A Hero of Our Time Read online

  CHAPTER IV

  "TELL me, what became of Kazbich?" I asked the staff-captainimpatiently.

  "Why, what can happen to that sort of a fellow?" he answered, finishinghis tumbler of tea. "He slipped away, of course."

  "And wasn't he wounded?" I asked.

  "Goodness only knows! Those scoundrels take a lot of killing! In action,for instance, I've seen many a one, sir, stuck all over with bayonetslike a sieve, and still brandishing his sabre."

  After an interval of silence the staff-captain continued, tapping theground with his foot:

  "One thing I'll never forgive myself for. On our arrival at the fortressthe devil put it into my head to repeat to Grigori Aleksandrovichall that I had heard when I was eavesdropping behind the fence. Helaughed--cunning fellow!--and thought out a little plan of his own."

  "What was that? Tell me, please."

  "Well, there's no help for it now, I suppose. I've begun the story, andso I must continue.

  "In about four days' time Azamat rode over to the fortress. As his usualcustom was, he went to see Grigori Aleksandrovich, who always used togive him sweetmeats to eat. I was present. The conversation was on thesubject of horses, and Pechorin began to sound the praises of Kazbich'sKaragyoz. What a mettlesome horse it was, and how handsome! A perfectchamois! In fact, judging by his account, there simply wasn't anotherlike it in the whole world!

  "The young Tartar's beady eyes began to sparkle, but Pechorin didn'tseem to notice the fact. I started to talk about something else, butimmediately, mark you, Pechorin caused the conversation to strike off onto Kazbich's horse. Every time that Azamat came it was the same story.After about three weeks, I began to observe that Azamat was growingpale and wasted, just as people in novels do from love, sir. What wondereither!...

  "Well, you see, it was not until afterwards that I learned the wholetrick--Grigori Aleksandrovich exasperated Azamat to such an extentwith his teasing that the boy was ready even to drown himself. One dayPechorin suddenly broke out with:

  "'I see, Azamat, that you have taken a desperate fancy to that horseof Kazbich's, but you'll no more see him than you will the back of yourneck! Come, tell me, what would you give if somebody made you a presentof him?'

  "'Anything he wanted,' answered Azamat.

  "'In that case I will get the horse for you, only on one condition...Swear that you will fulfil it?'

  "'I swear. You swear too!'

  "'Very well! I swear that the horse shall be yours. But, in return,you must deliver your sister Bela into my hands. Karagyoz shall be herbridegroom's gift. I hope the transaction will be a profitable one foryou.'

  "Azamat remained silent.

  "'Won't you? Well, just as you like! I thought you were a man, butit seems you are still a child; it is early for you to be riding onhorseback!'

  "Azamat fired up.

  "'But my father--' he said.

  "'Does he never go away, then?'

  "'True.'

  "'You agree?'

  "'I agree,' whispered Azamat, pale as death. 'But when?'

  "'The first time Kazbich rides over here. He has promised to drive inhalf a score of rams; the rest is my affair. Look out, then, Azamat!'

  "And so they settled the business--a bad business, to tell the truth!I said as much to Pechorin afterwards, but he only answered that a wildCircassian girl ought to consider herself fortunate in having sucha charming husband as himself--because, according to their ideas, hereally was her husband--and that Kazbich was a scoundrel, and ought tobe punished. Judge for yourself, what could I say to that?... At thetime, however, I knew nothing of their conspiracy. Well, one day Kazbichrode up and asked whether we needed any rams and honey; and I orderedhim to bring some the next day.

  "'Azamat!' said Grigori Aleksandrovich; 'to-morrow Karagyoz will be inmy hands; if Bela is not here to-night you will never see the horse.'..

  "'Very well,' said Azamat, and galloped to the village.

  "In the evening Grigori Aleksandrovich armed himself and rode out of thefortress. How they settled the business I don't know, but at night theyboth returned, and the sentry saw that across Azamat's saddle a womanwas lying, bound hand and foot and with her head wrapped in a veil."

  "And the horse?" I asked the staff-captain.

  "One minute! One minute! Early next morning Kazbich rode over, drivingin half a score of rams for sale. Tethering his horse by the fence, hecame in to see me, and I regaled him with tea, for, robber though hewas, he was none the less my guest-friend.

  "We began to chat about one thing and another... Suddenly I saw Kazbichstart, change countenance, and dart to the window; but unfortunately thewindow looked on to the back courtyard.

  "'What is the matter with you?' I asked.

  "'My horse!... My horse!' he cried, all of a tremble.

  "As a matter of fact I heard the clattering of hoofs.

  "'It is probably some Cossack who has ridden up.'

  "'No! Urus--yaman, yaman!' [151] he roared, and rushed headlong awaylike a wild panther. In two bounds he was in the courtyard; at the gateof the fortress the sentry barred the way with his gun; Kazbich jumpedover the gun and dashed off at a run along the road... Dust was whirlingin the distance--Azamat was galloping away on the mettlesome Karagyoz.Kazbich, as he ran, tore his gun out of its cover and fired. For amoment he remained motionless, until he had assured himself that he hadmissed. Then he uttered a shrill cry, knocked the gun against a rock,smashed it to splinters, fell to the ground, and burst out sobbing likea child... The people from the fortress gathered round him, but he tookno notice of anyone. They stood there talking awhile and then went back.I ordered the money for the rams to be placed beside him. He didn'ttouch it, but lay with his face to the ground like a dead man. Would youbelieve it? He remained lying like that throughout the rest of that dayand the following night! It was only on the next morning that he came tothe fortress and proceeded to ask that the name of the thief shouldbe told him. The sentry who had observed Azamat untying the horse andgalloping away on him did not see any necessity for concealment. At thename of Azamat, Kazbich's eyes flashed, and he set off to the villagewhere Azamat's father lived."

  "And what about the father?"

  "Ah, that was where the trick came in! Kazbich could not find him;he had gone away somewhere for five or six days; otherwise, how couldAzamat have succeeded in carrying off Bela?

  "And, when the father returned, there was neither daughter nor son to befound. A wily rogue, Azamat! He understood, you see, that he would losehis life if he was caught. So, from that time, he was never seen again;probably he joined some gang of Abreks and laid down his turbulent lifeon the other side of the Terek or the Kuban. It would have served himright!"...