HowevermuchtheGovernortried，Aksyó；nofwouldsaynomore，andsothematterhadtobeleft。
　　Thatnight，whenAksyó；nofwaslyingonhisbedandjustbeginningtodoze，someonecamequietlyandsatdownonhisbed。
　　HepeeredthroughthedarknessandrecognizedMaká；r。
　　’Whatmoredoyouwantofme？’askedAksyó；nof。’Whyhaveyoucomehere？’
　　Maká；rSemyó；nitchwassilent。SoAksyó；nofsatupandsaid，’Whatdoyouwant？Goaway，orIwillcalltheguard！’
　　Maká；rSemyó；nitchbentcloseoverAksyó；nof，andwhispered，’Ivá；nDmí；tritch，forgiveme！’
　　’Whatfor？’askedAksyó；nof。
　　’ItwasIwhokilledthemerchantandhidtheknifeamongyourthings。
　　Imeanttokillyoutoo，butIheardanoiseoutside；soI
　　hidtheknifeinyourbagandescapedoutofthewindow。’
　　Aksyó；nofwassilent，anddidnotknowwhattosay。Maká；rSemyó；nitchslidoffthebed-shelfandkneltupontheground。’Ivá；nDmí；tritch，’saidhe，’forgiveme！FortheloveofGod，forgiveme！IwillconfessthatitwasIwhokilledthemerchant，andyouwillbereleasedandcangotoyourhome。’
　　’Itiseasyforyoutotalk，’saidAksyó；nof，’butIhavesufferedforyouthesetwenty-sixyears。WherecouldIgotonow？……
　　Mywifeisdead，andmychildrenhaveforgottenme。Ihavenowheretogo……’
　　Maká；rSemyó；nitchdidnotrise，butbeathisheadonthefloor。’Ivá；nDmí；tritch，forgiveme！’hecried。’Whentheyfloggedmewiththeknoutitwasnotsohardtobearasitistoseeyounow……yetyouhadpityonme，anddidnottell。ForChrist’ssakeforgiveme，wretchthatIam！’Andhebegantosob。
　　WhenAksyó；nofheardhimsobbinghe，too，begantoweep。
　　’Godwillforgiveyou！’saidhe。’MaybeIamahundredtimesworsethanyou。’Andatthesewordshisheartgrewlight，andthelongingforhomelefthim。Henolongerhadanydesiretoleavetheprison，butonlyhopedforhislasthourtocome。
　　InspiteofwhatAksyó；nofhadsaid，MakerSemyó；nitchconfessedhisguilt。Butwhentheorderforhisreleasecame，Aksyó；nofwasalreadydead。
　　Writtenin1872。
　　aprisonerinthecaucasusAPRISONERINTHECAUCASUS
　　ANofficernamedZhí；linwasservinginthearmyintheCaucasus。
　　Onedayhereceivedaletterfromhome。Itwasfromhismother，whowrote:’Iamgettingold，andshouldliketoseemydearsononcemorebeforeIdie。Comeandsaygood-byetomeandburyme，andthen，ifGodpleases，returntoserviceagainwithmyblessing。ButIhavefoundagirlforyou，whoissensibleandgoodandhassomeproperty。Ifyoucanloveher，youmightmarryherandremainathome。’
　　Zhí；linthoughtitover。Itwasquitetrue，theoldladywasfailingfastandhemightnothaveanotherchancetoseeheralive。Hehadbettergo，and，ifthegirlwasnice，whynotmarryher？
　　SohewenttohisColonel，obtainedleaveofabsence，saidgood-byetohiscomrades，stoodthesoldiersfourpailfulsofvó；dka[4]asafarewelltreat，andgotreadytogo。
　　ItwasatimeofwarintheCaucasus。Theroadswerenotsafebynightorday。IfeveraRussianventuredtorideorwalkanydistanceawayfromhisfort，theTartarskilledhimorcarriedhimofftothehills。Soithadbeenarrangedthattwiceeveryweekabodyofsoldiersshouldmarchfromonefortresstothenexttoconvoytravellersfrompointtopoint。
　　Itwassummer。Atdaybreakthebaggage-traingotreadyundershelterofthefortress；thesoldiersmarchedout；andallstartedalongtheroad。Zhí；linwasonhorseback，andacartwithhisthingswentwiththebaggage-train。Theyhadsixteenmilestogo。
　　Thebaggage-trainmovedslowly；sometimesthesoldiersstopped，orperhapsawheelwouldcomeoffoneofthecarts，orahorserefusetogoon，andtheneverybodyhadtowait。
　　Whenbythesunitwasalreadypastnoon，theyhadnotgonehalftheway。Itwasdustyandhot，thesunwasscorchingandtherewasnoshelteranywhere:abareplainallround——notatree，notabush，bytheroad。
　　Zhí；linrodeoninfront，andstopped，waitingforthebaggagetoovertakehim。Thenheheardthesignal-hornsoundedbehindhim:thecompanyhadagainstopped。Sohebegantothink:’Hadn’tI
