’Yes，’repliedhe，’thatcanbedonequiteeasily。Wehaveascribe，andwewillgototownwithyouandhavethedeedproperlysealed。’
　　’Andwhatwillbetheprice？’askedPahó；m。
　　’Ourpriceisalwaysthesame:onethousandroublesaday。’
　　Pahó；mdidnotunderstand。
　　’Aday？Whatmeasureisthat？Howmanyacreswouldthatbe？’
　　’Wedonotknowhowtoreckonitout，’saidtheChief。’Wesellitbytheday。Asmuchasyoucangoroundonyourfeetinadayisyours，andthepriceisonethousandroublesaday。’
　　Pahó；mwassurprised。
　　’Butinadayyoucangetroundalargetractofland，’hesaid。
　　TheChieflaughed。
　　’Itwillallbeyours！’saidhe。’Butthereisonecondition:Ifyoudon’treturnonthesamedaytothespotwhenceyoustarted，yourmoneyislost。’
　　’ButhowamItomarkthewaythatIhavegone？’
　　’Why，weshallgotoanyspotyoulike，andstaythere。Youmuststartfromthatspotandmakeyourround，takingaspadewithyou。Whereveryouthinknecessary，makeamark。Ateveryturning，digaholeandpileuptheturf；thenafterwardswewillgoroundwithaploughfromholetohole。Youmaymakeaslargeacircuitasyouplease，butbeforethesunsetsyoumustreturntotheplaceyoustartedfrom。Allthelandyoucoverwillbeyours。’
　　Pahó；mwasdelighted。Itwasdecidedtostartearlynextmorning。
　　Theytalkedawhile，andafterdrinkingsomemorekumissandeatingsomemoremutton，theyhadteaagain，andthenthenightcameon。TheygavePahó；mafeather-bedtosleepon，andtheBashkí；rsdispersedforthenight，promisingtoassemblethenextmorningatdaybreakandrideoutbeforesunrisetotheappointedspot。
　　Pahó；mlayonthefeather-bed，butcouldnotsleep。Hekeptthinkingabouttheland。
　　’WhatalargetractIwillmarkoff！’thoughthe。’Icaneasilydothirty-fivemilesinaday。Thedaysarelongnow，andwithinacircuitofthirty-fivemileswhatalotoflandtherewillbe！Iwillsellthepoorerland，orletittopeasants，butI’llpickoutthebestandfarmit。Iwillbuytwoox-teams，andhiretwomorelabourers。
　　Aboutahundredandfiftyacresshallbeplough-land，andIwillpasturecattleontherest。’
　　Pahó；mlayawakeallnight，anddozedoffonlyjustbeforedawn。
　　Hardlywerehiseyesclosedwhenhehadadream。Hethoughthewaslyinginthatsametent，andheardsomebodychucklingoutside。
　　Hewonderedwhoitcouldbe，androseandwentoutandhesawtheBashkí；rChiefsittinginfrontofthetentholdinghissidesandrollingaboutwithlaughter。GoingnearertotheChief，Pahó；masked:’Whatareyoulaughingat？’ButhesawthatitwasnolongertheChief，butthedealerwhohadrecentlystoppedathishouseandhadtoldhimabouttheland。JustasPahó；mwasgoingtoask，’Haveyoubeenherelong？’hesawthatitwasnotthedealer，butthepeasantwhohadcomeupfromtheVolga，longago，toPahó；m’soldhome。Thenhesawthatitwasnotthepeasanteither，buttheDevilhimselfwithhoofsandhornssittingthereandchuckling，andbeforehimlayamanbarefoot，prostrateontheground，withonlytrousersandashirton。AndPahó；mdreamtthathelookedmoreattentivelytoseewhatsortofamanitwasthatwaslyingthere，andhesawthatthemanwasdeadandthatitwashimself！
　　Heawokehorror-struck。
　　’Whatthingsonedoesdream，’thoughthe。
　　Lookingroundhesawthroughtheopendoorthatthedawnwasbreaking。
　　’It’stimetowakethemup，’thoughthe。’Weoughttobestarting。’
　　Hegotup，rousedhismanwhowassleepinginhiscart，badehimharness；
　　andwenttocalltheBashkí；rs。
　　’It’stimetogotothesteppetomeasuretheland，’hesaid。
　　TheBashkí；rsroseandassembled，andtheChiefcametoo。Thentheybegandrinkingkumissagain，andofferedPahó；msometea，buthewouldnotwait。
　　’Ifwearetogo，letusgo。Itishightime，’saidhe。
　　TheBashkí；rsgotreadyandtheyallstarted:somemountedonhorses，andsomeincarts。Pahó；mdroveinhisownsmallcartwithhisservant，andtookaspadewithhim。Whentheyreachedthesteppe，themorningredwasbeginningtokindle。TheyascendedahillockcalledbytheBashkí；rsashikhananddismountingfromtheircartsandtheirhorses，gatheredinonespot。TheChiefcameuptoPahó；mandstretchingouthisarmtowardstheplain:
