Onepeasant，hesaid，hadbroughtnothingwithhimbuthisbarehands，andnowhehadsixhorsesandtwocowsofhisown。
Pahó；m’sheartkindledwithdesire。Hethought:
’WhyshouldIsufferinthisnarrowhole，ifonecanlivesowellelsewhere？
Iwillsellmylandandmyhomesteadhere，andwiththemoneyIwillstartafreshoverthereandgeteverythingnew。Inthiscrowdedplaceoneisalwayshavingtrouble。ButImustfirstgoandfindoutallaboutitmyself。
Towardssummerhegotreadyandstarted。HewentdowntheVolgaonasteamertoSamá；ra，thenwalkedanotherthreehundredmilesonfoot，andatlastreachedtheplace。Itwasjustasthestrangerhadsaid。Thepeasantshadplentyofland:everymanhadtwenty-fiveacresofCommunallandgivenhimforhisuse，andanyonewhohadmoneycouldbuy，besides，attwoshillingsanacre[20]asmuchgoodfreeholdlandashewanted。
Havingfoundoutallhewishedtoknow，Pahó；mreturnedhomeasautumncameon，andbegansellingoffhisbelongings。Hesoldhislandataprofit，soldhishomesteadandallhiscattle，andwithdrewfrommembershipoftheCommune。Heonlywaitedtillthespring，andthenstartedwithhisfamilyforthenewsettlement。
AssoonasPahó；mandhisfamilyarrivedattheirnewabode，heappliedforadmissionintotheCommuneofalargevillage。HestoodtreattotheElders，andobtainedthenecessarydocuments。FivesharesofCommunallandweregivenhimforhisownandhissons’use:thatistosay——125acres(notalltogetherbutindifferentfields)besidestheuseoftheCommunalpasture。Pahó；mputupthebuildingsheneeded，andboughtcattle。OftheCommunallandalonehehadthreetimesasmuchasathisformerhome，andthelandwasgoodcorn-land。Hewastentimesbetteroffthanhehadbeen。Hehadplentyofarablelandandpasturage，andcouldkeepasmanyheadofcattleasheliked。
Atfirst，inthebustleofbuildingandsettlingdown，Pahó；mwaspleasedwithitall，butwhenhegotusedtoithebegantothinkthatevenherehehadnotenoughland。Thefirstyear，hesowedwheatonhisshareoftheCommunalland，andhadagoodcrop。Hewantedtogoonsowingwheat，buthadnotenoughCommunallandforthepurpose，andwhathehadalreadyusedwasnotavailable；forinthosepartswheatisonlysownonvirginsoiloronfallowland。Itissownforoneortwoyears，andthenthelandliesfallowtillitisagainovergrownwithprairiegrass。Thereweremanywhowantedsuchland，andtherewasnotenoughforall；
sothatpeoplequarrelledaboutit。Thosewhowerebetteroff，wanteditforgrowingwheat，andthosewhowerepoor，wantedittolettodealers，sothattheymightraisemoneytopaytheirtaxes。
Pahó；mwantedtosowmorewheat；soherentedlandfromadealerforayear。Hesowedmuchwheatandhadafinecrop，butthelandwastoofarfromthevillage——thewheathadtobecartedmorethantenmiles。AfteratimePahó；mnoticedthatsomepeasant-dealerswerelivingonseparatefarms，andweregrowingwealthy；andhethought:
’IfIweretobuysomefreeholdland，andhaveahomesteadonit，itwouldbeadifferentthingaltogether。Thenitwouldallbeniceandcompact。’
Thequestionofbuyingfreeholdlandrecurredtohimagainandagain。
Hewentoninthesamewayforthreeyears:rentinglandandsowingwheat。Theseasonsturnedoutwellandthecropsweregood，sothathebegantolaymoneyby。Hemighthavegoneonlivingcontentedly，buthegrewtiredofhavingtorentotherpeople’slandeveryyear，andhavingtoscrambleforit。Wherevertherewasgoodlandtobehad，thepeasantswouldrushforitanditwastakenupatonce，sothatunlessyouweresharpaboutityougotnone。Ithappenedinthethirdyearthatheandadealertogetherrentedapieceofpasturelandfromsomepeasants；andtheyhadalreadyplougheditup，whentherewassomedispute，andthepeasantswenttolawaboutit，andthingsfelloutsothatthelabourwasalllost。
’Ifitweremyownland，’thoughtPahó；m，’Ishouldbeindependent，andtherewouldnotbeallthisunpleasantness。’
SoPahó；mbeganlookingoutforlandwhichhecouldbuy；andhecameacrossapeasantwhohadboughtthirteenhundredacres，buthavinggotintodifficultieswaswillingtosellagaincheap。Pahó；mbargainedandhaggledwithhim，andatlasttheysettledthepriceat1，500roubles，partincashandparttobepaidlater。Theyhadallbutclinchedthematter，whenapassingdealerhappenedtostopatPahó；m’sonedaytogetafeedforhishorses。HedrankteawithPahó；m，andtheyhadatalk。ThedealersaidthathewasjustreturningfromthelandoftheBashkí；rs，faraway，wherehehadboughtthirteenthousandacresofland，allfor1，000
roubles。Pahó；mquestionedhimfurther，andthetradesmansaid:
’Alloneneeddoistomakefriendswiththechiefs。Igaveawayaboutonehundredroubles，worthofdressing-gownsandcarpets，besidesacaseoftea，andIgavewinetothosewhowoulddrinkit；
