Short Fiction by Xavier de Maistre (digital e reader txt) 📕

against whomsoever should attack him. But this connection was insufficient to secure him from the hatred of the principal inhabitants. The courage he had displayed, made his attachment to his master the more to be dreaded. They could no longer regard him as a buffoon; and the more they reflected on the unhappy issue of their expedition, the more they marvelled at the appearance of the Russian troops at so great a distance from their ordinary excursions; and they soon entertained suspicion of some secret intelligence, between the prisoners and their countrymen on the frontier. Though there was little probability of the existence of such an understanding, they watched Ivan and his master more strictly than before. Old Ibrahim, dreading some plot for the deliverance of the captives, no longer permitted them to converse together, and the faithful servant was sometimes whipped for his disobedience to that order.

Reduced to this lamentable situation, they contrived to outwit their gaoler, in a way that might make him instrumental in their success. Their habit of singing together, enabled the Major to recur to his guitar, whenever he had something important to impart to his servant. They had thus, as it were, musical conversations; and as they had long sung together, and employed their stratagem but rarely, they hoped that they should not be detected.

Upwards of three months had now elapsed, since the unsuccessful expedition, when Ivan discovered an unusual stir among the villagers. Mules carrying gunpowder had arrived from the lowlands; the inhabitants were busy in cleaning their arms, and preparing their cartridges; and he had heard that they were making themselves ready for a great expedition. The whole tribe was to unite in an attack against a neighbouring clan, that enjoyed the protection of the Russian troops, and had permitted them to construct a redoubt on their territory. Their design did not stop short of the utter extermination of the whole colony, and of the Russian battalion appointed to watch over the construction of the fortification.

A few days afterwards, Ivan, leaving his cabin early in the morning, found the village almost deserted, all the men capable of bearing arms having set out during the night. In seeking through the village for information, he acquired new proofs of the evil designs that were formed against him. Old people avoided entering into conversation with him, and a boy told him plainly that his father would soon kill him; and, while he was pensively walking towards his master’s prison, he observed on the terrace of a house a young woman, who tremblingly lifted her veil and made him signs to run away, pointing to the Russian frontier. The adviser was the sister of the young Tchetcheng whose life he had saved.

On entering his house, he found the gaoler intent on inspecting the chains of the Major. He found besides a man in the room, whom an intermittent fever had prevented from following his comrades in their expedition, and who had been sent to Ibrahim’s to watch the prisoners. Ivan affected to feel no surprise at this new precaution. He thought that the moment was come to execute his long conceived project: but the increased watchfulness of the gaoler, and the new guard, rendered the success rather uncertain. On the other hand, he had just fears of losing his life, as soon as the villagers should have returned from their excursion; for he foresaw that they would be unsuccessful, and therefore so much the more incensed against him, whom they at once hated and suspected. He had in this conjuncture, no other choice than to fly and abandon his master, or to hazard his life for their common deliverance: and he would rather a thousand times risk his existence, than aggravate the misfortune of his officer.

Kascambo had lately sunk into deep and silent despondency. But Ivan, on the day of which we speak, seemed more animated and even gayer than he had been for some time; he was uncommonly officious in the preparations for dinner, and, from time to time, with seeming negligence, began some of his usual Russian songs.

“The time is come,” said he, in a singing tone, and accompanying his words with the burden of a popular ballad; “hai luli! hai luli! the time is come to put an end to our misery, or we lose our lives. Tomorrow, hai luli! we could be on our way to a town, hai luli! a pretty town, hai luli! which I dare not to name: courage, master, hai luli! lose not your courage: the God of the Russians is great!”

Kascambo, to whom life and death had become equally indifferent, and who was not informed of the plans conceived by his servant, replied only: “Do what thou wishest, and hold thy tongue.” Towards evening, the guard who, notwithstanding his fever, had greatly enjoyed the sweets of the dinner, and done honour to the pieces of mutton which the cook had roasted on a stick, to make him taste a Russian chislick or carbonado, was, on a sudden, seized by so violent an attack of his distemper, that he was obliged to think more of his own health, than of the safekeeping of the captives. The old gaoler, whom Ivan’s gaiety had completely tranquillized, did not urge his sick comrade to remain; and Ivan, to remove still more his suspicion, had retired early in the evening into the back part of the room, and had stretched himself out on a bench near the wall, waiting, with painful impatience, for the moment that Ibrahim should also lie down to sleep. But the old gaoler had determined to watch the whole night, instead of laying himself down as usual, on the mat near the fire; and indeed, seated on a block opposite Kascambo’s resting place, he prepared himself in this way to pass the night, and dismissed his daughter-in-law, who retired to the room close by, ere her boy slept; and as soon as she entered it she