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Updated: May 1, 2025
After a while he dug another hole. Pahom looked back. The hillock could be distinctly seen in the sunlight, with the people on it, and the glittering tires of the cartwheels. At a rough guess Pahom concluded that he had walked three miles. It was growing warmer; he took off his under-coat, flung it across his shoulder, and went on again.
So Pahom began looking out for land which he could buy; and he came across a peasant who had bought thirteen hundred acres, but having got into difficulties was willing to sell again cheap. Pahom bargained and haggled with him, and at last they settled the price at 1,500 roubles, part in cash and part to be paid later.
Pahom turned them out again and again, and forgave their owners, and for a long time he forbore from prosecuting any one. But at last he lost patience and complained to the District Court. He knew it was the peasants' want of land, and no evil intent on their part, that caused the trouble; but he thought: "I cannot go on overlooking it, or they will destroy all I have.
But you, in your towns, are surrounded by temptations; today all may be right, but tomorrow the Evil One may tempt your husband with cards, wine, or women, and all will go to ruin. Don't such things happen often enough?" Pahom, the master of the house, was lying on the top of the oven, and he listened to the women's chatter. "It is perfectly true," thought he.
They sold a colt, and one half of their bees; hired out one of their sons as a laborer, and took his wages in advance; borrowed the rest from a brother-in-law, and so scraped together half the purchase money. Having done this, Pahom chose out a farm of forty acres, some of it wooded, and went to the lady to bargain for it.
However careful Pahom tried to be, it happened again and again that now a horse of his got among the lady's oats, now a cow strayed into her garden, now his calves found their way into her meadows-and he always had to pay a fine. Pahom paid, but grumbled, and, going home in a temper, was rough with his family.
"They wish to tell you," said the interpreter, "that they like you, and that it is our custom to do all we can to please a guest and to repay him for his gifts. You have given us presents, now tell us which of the things we possess please you best, that we may present them to you." "What pleases me best here," answered Pahom, "is your land.
He sowed much wheat and had a fine crop, but the land was too far from the village the wheat had to be carted more than ten miles. After a time Pahom noticed that some peasant-dealers were living on separate farms, and were growing wealthy; and he thought: "If I were to buy some freehold land, and have a homestead on it, it would be a different thing, altogether.
They came to an agreement, and he shook hands with her upon it, and paid her a deposit in advance. Then they went to town and signed the deeds; he paying half the price down, and undertaking to pay the remainder within two years. So now Pahom had land of his own. He borrowed seed, and sowed it on the land he had bought.
Pahom drove in his own small cart with his servant, and took a spade with him. When they reached the steppe, the morning red was beginning to kindle. The Chief came up to Pahom and stretched out his arm towards the plain: "See," said he, "all this, as far as your eye can reach, is ours. You may have any part of it you like."
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