andIgotthelandforlessthantwopenceanacre[21]。AndheshowedPahó；mthetitle-deeds，saying:
’Thelandliesnearariver，andthewholeprairieisvirginsoil。’
Pahó；mpliedhimwithquestions，andthetradesmansaid:
’Thereismorelandtherethanyoucouldcoverifyouwalkedayear，anditallbelongstotheBashkí；rs。Theyareassimpleassheep，andlandcanbegotalmostfornothing。’
’Therenow，’thoughtPahó；m，’withmyonethousandroubles，whyshouldIgetonlythirteenhundredacres，andsaddlemyselfwithadebtbesides。IfItakeitoutthere，Icangetmorethantentimesasmuchforthemoney。’
Pahó；minquiredhowtogettotheplace，andassoonasthetradesmanhadlefthim，hepreparedtogotherehimself。Helefthiswifetolookafterthehomestead，andstartedonhisjourneytakinghismanwithhim。Theystoppedatatownontheirway，andboughtacaseoftea，somewine，andotherpresents，asthetradesmanhadadvised。Onandontheywentuntiltheyhadgonemorethanthreehundredmiles，andontheseventhdaytheycametoaplacewheretheBashkí；rshadpitchedtheirtents。Itwasalljustasthetradesmanhadsaid。Thepeoplelivedonthesteppes，byariver，infelt-coveredtents[22]。Theyneithertilledtheground，noratebread。Theircattleandhorsesgrazedinherdsonthesteppe。Thecoltsweretetheredbehindthetents，andthemaresweredriventothemtwiceaday。Themaresweremilked，andfromthemilkkumisswasmade。Itwasthewomenwhopreparedkumiss，andtheyalsomadecheese。Asfarasthemenwereconcerned，drinkingkumissandtea，eatingmutton，andplayingontheirpipes，wasalltheycaredabout。Theywereallstoutandmerry，andallthesummerlongtheyneverthoughtofdoinganywork。Theywerequiteignorant，andknewnoRussian，butweregood-naturedenough。
AssoonastheysawPahó；m，theycameoutoftheirtentsandgatheredroundtheirvisitor。Aninterpreterwasfound，andPahó；mtoldthemhehadcomeaboutsomeland。TheBashkí；rsseemedverygladtheytookPahó；mandledhimintooneofthebesttents，wheretheymadehimsitonsomedowncushionsplacedonacarpet，whiletheysatroundhim。Theygavehimteaandkumiss，andhadasheepkilled，andgavehimmuttontoeat。Pahó；mtookpresentsoutofhiscartanddistributedthemamongtheBashkí；rs，anddividedamongstthemthetea。TheBashkí；rsweredelighted。Theytalkedagreatdealamongthemselves，andthentoldtheinterpretertotranslate。
’Theywishtotellyou，’saidtheinterpreter，’thattheylikeyou，andthatitisourcustomtodoallwecantopleaseaguestandtorepayhimforhisgifts。Youhavegivenuspresents，nowtelluswhichofthethingswepossesspleaseyoubest，thatwemaypresentthemtoyou。’
’Whatpleasesmebesthere，’answeredPahó；m’isyourland。Ourlandiscrowded，andthesoilisexhausted；butyouhaveplentyoflandanditisgoodland。Ineversawthelikeofit。’
Theinterpretertranslated。TheBashkí；rstalkedamongthemselvesforawhile。Pahó；mcouldnotunderstandwhattheyweresaying，butsawthattheyweremuchamused，andthattheyshoutedandlaughed。ThentheyweresilentandlookedatPahó；mwhiletheinterpretersaid:
’Theywishmetotellyouthatinreturnforyourpresentstheywillgladlygiveyouasmuchlandasyouwant。Youhaveonlytopointitoutwithyourhandanditisyours。’
TheBashkí；rstalkedagainforawhileandbegantodispute。Pahó；maskedwhattheyweredisputingabout，andtheinterpretertoldhimthatsomeofthemthoughttheyoughttoasktheirChiefaboutthelandandnotactinhisabsence，whileothersthoughttherewasnoneedtowaitforhisreturn。
WhiletheBashkí；rsweredisputing，amaninalargefox-furcapappearedonthescene。Theyallbecamesilentandrosetotheirfeet。Theinterpretersaid，’ThisisourChiefhimself。’
Pahó；mimmediatelyfetchedthebestdressing-gownandfivepoundsoftea，andofferedthesetotheChief。TheChiefacceptedthem，andseatedhimselfintheplaceofhonour。TheBashkí；rsatoncebegantellinghimsomething。TheChieflistenedforawhile，thenmadeasignwithhisheadforthemtobesilent，andaddressinghimselftoPahó；m，saidinRussian:
’Well，letitbeso。Choosewhateverpieceoflandyoulike；wehaveplentyofit。’
’HowcanItakeasmuchasIlike？’thoughtPahó；m。’Imustgetadeedtomakeitsecure，orelsetheymaysay，“Itisyours，“andafterwardsmaytakeitawayagain。’
’Thankyouforyourkindwords，’hesaidaloud。’Youhavemuchland，andIonlywantalittle。ButIshouldliketobesurewhichbitismine。Coulditnotbemeasuredandmadeovertome？LifeanddeathareinGod’shands。Yougoodpeoplegiveittome，butyourchildrenmightwishtotakeitawayagain。’
’Youarequiteright，’saidtheChief。’Wewillmakeitovertoyou。’
’Iheardthatadealerhadbeenhere，’continuedPahó；m，’andthatyougavehimalittleland，too，andsignedtitle-deedstothateffect。Ishouldliketohaveitdoneinthesameway。’
TheChiefunderstood。
