TheTartarstookthesaddleandtrappings。Thered-beardedTartarmountedhishorse，andtheothersliftedZhí；linintothesaddlebehindhim。Topreventhisfallingoff，theystrappedhimtotheTartar’sgirdle；andthentheyallrodeawaytothehills。
SotheresatZhí；lin，swayingfromsidetoside，hisheadstrikingagainsttheTartar’sstinkingback。Hecouldseenothingbutthatmuscularbackandsinewyneck，withitscloselyshaven，bluishnape。
Zhí；lin’sheadwaswounded:thebloodhaddriedoverhiseyes，andhecouldneithershifthispositiononthesaddlenorwipethebloodoff。Hisarmswereboundsotightlythathiscollar-bonesached。
Theyrodeupanddownhillsforalongway。Thentheyreachedariverwhichtheyforded，andcametoahardroadleadingacrossavalley。
Zhí；lintriedtoseewheretheyweregoing，buthiseyelidswerestucktogetherwithblood，andhecouldnotturn。
Twilightbegantofall；theycrossedanotherriverandrodeupastonyhillside。Therewasasmellofsmokehere，anddogswerebarking。TheyhadreachedanAoul(aTartarvillage)。TheTartarsgotofftheirhorses；TartarchildrencameandstoodroundZhí；lin，shriekingwithpleasureandthrowingstonesathim。
TheTartardrovethechildrenaway，tookZhí；linoffthehorse，andcalledhisman。ANogá；y[5]withhighcheek-bones，andnothingonbutashirt(andthatsotornthathisbreastwasallbare)，answeredthecall。TheTartargavehimanorder。Hewentandfetchedshackles:twoblocksofoakwithironringsattached，andaclaspandlockfixedtooneoftherings。
TheyuntiedZhí；lin’sarms，fastenedtheshacklesonhisleg，anddraggedhimtoabarn，wheretheypushedhiminandlockedthedoor。
Zhí；linfellonaheapofmanure。Helaystillawhilethengropedabouttofindasoftplace，andsettleddown。
ThatnightZhí；linhardlysleptatall。Itwasthetimeofyearwhenthenightsareshort，anddaylightsoonshoweditselfthroughachinkinthewall。Herose，scratchedtomakethechinkbigger，andpeepedout。
Throughtheholehesawaroadleadingdown-hill；totherightwasaTartarhutwithtwotreesnearit，ablackdoglayonthethreshold，andagoatandkidsweremovingaboutwaggingtheirtails。
ThenhesawayoungTartarwomaninalong，loose，bright-colouredgown，withtrousersandhighbootsshowingfromunderit。Shehadacoatthrownoverherhead，onwhichshecarriedalargemetaljugfilledwithwater。Shewasleadingbythehandasmall，closely-shavenTartarboy，whoworenothingbutashirt；andasshewentalongbalancingherself，themusclesofherbackquivered。Thiswomancarriedthewaterintothehut，and，soonafter，thered-beardedTartarofyesterdaycameoutdressedinasilktunic，withasilver-hilteddaggerhangingbyhisside，shoesonhisbarefeet，andatallblacksheepskincapsetfarbackonhishead。Hecameout，stretchedhimself，andstrokedhisredbeard。Hestoodawhile，gaveanordertohisservant，andwentaway。
Thentwoladsrodepastfromwateringtheirhorses。Thehorses’noseswerewet。Someotherclosely-shavenboysranout，withoutanytrousers，andwearingnothingbuttheirshirts。Theycrowdedtogether，cametothebarn，pickedupatwig，andbeganpushingitinatthechink。Zhí；lingaveashout，andtheboysshriekedandscamperedoff，theirlittlebarekneesgleamingastheyran。
Zhí；linwasverythirsty:histhroatwasparched，andhethought:
’Ifonlytheywouldcomeandsomuchaslookatme！’
Thenheheardsomeoneunlockingthebarn。Thered-beardedTartarentered，andwithhimwasanotherasmallerman，dark，withbrightblackeyes，redcheeksandashortbeard。Hehadamerryface，andwasalwayslaughing。Thismanwasevenmorerichlydressedthantheother。Heworeabluesilktunictrimmedwithgold，alargesilverdaggerinhisbelt，redmoroccoslippersworkedwithsilver，andovertheseapairofthickshoes，andhehadawhitesheepskincaponhishead。
Thered-beardedTartarentered，mutteredsomethingasifhewereannoyed，andstoodleaningagainstthedoorpost，playingwithhisdagger，andglaringaskanceatZhí；lin，likeawolf。
Thedarkone，quickandlivelyandmovingasifonsprings，camestraightuptoZhí；lin，squatteddowninfrontofhim，slappedhimontheshoulder，andbegantotalkveryfastinhisownlanguage。Histeethshowed，andhekeptwinking，clickinghistongue，andrepeating，’GoodRuss，goodRuss。’
Zhí；lincouldnotunderstandaword，butsaid，’Drink！givemewatertodrink！’
Thedarkmanonlylaughed。’GoodRuss，’hesaid，andwentontalkinginhisowntongue。
Zhí；linmadesignswithlipsandhandsthathewantedsomethingtodrink。
Thedarkmanunderstood，andlaughed。Thenhelookedoutofthedoor，andcalledtosomeone:’Dina！’
Alittlegirlcamerunningin:shewasaboutthirteen，slight，thin，andlikethedarkTartarinface。Evidentlyshewashisdaughter。
She，too，hadclearblackeyes，andherfacewasgood-looking。Shehadonalongbluegownwithwidesleeves，andnogirdle。
