Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1878 edition. Excerpt:... Once an owl flew down the Terek, flapping slowly: over the very heads of the Cossacks it turned towards the forest, and, flying towards a tree, began to flap more quickly, and afterwards, fluttering, settled down on an old plane-tree. At every such unaccustomed sound, the ear of the wakeful Cossack pricked up, his eyes winked, and he slowly raised his gun. The greater part of the night had passed. The black cloud, spreading westward with its ragged edges, opened to view a portion of the clear, starry sky; and the inverted golden moon shone right over the mountains. It began to be cool. Nazarka woke up, said something, and went to sleep again. Lukashka began to get tired, stood up, took a knife from under his dagger, and began to whittle a stick into slivers. His head was full of thoughts as to how the Circassians lived in the mountains, how the bravos come to the Russian side of the river, how they are not afraid of the Cossacks, and how they might cross in another place. He moved a little from his post, and looked down the river; but nothing was visible. Looking from time to time on the river and the farther bank, which was dimly distinguished from the water in the feeble moonlight, he had stopped thinking about the Circassians, and was only waiting for the time to wake up his companions and go back to the station. At the station the form of his Dunaika presented itself to him, --" his little soul," as - the Cossacks call a mistress, --and he thought of her with vexation. Then came signs of morning: a silvery mist began to rise above the water; and young eagles not far from him whistled shrilly, and flapped their wings. At last the cry of the first cock came from the far-off station, immediately after which another prolonged...