’Yes，’repliedhe，’thatcanbedonequiteeasily。Wehaveascribe，andwewillgototownwithyouandhavethedeedproperlysealed。’
’Andwhatwillbetheprice？’askedPahó；m。
’Ourpriceisalwaysthesame:onethousandroublesaday。’
Pahó；mdidnotunderstand。
’Aday？Whatmeasureisthat？Howmanyacreswouldthatbe？’
’Wedonotknowhowtoreckonitout，’saidtheChief。’Wesellitbytheday。Asmuchasyoucangoroundonyourfeetinadayisyours，andthepriceisonethousandroublesaday。’
Pahó；mwassurprised。
’Butinadayyoucangetroundalargetractofland，’hesaid。
TheChieflaughed。
’Itwillallbeyours！’saidhe。’Butthereisonecondition:Ifyoudon’treturnonthesamedaytothespotwhenceyoustarted，yourmoneyislost。’
’ButhowamItomarkthewaythatIhavegone？’
’Why，weshallgotoanyspotyoulike，andstaythere。Youmuststartfromthatspotandmakeyourround，takingaspadewithyou。Whereveryouthinknecessary，makeamark。Ateveryturning，digaholeandpileuptheturf；thenafterwardswewillgoroundwithaploughfromholetohole。Youmaymakeaslargeacircuitasyouplease，butbeforethesunsetsyoumustreturntotheplaceyoustartedfrom。Allthelandyoucoverwillbeyours。’
Pahó；mwasdelighted。Itwasdecidedtostartearlynextmorning。
Theytalkedawhile，andafterdrinkingsomemorekumissandeatingsomemoremutton，theyhadteaagain，andthenthenightcameon。TheygavePahó；mafeather-bedtosleepon，andtheBashkí；rsdispersedforthenight，promisingtoassemblethenextmorningatdaybreakandrideoutbeforesunrisetotheappointedspot。
Pahó；mlayonthefeather-bed，butcouldnotsleep。Hekeptthinkingabouttheland。
’WhatalargetractIwillmarkoff！’thoughthe。’Icaneasilydothirty-fivemilesinaday。Thedaysarelongnow，andwithinacircuitofthirty-fivemileswhatalotoflandtherewillbe！Iwillsellthepoorerland，orletittopeasants，butI’llpickoutthebestandfarmit。Iwillbuytwoox-teams，andhiretwomorelabourers。
Aboutahundredandfiftyacresshallbeplough-land，andIwillpasturecattleontherest。’
Pahó；mlayawakeallnight，anddozedoffonlyjustbeforedawn。
Hardlywerehiseyesclosedwhenhehadadream。Hethoughthewaslyinginthatsametent，andheardsomebodychucklingoutside。
Hewonderedwhoitcouldbe，androseandwentoutandhesawtheBashkí；rChiefsittinginfrontofthetentholdinghissidesandrollingaboutwithlaughter。GoingnearertotheChief，Pahó；masked:’Whatareyoulaughingat？’ButhesawthatitwasnolongertheChief，butthedealerwhohadrecentlystoppedathishouseandhadtoldhimabouttheland。JustasPahó；mwasgoingtoask，’Haveyoubeenherelong？’hesawthatitwasnotthedealer，butthepeasantwhohadcomeupfromtheVolga，longago，toPahó；m’soldhome。Thenhesawthatitwasnotthepeasanteither，buttheDevilhimselfwithhoofsandhornssittingthereandchuckling，andbeforehimlayamanbarefoot，prostrateontheground，withonlytrousersandashirton。AndPahó；mdreamtthathelookedmoreattentivelytoseewhatsortofamanitwasthatwaslyingthere，andhesawthatthemanwasdeadandthatitwashimself！
Heawokehorror-struck。
’Whatthingsonedoesdream，’thoughthe。
Lookingroundhesawthroughtheopendoorthatthedawnwasbreaking。
’It’stimetowakethemup，’thoughthe。’Weoughttobestarting。’
Hegotup，rousedhisman(whowassleepinginhiscart)，badehimharness；
andwenttocalltheBashkí；rs。
’It’stimetogotothesteppetomeasuretheland，’hesaid。
TheBashkí；rsroseandassembled，andtheChiefcametoo。Thentheybegandrinkingkumissagain，andofferedPahó；msometea，buthewouldnotwait。
’Ifwearetogo，letusgo。Itishightime，’saidhe。
TheBashkí；rsgotreadyandtheyallstarted:somemountedonhorses，andsomeincarts。Pahó；mdroveinhisownsmallcartwithhisservant，andtookaspadewithhim。Whentheyreachedthesteppe，themorningredwasbeginningtokindle。Theyascendedahillock(calledbytheBashkí；rsashikhan)anddismountingfromtheircartsandtheirhorses，gatheredinonespot。TheChiefcameuptoPahó；mandstretchingouthisarmtowardstheplain:
