Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/144

Tales from Tolstoi "And the price?" asked Pakhom.

"We have only one price here, 1,000 roubles a day."

Pakhom did not comprehend.

"A day!" thought he, "what sort of measure is that? How many acres is that? "he asked aloud.

"That is more than we can tell," replied the chief. "We sell by the day, that is to say, as much land as you are able to compass in a day, so much is your measure; the price per day is 1,000 roubles."

Pakhom was amazed. "But look now," said he, "a very great deal of land may be got over in a day."

The chief smiled. "Yes, and it will all be yours. But there's one condition. If you don't come back within the day to the point from whence you started, you forfeit your money and get nothing."

"But how?" asked Pakhom again; "do you mean to say you'll measure me all I go over?"

"We will stand at the place from whence you start. We, I say, will stand still there while you go your rounds, and after you will come our young men on horseback, planting poles wherever you tell them, and ploughing a furrow from pole to pole. You are free to make your own circuit, but you must come back to the place from whence you started before the setting of the sun. Whatsoever you compass within that time, the same shall be yours."

Pakhom consented, and they agreed to set out early next morning. They fell to talking again, they drank some more koumiss together, they drank some more tea, the night wore on. Then they made a bed for Pakhom of soft cushions, and the Bashkirs left him. 94