"You have already given me my life!"
"You say truly. You know how my fellows looked upon you; only today they wanted to try you as a spy. The old one wanted to torture and then hang you; but I would not, because I remembered your glass of wine and your touloup. I am not bloodthirsty, as your friends say." I remembered the taking of our fortress, but I did not contradict him.
"What do they say of me at Orenbourg?"
"It is said there, that you will not be easily vanquished. It must be confessed that you have given us some work."
"Yes; I am a great warrior. Do you think the King Prussia is as strong as I?"
"What do you think yourself? Can you beat Frederick?"
"Frederick the Great? Why not? Wait till I march to Moscow!"
"You really intend to march on Moscow?"
"God knows," said he, reflecting; "my road is narrow--my boys do not obey--they are thieves--I must listen--keep my ears open; at the first reverse they would save their own necks by my head."
"Would it not be better," I said, "to abandon them now, before it is too late, and have recourse to the clemency of the Empress?"
He smiled bitterly. "No; the time is passed. I shall end as I began. Who knows?"
Our Tartar was humming a plaintive air; Saveliitch, sound asleep, swayed from side to side; our kibitka was gliding rapidly over the winter road. I saw in the distance a village well known to my eyes, with its palisade and church spire on the steep bank of the river Iaik. A quarter of an hour after we entered the fortress of Belogorsk.