’See，’saidhe，’allthis，asfarasyoureyecanreach，isours。Youmayhaveanypartofityoulike。’
Pahó；m’seyesglistened:itwasallvirginsoil，asflatasthepalmofyourhand，asblackastheseedofapoppy，andinthehollowsdifferentkindsofgrassesgrewbreasthigh。
TheChieftookoffhisfox-furcap，placeditonthegroundandsaid:
’Thiswillbethemark。Startfromhere，andreturnhereagain。Allthelandyougoroundshallbeyours。’
Pahó；mtookouthismoneyandputitonthecap。Thenhetookoffhisoutercoat，remaininginhissleevelessunder-coat。Heunfastenedhisgirdleandtiedittightbelowhisstomach，putalittlebagofbreadintothebreastofhiscoat，andtyingaflaskofwatertohisgirdle，hedrewupthetopsofhisboots，tookthespadefromhisman，andstoodreadytostart。Heconsideredforsomemomentswhichwayhehadbettergo——itwastemptingeverywhere。
’Nomatter，’heconcluded，’Iwillgotowardstherisingsun。’
Heturnedhisfacetotheeast，stretchedhimselfandwaitedforthesuntoappearabovetherim。
’Imustlosenotime，’hethought，’anditiseasierwalkingwhileitisstillcool。’
Thesun’srayshadhardlyflashedabovethehorizon，beforePahó；m，carryingthespadeoverhisshoulderwentdownintothesteppe。
Pahó；mstartedwalkingneitherslowlynorquickly。Afterhavinggoneathousandyardshestopped，dugahole，andplacedpiecesofturfoneonanothertomakeitmorevisible。Thenhewenton；andnowthathehadwalkedoffhisstiffnesshequickenedhispace。Afterawhileheduganotherhole。
Pahó；mlookedback。Thehillockcouldbedistinctlyseeninthesunlight，withthepeopleonit，andtheglitteringtyresofthecart-wheels。AtaroughguessPahó；mconcludedthathehadwalkedthreemiles。Itwasgrowingwarmer；hetookoffhisunder-coat，flungitacrosshisshoulder，andwentonagain。Ithadgrownquitewarmnow；helookedatthesun，itwastimetothinkofbreakfast。
’Thefirstshiftisdone，buttherearefourinaday，anditistoosoonyettoturn。ButIwilljusttakeoffmyboots，’saidhetohimself。
Hesatdown，tookoffhisboots，stuckthemintohisgirdle，andwenton。Itwaseasywalkingnow。
’Iwillgoonforanotherthreemiles，’thoughthe，’andthenturntotheleft。Thisspotissofine，thatitwouldbeapitytoloseit。Thefurtheronegoes，thebetterthelandseems。’
Hewentstraightonforawhile，andwhenhelookedround，thehillockwasscarcelyvisibleandthepeopleonitlookedlikeblackants，andhecouldjustseesomethingglisteningthereinthesun。
’Ah，’thoughtPahó；m，’Ihavegonefarenoughinthisdirection，itistimetoturn。BesidesIaminaregularsweat，andverythirsty。’
Hestopped，dugalargehole，andheapeduppiecesofturf。Nextheuntiedhisflask，hadadrink，andthenturnedsharplytotheleft。Hewentonandon；thegrasswashigh，anditwasveryhot。
Pahó；mbegantogrowtired:helookedatthesunandsawthatitwasnoon。
’Well，’hethought，’Imusthavearest。’
Hesatdown，andatesomebreadanddranksomewater；buthedidnotliedown，thinkingthatifhedidhemightfallasleep。Aftersittingalittlewhile，hewentonagain。Atfirsthewalkedeasily:
thefoodhadstrengthenedhim；butithadbecometerriblyhot，andhefeltsleepy；stillhewenton，thinking:’Anhourtosuffer，alife-timetolive。’
Hewentalongwayinthisdirectionalso，andwasabouttoturntotheleftagain，whenheperceivedadamphollow:’Itwouldbeapitytoleavethatout，’hethought。’Flaxwoulddowellthere。’Sohewentonpastthehollow，anddugaholeontheothersideofitbeforeheturnedthecorner。Pahó；mlookedtowardsthehillock。
Theheatmadetheairhazy:itseemedtobequivering，andthroughthehazethepeopleonthehillockcouldscarcelybeseen。
’Ah！’thoughtPahó；m，’Ihavemadethesidestoolong；Imustmakethisoneshorter。’Andhewentalongthethirdsidesteppingfaster。Helookedatthesun:itwasnearlyhalfwaytothehorizon，andhehadnotyetdonetwomilesofthethirdsideofthesquare。Hewasstilltenmilesfromthegoal。
