“The major, who is being married.”
“What is the major’s name?”
“His name is Kaskambo.”
The traveller, knowing the strange story of that officer, congratulated himself on having yielded to his curiosity, and had pointed out to him the bridegroom, who, beaming with pleasure, forgot in that hour the Tchetchens and their cruelty.
“Show me, pray,” he again added, “the brave denshchik who delivered him.”
The non-commissioned officer, after hesitating for some time, answered, “It was myself.”
Doubly surprised at the encounter, and still more so at finding him so young, the traveller asked him his age. He had not yet completed his twentieth year, and had just received a gratuity, with the rank of a non-commissioned officer, as a reward for his courage and fidelity. This splendid fellow, after having voluntarily shared his master’s misfortunes, and restored him to life and liberty, was now rejoicing in his happiness, as he looked at his wedding-festivities through the window. But as the stranger expressed his surprise that he was not present at the merry making, taxing his former master with ingratitude on this score, Ivan gave him a black look, and re-entered the house whistling the tune of “Hey lully, hey lully.” He appeared soon afterwards in the ball-room, and the inquisitive stranger got into his kibitka again, very thankful to have escaped having his head split open with an axe.
FOOTNOTES:
[8] By this name is designated the succession of stations guarded by Russian troops between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, from the mouth of the Terek to that of the Kuban.
[9] Vladikavkaz comes from the Russian verb “vladeti,” which means “command, dominate.”