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。