　　’See，’saidhe，’allthis，asfarasyoureyecanreach，isours。Youmayhaveanypartofityoulike。’
　　Pahó；m’seyesglistened:itwasallvirginsoil，asflatasthepalmofyourhand，asblackastheseedofapoppy，andinthehollowsdifferentkindsofgrassesgrewbreasthigh。
　　TheChieftookoffhisfox-furcap，placeditonthegroundandsaid:
　　’Thiswillbethemark。Startfromhere，andreturnhereagain。Allthelandyougoroundshallbeyours。’
　　Pahó；mtookouthismoneyandputitonthecap。Thenhetookoffhisoutercoat，remaininginhissleevelessunder-coat。Heunfastenedhisgirdleandtiedittightbelowhisstomach，putalittlebagofbreadintothebreastofhiscoat，andtyingaflaskofwatertohisgirdle，hedrewupthetopsofhisboots，tookthespadefromhisman，andstoodreadytostart。Heconsideredforsomemomentswhichwayhehadbettergo——itwastemptingeverywhere。
　　’Nomatter，’heconcluded，’Iwillgotowardstherisingsun。’
　　Heturnedhisfacetotheeast，stretchedhimselfandwaitedforthesuntoappearabovetherim。
　　’Imustlosenotime，’hethought，’anditiseasierwalkingwhileitisstillcool。’
　　Thesun’srayshadhardlyflashedabovethehorizon，beforePahó；m，carryingthespadeoverhisshoulderwentdownintothesteppe。
　　Pahó；mstartedwalkingneitherslowlynorquickly。Afterhavinggoneathousandyardshestopped，dugahole，andplacedpiecesofturfoneonanothertomakeitmorevisible。Thenhewenton；andnowthathehadwalkedoffhisstiffnesshequickenedhispace。Afterawhileheduganotherhole。
　　Pahó；mlookedback。Thehillockcouldbedistinctlyseeninthesunlight，withthepeopleonit，andtheglitteringtyresofthecart-wheels。AtaroughguessPahó；mconcludedthathehadwalkedthreemiles。Itwasgrowingwarmer；hetookoffhisunder-coat，flungitacrosshisshoulder，andwentonagain。Ithadgrownquitewarmnow；helookedatthesun，itwastimetothinkofbreakfast。
　　’Thefirstshiftisdone，buttherearefourinaday，anditistoosoonyettoturn。ButIwilljusttakeoffmyboots，’saidhetohimself。
　　Hesatdown，tookoffhisboots，stuckthemintohisgirdle，andwenton。Itwaseasywalkingnow。
　　’Iwillgoonforanotherthreemiles，’thoughthe，’andthenturntotheleft。Thisspotissofine，thatitwouldbeapitytoloseit。Thefurtheronegoes，thebetterthelandseems。’
　　Hewentstraightonforawhile，andwhenhelookedround，thehillockwasscarcelyvisibleandthepeopleonitlookedlikeblackants，andhecouldjustseesomethingglisteningthereinthesun。
　　’Ah，’thoughtPahó；m，’Ihavegonefarenoughinthisdirection，itistimetoturn。BesidesIaminaregularsweat，andverythirsty。’
　　Hestopped，dugalargehole，andheapeduppiecesofturf。Nextheuntiedhisflask，hadadrink，andthenturnedsharplytotheleft。Hewentonandon；thegrasswashigh，anditwasveryhot。
　　Pahó；mbegantogrowtired:helookedatthesunandsawthatitwasnoon。
　　’Well，’hethought，’Imusthavearest。’
　　Hesatdown，andatesomebreadanddranksomewater；buthedidnotliedown，thinkingthatifhedidhemightfallasleep。Aftersittingalittlewhile，hewentonagain。Atfirsthewalkedeasily:
　　thefoodhadstrengthenedhim；butithadbecometerriblyhot，andhefeltsleepy；stillhewenton，thinking:’Anhourtosuffer，alife-timetolive。’
　　Hewentalongwayinthisdirectionalso，andwasabouttoturntotheleftagain，whenheperceivedadamphollow:’Itwouldbeapitytoleavethatout，’hethought。’Flaxwoulddowellthere。’Sohewentonpastthehollow，anddugaholeontheothersideofitbeforeheturnedthecorner。Pahó；mlookedtowardsthehillock。
　　Theheatmadetheairhazy:itseemedtobequivering，andthroughthehazethepeopleonthehillockcouldscarcelybeseen。
　　’Ah！’thoughtPahó；m，’Ihavemadethesidestoolong；Imustmakethisoneshorter。’Andhewentalongthethirdsidesteppingfaster。Helookedatthesun:itwasnearlyhalfwaytothehorizon，andhehadnotyetdonetwomilesofthethirdsideofthesquare。Hewasstilltenmilesfromthegoal。