CHAPTER I

In the beginning of the year 1920 I happened to be living in theSiberian town of Krasnoyarsk, situated¹ on the shores of the RiverYenisei, that noble stream which is cradled in the sun-bathedmountains of Mongolia to pour its warming life into the ArcticOcean and to whose mouth Nansen has twice come to open the shortestroad for commerce from Europe to the heart of Asia. There in thedepths of the still Siberian winter I was suddenly caught up in thewhirling storm of mad revolution raging all over Russia, sowing inthis peaceful and rich land vengeance², hate, bloodshed and crimesthat go unpunished by the law. No one could tell the hour of hisfate. The people lived from day to day and left their homes notknowing whether they should return to them or whether they shouldbe dragged from the streets and thrown into the dungeons³ of thattravesty of courts, the Revolutionary Committee, more terrible andmore bloody⁴ than those of the Mediaeval Inquisition. We who werestrangers in this distraught land were not saved from itspersecutions and I personally lived through them.

One morning, when I had gone out to see a friend, I suddenlyreceived the news that twenty Red soldiers had surrounded my houseto arrest me and that I must escape. I quickly put on one of myfriend's old hunting suits, took some money and hurried away onfoot along the back ways of the town till I struck the open road,where I engaged a peasant, who in four hours had driven me twentymiles from the town and set me down in the midst of a deeplyforested region. On the way I bought a rifle, three hundredcartridges, an ax, a knife, a sheepskin overcoat, tea, salt, drybread and a kettle. I penetrated⁶ into the heart of the wood to anabandoned half-burned hut. From this day I became a genuinetrapper but I never dreamed that I should follow this role as longas I did. The next morning I went hunting and had the good fortuneto kill two heathcock. I found deer tracks in plenty and felt surethat I should not want for food. However, my sojourn⁷ in this placewas not for long. Five days later when I returned from hunting Inoticed smoke curling up out of the chimney of my hut. Istealthily crept along closer to the cabin and discovered twosaddled horses with soldiers' rifles slung⁸ to the saddles. Twodisarmed men were not dangerous for me with a weapon, so I quicklyrushed across the open and entered the hut. From the bench twosoldiers started up in fright. They were Bolsheviki. On their bigAstrakhan caps I made out the red stars of Bolshevism and on theirblouses the dirty red bands. We greeted each other and sat down.

The soldiers had already prepared tea and so we drank this everwelcome hot beverage¹⁰ and chatted, suspiciously eyeing one anotherthe while. To disarm⁹ this suspicion on their part, I told themthat I was a hunter from a distant place and was living therebecause I found it good country for sables¹¹. They announced to methat they were soldiers of a detachment sent from a town into thewoods to pursue all suspicious people.

"Do you understand, 'Comrade,'" said one of them to me, "we arelooking for counter-revolutionists to shoot them?"I knew it without his explanations. All my forces were directed toassuring them by my conduct that I was a simple peasant hunter andthat I had nothing in common with the counter-revolutionists. Iwas thinking also all the time of where I should go after thedeparture of my unwelcome guests. It grew dark. In the darknesstheir faces were even less attractive. They took out bottles ofvodka and drank and the alcohol began to act very noticeably. Theytalked loudly and constantly interrupted each other, boasting howmany bourgeoisie they had killed in Krasnoyarsk and how manyCossacks they had slid under the ice in the river. Afterwards theybegan to quarrel but soon they were tired and prepared to sleep.

All of a sudden and without any warning the door of the hut swungwide open and the steam of the heated room rolled out in a greatcloud, out of which seemed to rise like a genie¹², as the steamsettled, the figure of a tall, gaunt peasant impressively crownedwith the high Astrakhan cap and wrapped in the great sheepskinovercoat that added to the massiveness of his figure. He stoodwith his rifle ready to fire. Under his girdle lay the sharp axwithout which the Siberian peasant cannot exist. Eyes, quick andglimmering like those of a wild beast, fixed¹³ themselves alternatelyon each of us. In a moment he took off his cap, made the sign ofthe cross on his breast and asked of us: "Who is the master here?"I answered him.

"May I stop the night?""Yes," I replied, "places enough for all. Take a cup of tea. Itis still hot."The stranger, running his eyes constantly over all of us and overeverything about the room, began to take off his skin coat afterputting his rifle in the corner. He was dressed in an old leatherblouse with trousers of the same material tucked in high feltboots. His face was quite young, fine and tinged¹⁴ with somethingakin to mockery. His white, sharp teeth glimmered¹⁵ as his eyespenetrated everything they rested upon. I noticed the locks ofgrey in his shaggy head. Lines of bitterness circled his mouth.

They showed his life had been very stormy and full of danger. Hetook a seat beside his rifle and laid his ax on the floor below.

"What? Is it your wife?" asked one of the drunken soldiers,pointing to the ax.