Thehemofhergown，thefront，andthesleeves，weretrimmedwithred。Sheworetrousersandslippers，andovertheslippersstoutershoeswithhighheels。RoundherneckshehadanecklacemadeofRussiansilvercoins。Shewasbareheaded，andherblackhairwasplaitedwitharibbonandornamentedwithgiltbraidandsilvercoins。
Herfathergaveanorder，andsheranawayandreturnedwithametaljug。ShehandedthewatertoZhí；linandsatdown，crouchingsothatherkneeswereashighasherhead，andthereshesatwithwideopeneyeswatchingZhí；lindrink，asthoughhewereawildanimal。
WhenZhí；linhandedtheemptyjugbacktoher，shegavesuchasuddenjumpback，likeawildgoat，thatitmadeherfatherlaugh。Hesentherawayforsomethingelse。Shetookthejug，ranout，andbroughtbacksomeunleavenedbreadonaroundboard，andoncemoresatdown，crouching，andlookingonwithstaringeves。
ThentheTartarswentawayandagainlockedthedoor。
AfterawhiletheNogá；ycameandsaid:’Ayda，themaster，Ayda！’
He，too，knewnoRussian。AllZhí；lincouldmakeoutwasthathewastoldtogosomewhere。
Zhí；linfollowedtheNó；gay，butlimped，fortheshacklesdraggedhisfeetsothathecouldhardlystepatall。OngettingoutofthebarnhesawaTartarvillageofabouttenhouses，andaTartarchurchwithasmalltower。Threehorsesstoodsaddledbeforeoneofthehouses；littleboyswereholdingthembythereins。ThedarkTartarcameoutofthishouse，beckoningwithhishandforZhí；lintofollowhim。Thenhelaughed，saidsomethinginhisownlanguage，andreturnedintothehouse。
Zhí；linentered。Theroomwasagoodone:thewallssmoothlyplasteredwithclay。Nearthefrontwalllayapileofbright-colouredfeatherbeds；thesidewallswerecoveredwithrichcarpetsusedashangings，andonthesewerefastenedguns，pistolsandswords，allinlaidwithsilver。Closetooneofthewallswasasmallstoveonalevelwiththeearthenfloor。Theflooritselfwasascleanasathrashing-ground。Alargespaceinonecornerwasspreadoverwithfelt，onwhichwererugs，andontheserugswerecushionsstuffedwithdown。AndonthesecushionssatfiveTartars，thedarkone，thered-hairedone，andthreeguests。Theywerewearingtheirindoorslippers，andeachhadacushionbehindhisback。Beforethemwerestandingmilletcakesonaroundboard，meltedbutterinabowlandajugofbuza，orTartarbeer。Theyatebothcakesandbutterwiththeirhands。
ThedarkmanjumpedupandorderedZhí；lintobeplacedononeside，notonthecarpetbutonthebareground，thenhesatdownonthecarpetagain，andofferedmilletcakesandbuzatohisguests。TheservantmadeZhí；linsitdown，afterwhichhetookoffhisownovershoes，putthembythedoorwheretheothershoeswerestanding，andsatdownnearertohismastersonthefelt，watchingthemastheyate，andlickinghislips。
TheTartarsateasmuchastheywanted，andawomandressedinthesamewayasthegirl——inalonggownandtrousers，withakerchiefonherhead——cameandtookawaywhatwasleft，andbroughtahandsomebasin，andanewerwithanarrowspout。
TheTartarswashedtheirhands，foldedthem，wentdownontheirknees，blewtothefourquarters，andsaidtheirprayers。Aftertheyhadtalkedforawhile，oneofthegueststurnedtoZhí；linandbegantospeakinRussian。
’YouwerecapturedbyKazi-Mohammed，’hesaid，andpointedatthered-beardedTartar。’AndKazi-MohammedhasgivenyoutoAbdulMurat，’pointingatthedarkone。’AbdulMuratisnowyourmaster。’
Zhí；linwassilent。ThenAbdulMuratbegantotalk，laughing，pointingtoZhí；lin，andrepeating，’SoldierRuss，goodRuss。’
Theinterpretersaid，’Heordersyoutowritehomeandtellthemtosendaransom，andassoonasthemoneycomeshewillsetyoufree。’
Zhí；linthoughtforamoment，andsaid，’Howmuchransomdoeshewant？’
TheTartarstalkedawhile，andthentheinterpretersaid，’Threethousandroubles。’
’No，’saidZhí；lin，’Ican’tpaysomuch。’
Abduljumpedupand，wavinghisarms，talkedtoZhí；lin’thinking，asbefore，thathewouldunderstand。Theinterpretertranslated:’Howmuchwillyougive？’
Zhí；linconsidered，andsaid，’Fivehundredroubles。’AtthistheTartarsbeganspeakingveryquickly，alltogether。Abdulbegantoshoutatthered-beardedone，andjabberedsofastthatthespittlespurtedoutofhismouth。Thered-beardedoneonlyscreweduphiseyesandclickedhistongue。
Theyquieteneddownafterawhile，andtheinterpretersaid，’Fivehundredroublesisnotenoughforthemaster。Hepaidtwohundredforyouhimself。Kazi-Mohammedwasindebttohim，andhetookyouinpayment。Threethousandroubles！Lessthanthatwon’tdo。Ifyourefusetowrite，youwillbeputintoapitandfloggedwithawhip！’
’Eh！’thoughtZhí；lin，’themoreonefearsthemtheworseitwillbe。’
Sohesprangtohisfeet，andsaid，’YoutellthatdogthatifhetriestofrightenmeIwillnotwriteatall，andhewillgetnothing。I
