a hero of our time-第6部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ketch　those　magic　pictures。

Well；　at　length　we　reached　the　summit　of　Mount　Gut　and；　halting；　looked　around　us。　Upon　the　mountain　a　grey　cloud　was　hanging；　and　its　cold　breath　threatened　the　approach　of　a　storm；　but　in　the　east　everything　was　so　clear　and　golden　that　we　　that　is；　the　staff…captain　and　I　　forgot　all　about　the　cloud。　。　。　　Yes；　the　staff…captain　too；　in　simple　hearts　the　feeling　for　the　beauty　and　grandeur　of　nature　is　a　hundred…fold　stronger　and　more　vivid　than　in　us；　ecstatic　composers　of　narratives　in　words　and　on　paper。

〃You　have　grown　accustomed；　I　suppose；　to　these　magnificent　pictures！〃　I　said。

〃Yes；　sir；　you　can　even　grow　accustomed　to　the　whistling　of　a　bullet；　that　is　to　say；　accus…　tomed　to　concealing　the　involuntary　thumping　of　your　heart。〃

〃I　have　heard；　on　the　contrary；　that　many　an　old　warrior　actually　finds　that　music　agreeable。〃

〃Of　course；　if　it　comes　to　that；　it　is　agree…　able；　but　only　just　because　the　heart　beats　more　violently。　　Look！〃　he　added；　pointing　towards　the　east。　　〃What　a　country！〃

And；　indeed；　such　a　panorama　I　can　hardly　hope　to　see　elsewhere。　　Beneath　us　lay　the　Koishaur　Valley；　intersected　by　the　Aragva　and　another　stream　as　if　by　two　silver　threads；　a　bluish　mist　was　gliding　along　the　valley；　fleeing　into　the　neighbouring　defiles　from　the　warm　rays　of　the　morning。　　To　right　and　left　the　mountain　crests；　towering　higher　and　higher；　intersected　each　other　and　stretched　out；　covered　with　snows　and　thickets；　in　the　distance　were　the　same　mountains；　which　now；　however；　had　the　appearance　of　two　cliffs；　one　like　to　the　other。　　And　all　these　snows　were　burning　in　the　crimson　glow　so　merrily　and　so　brightly　that　it　seemed　as　though　one　could　live　in　such　a　place　for　ever。　　The　sun　was　scarcely　visible　behind　the　dark…blue　mountain；　which　only　a　practised　eye　could　distinguish　from　a　thunder…cloud；　but　above　the　sun　was　a　blood…red　streak　to　which　my　companion　directed　particular　attention。

〃I　told　you；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃that　there　would　be　dirty　weather　to…day！　　We　must　make　haste；　or　perhaps　it　will　catch　us　on　Mount　Krestov。　　Get　on！〃　he　shouted　to　the　drivers。

Chains　were　put　under　the　wheels　in　place　of　drags；　so　that　they　should　not　slide；　the　drivers　took　the　horses　by　the　reins；　and　the　descent　began。　　On　the　right　was　a　cliff；　on　the　left　a　precipice；　so　deep　that　an　entire　village　of　Ossetes　at　the　bottom　looked　like　a　swallow's　nest。　　I　shuddered；　as　the　thought　occurred　to　me　that　often　in　the　depth　of　night；　on　that　very　road；　where　two　wagons　could　not　pass；　a　courier　drives　some　ten　times　a　year　without　climbing　down　from　his　rickety　vehicle。　　One　of　our　drivers　was　a　Russian　peasant　from　Yaro…　slavl；　the　other；　an　Ossete。　　The　latter　took　out　the　leaders　in　good　time　and　led　the　shaft…horse　by　the　reins；　using　every　possible　precaution　　but　our　heedless　compatriot　did　not　even　climb　down　from　his　box！　　When　I　remarked　to　him　that　he　might　put　himself　out　a　bit；　at　least　in　the　interests　of　my　portmanteau；　for　which　I　had　not　the　slightest　desire　to　clamber　down　into　the　abyss；　he　answered：

〃Eh；　master；　with　the　help　of　Heaven　we　shall　arrive　as　safe　and　sound　as　the　others；　it's　not　our　first　time；　you　know。〃

And　he　was　right。　　We　might　just　as　easily　have　failed　to　arrive　at　all；　but　arrive　we　did；　for　all　that。　　And　if　people　would　only　reason　a　little　more　they　would　be　convinced　that　life　is　not　worth　taking　such　a　deal　of　trouble　about。