The tall peasant looked calmly at him from the quiet eyes undertheir heavy brows and as calmly answered:

"One meets a different folk these days and with an ax it is muchsafer."He began to drink tea very greedily, while his eyes looked at memany times with sharp inquiry¹⁶ in them and ran often round the wholecabin in search of the answer to his doubts. Very slowly and witha guarded drawl he answered all the questions of the soldiersbetween gulps¹⁷ of the hot tea, then he turned his glass upside downas evidence of having finished, placed on the top of it the smalllump of sugar left and remarked to the soldiers:

"I am going out to look after my horse and will unsaddle yourhorses for you also.""All right," exclaimed the half-sleeping young soldier, "bring inour rifles as well."The soldiers were lying on the benches and thus left for us onlythe floor. The stranger soon came back, brought the rifles and setthem in the dark corner. He dropped the saddle pads on the floor,sat down on them and began to take off his boots. The soldiers andmy guest soon were snoring but I did not sleep for thinking of whatnext to do. Finally as dawn was breaking, I dozed¹⁸ off only toawake in the broad daylight and find my stranger gone. I wentoutside the hut and discovered him saddling a fine bay stallion.

"Are you going away?" I asked.

"Yes, but I want to go together with these ---- comrades,'" hewhispered, "and afterwards I shall come back."I did not ask him anything further and told him only that I wouldwait for him. He took off the bags that had been hanging on hissaddle, put them away out of sight in the burned corner of thecabin, looked over the stirrups and bridle¹⁹ and, as he finishedsaddling, smiled and said:

"I am ready. I'm going to awake my 'comrades.'" Half an hourafter the morning drink of tea, my three guests took their leave.

I remained out of doors and was engaged in splitting wood for mystove. Suddenly, from a distance, rifle shots rang through thewoods, first one, then a second. Afterwards all was still. Fromthe place near the shots a frightened covey of blackcock broke andcame over me. At the top of a high pine a jay cried out. Ilistened for a long time to see if anyone was approaching my hutbut everything was still.

On the lower Yenisei it grows dark very early. I built a fire inmy stove and began to cook my soup, constantly listening for everynoise that came from beyond the cabin walls. Certainly Iunderstood at all times very clearly that death was ever beside meand might claim me by means of either man, beast, cold, accident ordisease. I knew that nobody was near me to assist and that all myhelp was in the hands of God, in the power of my hands and feet, inthe accuracy of my aim and in my presence of mind. However, Ilistened in vain. I did not notice the return of my stranger.

Like yesterday he appeared all at once on the threshold. Throughthe steam I made out his laughing eyes and his fine face. Hestepped into the hut and dropped with a good deal of noise threerifles into the corner.

"Two horses, two rifles, two saddles, two boxes of dry bread, halfa brick of tea, a small bag of salt, fifty cartridges⁵, twoovercoats, two pairs of boots," laughingly he counted out. "Intruth today I had a very successful hunt."In astonishment²⁰ I looked at him.

"What are you surprised at?" he laughed. "Komu nujny etitovarischi? Who's got any use for these fellows? Let us have teaand go to sleep. Tomorrow I will guide you to another safer placeand then go on."

1 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

2 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

3 dungeons   

n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The captured rebels were consigned to the dungeons. 抓到的叛乱分子被送进了地牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He saw a boy in fetters in the dungeons. 他在地牢里看见一个戴着脚镣的男孩。 来自辞典例句

4 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

5 cartridges   

子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头

参考例句：

• computer consumables such as disks and printer cartridges 如磁盘、打印机墨盒之类的电脑耗材
• My new video game player came with three game cartridges included. 我的新电子游戏机附有三盘游戏带。

6 penetrated   

adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。
• They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。

7 sojourn   

v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留

参考例句：

• It would be cruel to begrudge your sojourn among flowers and fields.如果嫉妒你逗留在鲜花与田野之间，那将是太不近人情的。
• I am already feeling better for my sojourn here.我在此逗留期间，觉得体力日渐恢复。

8 slung   

抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往

参考例句：

• He slung the bag over his shoulder. 他把包一甩，挎在肩上。
• He stood up and slung his gun over his shoulder. 他站起来把枪往肩上一背。

9 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

10 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。

11 sables   

n.紫貂( sable的名词复数 )；紫貂皮；阴暗的；暗夜

参考例句：

• Able sables staple apples on stable tables. 能干的黑貂把苹果钉在牢固的桌子上。 来自互联网

12 genie   

n.妖怪，神怪

参考例句：

• Now the genie of his darkest and weakest side was speaking.他心灵中最阴暗最软弱的部分有一个精灵在说话。
• He had to turn to the Genie of the Ring for help.他不得不向戒指神求助。

13 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

14 tinged   

v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• memories tinged with sadness 略带悲伤的往事
• white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣

15 glimmered   

v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "There glimmered the embroidered letter, with comfort in its unearthly ray." 她胸前绣着的字母闪着的非凡的光辉，将温暖舒适带给他人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• The moon glimmered faintly through the mists. 月亮透过薄雾洒下微光。 来自辞典例句

16 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

17 gulps   

n.一大口（尤指液体）( gulp的名词复数 )v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的第三人称单数 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住

参考例句：

• He often gulps down a sob. 他经常忍气吞声地生活。 来自辞典例句
• JERRY: Why don't you make a point with your own doctor? (George gulps) What's wrong? 杰瑞：你为啥不对你自个儿的医生表明立场？有啥问题吗？ 来自互联网

18 dozed   

v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He boozed till daylight and dozed into the afternoon. 他喝了个通霄，昏沉沉地一直睡到下午。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• I dozed off during the soporific music. 我听到这催人入睡的音乐，便不知不觉打起盹儿来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 bridle   

n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒

参考例句：

• He learned to bridle his temper.他学会了控制脾气。
• I told my wife to put a bridle on her tongue.我告诉妻子说话要谨慎。

20 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。