I said to the Commandant, "it is our duty todefend the fort to the last gasp, that is understood. But we must thinkof the women's safety. Send them to Orenburg, if the road be still open,or to some fort further off and safer, which the rascals have not yethad time to reach."

  Ivan Kouzmitch turned to his wife.

  "Look here, mother, really, had we not better send you away to some moredistant place till the rebels be put down?"

  "What nonsense!" replied his wife.

  "Show me the fortress that bullets cannot reach. In what respect isBelogorskaia not safe? Thank heaven, we have now lived here more
thantwenty-one years. We have seen the Bashkirs and the Kirghiz; perhaps wemay weary out Pugatchef here."

  "Well, little mother," rejoined Ivan Kouzmitch, "stay if you like, sinceyou reckon so much on our fort. But what are we to do with Masha? It isall right if we weary him out or if we be succoured. But if the robberstake the fort?"

  "Well, then--"

  But here Vassilissa Igorofna could only stammer and become silent,choked by emotion.

  "No, Vassilissa Igorofna," resumed the Commandant, who remarked that hiswords had made a great impression on his wife, perhaps for the firsttime in her life; "it is not proper for Masha to stay here. Let us sendher to Orenburg to her godmother. There are enough soldiers and cannonsthere, and the walls are stone. And I should even advise you to go awaythither, for though you be old yet think on what will befall you if thefort be taken by assault."

  "Well! well!" said the wife, "we will send away Masha; but don't ask meto go away, and don't think to persuade me, for I will do no such thing.It will not suit me either in my old age to part from you and go to seeka lonely grave in a strange land. We have lived together; we will dietogether."

  "And you are right," said the Commandant. "Let us see, there is no timeto lose. Go and get Masha ready for her journey; to-morrow we will starther off at daybreak, and we will even give her an escort, though, totell the truth, we have none too many people here. But where is she?"

  "At Akoulina Pamphilovna's," answered his wife. "She turned sick whenshe heard of the taking of Nijneosern; I dread lest she should fallill. Oh! God in heaven! that we should have lived to see this!"

  Vassilissa Igorofna went away to make ready for her daughter'sdeparture.

  The council at the Commandant's still continued, but I no longer tookany part in it. Marya Ivanofna reappeared for supper, pale and her eyesred. We supped in silence, and we rose from table earlier than usual.Each of us returned to his quarters after bidding good-bye to the wholefamily. I purposely forgot my sword, and came back to fetch it. I felt Ishould find Marya alone; in fact, she met me in the porch, and handed memy sword.

  "Good-bye, Petr' Andrejitch," she said to me, crying; "they are sendingme to Orenburg. Keep well and happy. Mayhap God will allow us to see oneanother again, if not--"

  She began to sob. I pressed her in my arms.

  "God be with you, my angel," I said to her. "My darling, my loved one,whatever befall me, rest assured that my last thought and my last prayerwill be for you."

  Masha still wept, sheltered on my breast. I kissed her passionately, andabruptly went out.