　　betterrideonbymyself？Myhorseisagoodone:iftheTartarsdoattackme，Icangallopaway。Perhaps，however，itwouldbewisertowait。’
　　Ashesatconsidering，Kostí；lin，anofficercarryingagun，rodeuptohimandsaid:
　　’Comealong，Zhí；lin，let’sgoonbyourselves。It’sdreadful；
　　Iamfamished，andtheheatisterrible。Myshirtiswringingwet。’
　　Kostí；linwasastout，heavyman，andtheperspirationwasrunningdownhisredface。Zhí；linthoughtawhile，andthenasked:’Isyourgunloaded？’
　　’Yesitis。’
　　’Well，then，let’sgo，butonconditionthatwekeeptogether。’
　　Sotheyrodeforwardalongtheroadacrosstheplain，talking，butkeepingalook-outonbothsides。Theycouldseeafarallround。Butaftercrossingtheplaintheroadranthroughavalleybetweentwohills，andZhí；linsaid:’Wehadbetterclimbthathillandhavealookround，ortheTartarsmaybeonusbeforeweknowit。’
　　ButKostí；linanswered:’What’stheuse？Letusgoon。’
　　Zhí；lin，however，wouldnotagree。
　　’No，’hesaid；’youcanwaithereifyoulike，butI’llgoandlookround。’Andheturnedhishorsetotheleft，upthehill。Zhí；lin’shorsewasahunter，andcarriedhimupthehillsideasifithadwings。
　　Hehadboughtitforahundredroublesasacoltoutofaherd，andhadbrokenitinhimself。Hardlyhadhereachedthetopofthehill，whenhesawsomethirtyTartarsnotmuchmorethanahundredyardsaheadofhim。AssoonashecaughtsightofthemheturnedroundbuttheTartarshadalsoseenhim，andrushedafterhimatfullgallop，gettingtheirgunsoutastheywent。
　　DowngallopedZhí；linasfastasthehorse’slegscouldgo，shoutingtoKostí；lin:’Getyourgunready！’
　　And，inthought，hesaidtohishorse:’Getmewelloutofthis，mypet；don’tstumble，forifyoudoit’sallup。OnceIreachthegun，theyshan’ttakemeprisoner。’
　　But，insteadofwaiting，Kostí；lin，assoonashecaughtsightoftheTartars，turnedbacktowardsthefortressatfullspeed，whippinghishorsenowononesidenowontheother，anditsswitchingtailwasallthatcouldbeseenofhiminthedust。
　　Zhí；linsawitwasabadlook-out；thegunwasgone，andwhatcouldhedowithnothingbuthissword？Heturnedhishorsetowardstheescort，thinkingtoescape，butthereweresixTartarsrushingtocuthimoff。Hishorsewasagoodone，buttheirswerestillbetter；andbesides，theywereacrosshispath。Hetriedtoreininhishorseandtoturnanotherway，butitwasgoingsofastitcouldnotstop，anddashedonstraighttowardstheTartars。
　　Hesawared-beardedTartaronagreyhorse，withhisgunraised，comeathim，yellingandshowinghisteeth。
　　’Ah，’thoughtZhí；lin，’Iknowyou，devilsthatyouare。Ifyoutakemealive，you’llputmeinapitandflogme。Iwillnotbetakenalive！’
　　Zhí；lin，thoughnotabigfellow，wasbrave。Hedrewhisswordanddashedatthered-beardedTartarthinking:’EitherI’llridehimdown，ordisablehimwithmysword。’
　　Hewasstillahorse’slengthawayfromhim，whenhewasfiredatfrombehind，andhishorsewashit。Itfelltothegroundwithallitsweight，pinningZhí；lintotheearth。
　　Hetriedtorise，buttwoill-savouredTartarswerealreadysittingonhimandbindinghishandsbehindhisback。Hemadeaneffortandflungthemoff，butthreeothersjumpedfromtheirhorsesandbeganbeatinghisheadwiththebuttsoftheirguns。Hiseyesgrewdim，andhefellback。TheTartarsseizedhim，and，takingsparegirthsfromtheirsaddles，twistedhishandsbehindhimandtiedthemwithaTartarknot。Theyknockedhiscapoff，pulledoffhisboots，searchedhimallover，torehisclothes，andtookhismoneyandhiswatch。
　　Zhí；linlookedroundathishorse。Thereitlayonitsside，poorthing，justasithadfallen；struggling，itslegsintheair，unabletotouchtheground。Therewasaholeinitshead，andblackbloodwaspouringout，turningthedusttomudforacoupleoffeetaround。
　　OneoftheTartarswentuptothehorseandbegantakingthesaddleoff，itstillkicked，sohedrewadaggerandcutitswindpipe。Awhistlingsoundcamefromitsthroat，thehorsegaveoneplunge，andallwasover。