Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/283

Rh "Oh, I don't want any of your stupid change, brother!" said the sailor, laughing. "Keep what remains for yourself for drink."

Next day, after doing his work on board, the sailor again asked leave to go on shore. He went into the very same traktir, drinking as before, and paying with another gold piece. On the third day he did the same, and pretty nearly every day after, always paying with gold, but never asking for change, telling the waiter to keep what remained for himself for drink.

At last the traktirshik, or the public-house keeper, began to notice this, and thought it looked rather queer.

"What does it all mean?" he asked himself. "The sailor seems rather a good sort, but I cannot understand how it is that he manages to throw his money about like dirt. He seems to have found a whole casket-full of gold. I know how much pay the sailors get as a rule, so that they cannot possibly afford to throw money away. Most likely this sailor has found a hidden treasure somewhere. I think I had better go and inform his captain of this, for who knows, there might, after all, be something queer, and if I don't say anything about it, I may be sent to Siberia for receiving the money."

So he went and told the captain, who at once had the sailor sent for and brought before him.

"Come and confess," said he to the sailor, "from whence you got all the gold?"

"There is not much to confess, sir," the sailor answered; "the gold which I had can be found in every blessed mud-hole."