Perhaps；　however；　you　would　like　to　know　the　conclusion　of　the　story　of　Bela？　　In　the　first　place；　this　is　not　a　novel；　but　a　collection　of　travelling…notes；　and；　consequently；　I　cannot　make　the　staff…captain　tell　the　story　sooner　than　he　actually　proceeded　to　tell　it。　　Therefore；　you　must　wait　a　bit；　or；　if　you　like；　turn　over　a　few　pages。　　Though　I　do　not　advise　you　to　do　the　latter；　because　the　crossing　of　Mount　Krestov　（or；　as　the　erudite　Gamba　calls　it；　le　mont　St。　Christophe＇1＇）　is　worthy　of　your　curiosity。

＇1＇　Krestov　is　an　adjective　meaning　〃of　the　cross〃　（Krest=cross）；　and；　of　course；　is　not　the　Russian　for　〃Christophe。〃

Well；　then；　we　descended　Mount　Gut　into　the　Chertov　Valley。　。　。　　There's　a　romantic　desig…　nation　for　you！　　Already　you　have　a　vision　of　the　evil　spirit's　nest　amid　the　inaccessible　cliffs　　but　you　are　out　of　your　reckoning　there。　　The　name　〃Chertov〃　is　derived　from　the　word　cherta　（boundary…line）　and　not　from　chort　（devil）；　because；　at　one　time；　the　valley　marked　the　boundary　of　Georgia。　　We　found　it　choked　with　snow…drifts；　which　reminded　us　rather　vividly　of　Saratov；　Tambov；　and　other　charming　localities　of　our　fatherland。

〃Look；　there　is　Krestov！〃　said　the　staff…　captain；　when　we　had　descended　into　the　Chertov　Valley；　as　he　pointed　out　a　hill　covered　with　a　shroud　of　snow。　　Upon　the　summit　stood　out　the　black　outline　of　a　stone　cross；　and　past　it　led　an　all　but　imperceptible　road　which　travellers　use　only　when　the　side…road　is　obstructed　with　snow。　　Our　drivers；　declaring　that　no　avalanches　had　yet　fallen；　spared　the　horses　by　conducting　us　round　the　mountain。　　At　a　turning　we　met　four　or　five　Ossetes；　who　offered　us　their　services；　and；　catching　hold　of　the　wheels；　proceeded；　with　a　shout；　to　drag　and　hold　up　our　cart。　　And；　in…　deed；　it　is　a　dangerous　road；　on　the　right　were　masses　of　snow　hanging　above　us；　and　ready；　it　seemed；　at　the　first　squall　of　wind　to　break　off　and　drop　into　the　ravine；　the　narrow　road　was　partly　covered　with　snow；　which；　in　many　places；　gave　way　under　our　feet　and；　in　others；　was　converted　into　ice　by　the　action　of　the　sun　by　day　and　the　frosts　by　night；　so　that　the　horses　kept　falling；　and　it　was　with　difficulty　that　we　ourselves　made　our　way。　　On　the　left　yawned　a　deep　chasm；　through　which　rolled　a　torrent；　now　hiding　beneath　a　crust　of　ice；　now　leaping　and　foaming　over　the　black　rocks。　　In　two　hours　we　were　barely　able　to　double　Mount　Krestov　　two　versts　in　two　hours！　　Meanwhile　the　clouds　had　descended；　hail　and　snow　fell；　the　wind；　burst…　ing　into　the　ravines；　howled　and　whistled　like　Nightingale　the　Robber。＇1＇　　Soon　the　stone　cross　was　hidden　in　the　mist；　the　billows　of　which；　in　ever　denser　and　more　compact　masses；　rushed　in　from　the　east。　。　。

＇1＇　A　legendary　Russian　hero　whose　whistling　knocked　people　down。

Concerning　that　stone　cross；　by　the　way；　there　exists　the　strange；　but　widespread；　tradition　that　it　had　been　set　up　by　the　Emperor　Peter　the　First　when　travelling　through　the　Caucasus。　In　the　first　place；　however；　the　Emperor　went　no　farther　than　Daghestan；　and；　in　the　second　place；　there　is　an　inscription　in　large　letters　on　the　cross　itself；　to　the　effect　that　it　had　been　erected　by　order　of　General　Ermolov；　and　that　too　in　the　year　1824。　　Nevertheless；　the　tradition　has　taken　such　firm　root；　in　spite　of　the　inscription；　that　really　you　do　not　know　what　to　believe；　the　more　so；　as　it　is　not　the　custom　to　believe　inscriptions。

