Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/140

Tales from Tolstoi stopped at Pakhom's farm to fodder his horses. They began talking and drinking tea together. The merchant said lie had come all the way from the land of the Bashkirs. There, he said, he had bought 5,000 acres of land from the Bashkirs, and the whole lot only came to 1,000 roubles. Pakhom began asking questions. The merchant told him all about it.

"You have only to cajole their chiefs," said he. "I gave them 100 roubles' worth of dressing-gowns and carpets, and a chest of tea, and drank a little wine with those who liked it, and I got land at 20 kopecks (5d.) an acre, land hard by the river, and the steppe covered with grass."

At this Pakhom began to redouble his questions.

"The land there," continued the merchant, "is so vast that if you took a whole year to go over it you would not do it, and it all belong to the Bashkirs. They are a simple people, just like sheep. Possibly you may even get some of the land for nothing."

"Well," thought Pakhom, "why should I buy 500 acres of land with my 1,000 roubles, and saddle myself with debt besides, when there with the same money I could do what I liked?"

Pakhom asked the way thither, and as soon as the merchant had gone, he too got ready for his journey. He left his wife at home, but took a labourer with him, and set out. First they went to town; bought chests of tea, gifts, wine, everything that the merchant had said. They went on and on, quite 500 miles 90