Togotochurchortothetavernortolarkinthestreetwiththeladswasnothisfashion，hewouldrathersitaloneorbewhisperingwitholdwomen。Whenhewasstillyounghetookjobstolookafterthebeesandthemarketgardens。Goodfolkswouldcometohismarketgardensometimesandhismelonswerewhistling。Onedayhecaughtapike，whenfolkswerelookingon，anditlaughedaloud，’Ho-ho-ho-ho！’“
“Itdoeshappen，“saidPanteley。
Theyoungshepherdturnedonhissideand，liftinghisblackeyebrows，staredintentlyattheoldman。
“Didyouhearthemelonswhistling？“heasked。
“HearthemIdidn’t，theLordsparedme，“sighedtheoldman，“butfolkstoldmeso。ItisnogreatwondertheEvilOnewillbeginwhistlinginastoneifhewantsto。BeforetheDayofFreedomarockwashummingforthreedaysandthreenightsinourparts。Ihearditmyself。ThepikelaughedbecauseYefimcaughtadevilinsteadofapike。“
Theoldmanrememberedsomething。Hegotupquicklyontohiskneesand，shrinkingasthoughfromthecold，nervouslythrustinghishandsintohissleeves，hemutteredinarapidwomanishgabble:
“Lordsaveusandhavemercyuponus！IwaswalkingalongtheriverbankonedaytoNovopavlovka。Astormwasgathering，suchatempestitwas，preserveusHolyMother，QueenofHeaven。I
washurryingonasbestIcould，Ilooked，andbesidethepathbetweenthethornbushes——thethornwasinfloweratthetime——therewasawhitebullockcomingalong。Iwonderedwhosebullockitwas，andwhatthedevilhadsentittherefor。Itwascomingalongandswingingitstailandmoo-oo-oo！butwouldyoubelieveit，friends，Iovertakeit，Icomeupclose——andit’snotabullock，butYefim——holy，holy，holy！Imakethesignofthecrosswhilehestaresatmeandmutters，showingthewhitesofhiseyes；wasn’tIfrightened！Wecamealongside，Iwasafraidtosayawordtohim——thethunderwascrashing，theskywasstreakedwithlightning，thewillowswerebentrightdowntothewater——allatonce，myfriends，GodstrikemedeadthatIdieimpenitent，ahareranacrossthepathitranandstopped，andsaidlikeaman:’Good-evening，peasants。’Liedown，youbrute！“theoldmancriedtotheshaggydog，whowasmovingroundthehorseagain。“Plaguetakeyou！“
“Itdoeshappen，“saidtheoverseer，stillleaningonthesaddleandnotstirring；hesaidthisinthehollow，tonelessvoiceinwhichmenspeakwhentheyareplungedinthought。
“Itdoeshappen，“herepeated，inatoneofprofundityandconviction。
“Ugh，hewasanastyoldfellow，“theoldshepherdwentonwithsomewhatlessfervour。“FiveyearsaftertheFreedomhewasfloggedbythecommuneattheoffice，sotoshowhisspitehetookandsentthethroatillnessuponallKovyli。Folksdiedoutofnumber，lotsandlotsofthem，justasincholera。“
“Howdidhesendtheillness？“askedtheyoungshepherdafterabriefsilence。
“Weallknowhow，thereisnogreatclevernessneededwherethereisawilltoit。Yefimmurderedpeoplewithviper’sfat。Thatissuchapoisonthatfolkswilldiefromthemeresmellofit，letalonethefat。“
“That’strue，“Panteleyagreed。
“Theladswantedtokillhimatthetime，buttheoldpeoplewouldnotletthem。Itwouldneverhavedonetokillhim；heknewtheplacewherethetreasureishidden，andnotanothersouldidknow。Thetreasuresaboutherearecharmedsothatyoumayfindthemandnotseethem，buthedidseethem。Attimeshewouldwalkalongtheriverbankorintheforest，andunderthebushesandundertherockstherewouldbelittleflames，littleflames……littleflamesasthoughfrombrimstone。Ihaveseenthemmyself。EveryoneexpectedthatYefimwouldshowpeopletheplacesordigthetreasureuphimself，buthe——asthesayingis，likeadoginthemanger——sohediedwithoutdiggingituphimselforshowingotherpeople。“
Theoverseerlitapipe，andforaninstantlighteduphisbigmoustachesandhissharp，stern-looking，anddignifiednose。
Littlecirclesoflightdancedfromhishandstohiscap，racedoverthesaddlealongthehorse’sback，andvanishedinitsmanenearitsears。
“Therearelotsofhiddentreasuresintheseparts，“hesaid。
Andslowlystretching，helookedroundhim，restinghiseyesonthewhiteningeastandadded:
“Theremustbetreasures。“
“Tobesure，“sighedtheoldman，“onecanseefromeverysigntherearetreasures，onlythereisnoonetodigthem，brother。
Nooneknowstherealplaces；besides，nowadays，youmustremember，allthetreasuresareunderacharm。Tofindthemandseethemyoumusthaveatalisman，andwithoutatalismanyoucandonothing，lad。Yefimhadtalismans，buttherewasnogettinganythingoutofhim，thebalddevil。Hekeptthem，sothatnoonecouldgetthem。“