To　reach　the　station　Kobi；　we　still　had　to　descend　about　five　versts；　across　ice…covered　rocks　and　plashy　snow。　　The　horses　were　exhausted；　we　were　freezing；　the　snowstorm　droned　with　ever…　increasing　violence；　exactly　like　the　storms　of　our　own　northern　land；　only　its　wild　melodies　were　sadder　and　more　melancholy。

〃O　Exile；〃　I　thought；　〃thou　art　weeping　for　thy　wide；　free　steppes！　　There　mayest　thou　unfold　thy　cold　wings；　but　here　thou　art　stifled　and　confined；　like　an　eagle　beating　his　wings；　with　a　shriek；　against　the　grating　of　his　iron　cage！〃

〃A　bad　look　out；〃　said　the　staff…captain。　〃Look！　　There's　nothing　to　be　seen　all　round　but　mist　and　snow。　　At　any　moment　we　may　tumble　into　an　abyss　or　stick　fast　in　a　cleft；　and　a　little　lower　down；　I　dare　say；　the　Baidara　has　risen　so　high　that　there　is　no　getting　across　it。　Oh；　this　Asia；　I　know　it！　　Like　people；　like　rivers！　　There's　no　trusting　them　at　all！〃

The　drivers；　shouting　and　cursing；　belaboured　the　horses；　which　snorted；　resisted　obstinately；　and　refused　to　budge　on　any　account；　notwith…　standing　the　eloquence　of　the　whips。

〃Your　honour；〃　one　of　the　drivers　said　to　me　at　length；　〃you　see；　we　will　never　reach　Kobi　to…day。　　Won't　you　give　orders　to　turn　to　the　left　while　we　can？　　There　is　something　black　yonder　on　the　slope　　probably　huts。　　Travellers　always　stop　there　in　bad　weather；　sir。　　They　say；〃　he　added；　pointing　to　the　Ossetes；　〃that　they　will　lead　us　there　if　you　will　give　them　a　tip。〃

〃I　know　that；　my　friend；　I　know　that　without　your　telling　me；〃　said　the　staff…captain。　　〃Oh；　these　beasts！　　They　are　delighted　to　seize　any　pretext　for　extorting　a　tip！〃

〃You　must　confess；　however；〃　I　said；　〃that　we　should　be　worse　off　without　them。〃

〃Just　so；　just　so；〃　he　growled　to　himself。　　〃I　know　them　well　　these　guides！　　They　scent　out　by　instinct　a　chance　of　taking　advantage　of　people。　　As　if　it　was　impossible　to　find　the　way　without　them！〃

Accordingly　we　turned　aside　to　the　left；　and；　somehow　or　other；　after　a　good　deal　of　trouble；　made　our　way　to　the　wretched　shelter；　which　consisted　of　two　huts　built　of　stone　slabs　and　rubble；　surrounded　by　a　wall　of　the　same　material。　　Our　ragged　hosts　received　us　with　alacrity。　　I　learned　afterwards　that　the　Govern…　ment　supplies　them　with　money　and　food　upon　condition　that　they　put　up　travellers　who　are　overtaken　by　storm。



CHAPTER　VIII

〃ALL　is　for　the　best；〃　I　said；　sitting　down　close　by　the　fire。　　〃Now　you　will　finish　telling　me　your　story　about　Bela。　　I　am　certain　that　what　you　have　already　told　me　was　not　the　end　of　it。〃

〃Why　are　you　so　certain？〃　answered　the　staff…captain；　winking　and　smiling　slyly。

〃Because　things　don't　happen　like　that。　　A　story　with　such　an　unusual　beginning　must　also　have　an　unusual　ending。〃

〃You　have　guessed；　of　course〃　。　。　。

〃I　am　very　glad　to　hear　it。〃

〃It　is　all　very　well　for　you　to　be　glad；　but；　indeed；　it　makes　me　sad　when　I　think　of　it。　Bela　was　a　splendid　girl。　　In　the　end　I　grew　accustomed　to　her　just　as　if　she　had　been　my　own　daughter；　and　she　loved　me。　　I　must　tell　you　that　I　have　no　family。　　I　have　had　no　news　of　my　father　and　mother　for　twelve　years　or　so；　and；　in　my　earlier　days；　I　never　thought　of　providing　myself　with　a　wife　　and　now；　you　know；　it　wouldn't　do。　　So　I　was　glad　to　have　found　someone　to　spoil。　　She　used　to　sing　to　us