Theyoungshepherdcrepttwopacesnearertoheoldmanand，proppinghisheadonhisfists，fastenedhisfixedstareuponhim。Achildishexpressionofterrorandcuriositygleamedinhisdarkeyes，andseemedinthetwilighttostretchandflattenoutthelargefeaturesofhiscoarseyoungface。Hewaslisteningintently。
“ItisevenwrittenintheScripturesthattherearelotsoftreasureshiddenhere，“theoldmanwenton；“itissoforsure……andnomistakeaboutit。AnoldsoldierofNovopavlovkawasshownatIvanovkaawriting，andinthiswritingitwasprintedabouttheplaceofthetreasureandevenhowmanypoundsofgoldwasinitandthesortofvesselitwasin；theywouldhavefoundthetreasureslongagobythatwriting，onlythetreasureisunderaspell，youcan’tgetatit。“
“Whycan’tyougetatit，grandfather？“askedtheyoungman。
Isupposethereissomereason，thesoldierdidn’tsay。Itisunderaspellyouneedatalisman。“
Theoldmanspokewithwarmth，asthoughhewerepouringouthissoulbeforetheoverseer。Hetalkedthroughhisnoseand，beingunaccustomedtotalkmuchandrapidly，stuttered；and，consciousofhisdefects，hetriedtoadornhisspeechwithgesticulationsofthehandsandheadandthinshoulders，andateverymovementhishempenshirtcrumpledintofolds，slippedupwardsanddisplayedhisback，blackwithageandsunburn。Hekeptpullingitdown，butitslippedupagainatonce。Atlast，asthoughdrivenoutofallpatiencebytherebelliousshirt，theoldmanleapedupandsaidbitterly:
“Thereisfortune，butwhatisthegoodofitifitisburiedintheearth？Itisjustricheswastedwithnoprofittoanyone，likechafforsheep’sdung，andyettherearerichesthere，lad，fortuneenoughforallthecountryround，butnotasoulseesit！
Itwillcometothis，thatthegentrywilldigituporthegovernmentwilltakeitaway。Thegentryhavebegundiggingthebarrows。Theyscentedsomething！Theyareenviousofthepeasants’luck！Thegovernment，too，islookingafteritself。Itiswritteninthelawthatifanypeasantfindsthetreasureheistotakeittotheauthorities！Idaresay，waittillyougetit！Thereisabrewbutnotforyou！“
Theoldmanlaughedcontemptuouslyandsatdownontheground。
Theoverseerlistenedwithattentionandagreed，butfromhissilenceandtheexpressionofhisfigureitwasevidentthatwhattheoldmantoldhimwasnotnewtohim，thathehadthoughtitalloverlongago，andknewmuchmorethanwasknowntotheoldshepherd。
“Inmyday，Imustown，Ididseekforfortuneadozentimes，“
saidtheoldman，scratchinghimselfnervously。“Ilookedintherightplaces，butImusthavecomeontreasuresunderacharm。Myfatherlookedforit，too，andmybrother，too——butnotathingdidtheyfind，sotheydiedwithoutluck。AmonkrevealedtomybrotherIlya——theKingdomofHeavenbehis——thatinoneplaceinthefortressofTaganrogtherewasatreasureunderthreestones，andthatthattreasurewasunderacharm，andinthosedays——itwas，Iremember，intheyear’38——anArmenianusedtoliveatMatvyeevBarrowwhosoldtalismans。Ilyaboughtatalisman，tooktwootherfellowswithhim，andwenttoTaganrog。
Onlywhenhegottotheplaceinthefortress，brother，therewasasoldierwithagun，standingattheveryspot。“
Asoundsuddenlybrokeonthestillair，andfloatedinalldirectionsoverthesteppe。Somethinginthedistancegaveamenacingbang，crashedagainststone，andracedoverthesteppe，uttering，“Tah！tah！tah！tah！“WhenthesoundhaddiedawaytheoldmanlookedinquiringlyatPanteley，whostoodmotionlessandunconcerned。
“It’sabucketbrokenawayatthepits，“saidtheyoungshepherdafteramoment’sthought。
Itwasbynowgettinglight。TheMilkyWayhadturnedpaleandgraduallymeltedlikesnow，losingitsoutlines；theskywasbecomingdullanddingysothatyoucouldnotmakeoutwhetheritwasclearorcoveredthicklywithclouds，andonlyfromthebrightleadenstreakintheeastandfromthestarsthatlingeredhereandtherecouldonetellwhatwascoming。
Thefirstnoiselessbreezeofmorning，cautiouslystirringthespurgesandthebrownstalksoflastyear’sgrass，flutteredalongtheroad。
Theoverseerrousedhimselffromhisthoughtsandtossedhishead。Withbothhandsheshookthesaddle，touchedthegirthand，asthoughhecouldnotmakeuphismindtomountthehorse，stoodstillagain，hesitating。
“Yes，“hesaid，“yourelbowisnear，butyoucan’tbiteit。Thereisfortune，butthereisnotthewittofindit。“
Andheturnedfacingtheshepherds。Hissternfacelookedsadandmocking，asthoughhewereadisappointedman。
“Yes，soonedieswithoutknowingwhathappinessislike“
hesaidemphatically，liftinghisleftlegintothestirrup。“A
youngermanmaylivetoseeit，butitistimeforustolayasideallthoughtofit。“
