IT was small wonder that Sergey for a long minute stood aghast, helpless with surprise and fear. But with a strong effort he pulled himself together, reflecting that it was certainly better and safer for him to be with several people than with his uncle alone. And anyway, as Matvey had told him, he was not really friendless, since the Heavenly Father was pledged to guard His trusting children, even as He had guarded Daniel in the den, and his friends in the burning, fiery furnace.
So when the question was repeated, "What hast thou done with my jewel?"
Sergey faced the speaker firmly and said, "I have it not; I handed it over to one who will try to restore it to its rightful owner."
"That am I!" shouted Abram. "Speak the truth for once, thou little viper! Was not the ruby ring mine?"
"Yes, certainly," replied Sergey, "if your name is Elena."
A loud guffaw went round the circle, and one huge man, who seemed to be in some sort the leader, said with a pleased chuckle, "He had thee there, Kapoostin!"
"'Yevgen to Elena' was plainly engraved inside the ring," said Sergey. "So it could hardly belong to this uncle of mine—at least, not rightfully."
"Ah! But with us might is right!" replied the big leader. "We have been oppressed and down-trodden in the past, so now we, in our turn, have become the oppressors."
"But all this is not to the point," interrupted Abram. "I for one believe not what the boy says. He most likely has the jewel hidden away upon his person. Captain, may I search him?"
"Yes," answered the big man. "But mind, no violence!"
"You dropped it, uncle, and it rolled into a corner when you were very drunk and did not notice. I picked it up and gave it into safe keeping, and there it is now!"
"So thou sayest! But I search thee all the same!"
Sergey submitted silently, and the search was a thorough one, but of course no ring was found.
"So the boy spoke the truth," said the chief when the search was over. "And thou, Elena, must look elsewhere for thy ring."
And again a burst of laughter shook the sides of the men.
"Sir Captain," said Sergey, "I was just starting on a raft voyage. My friends will miss me and be distressed. Have I your leave to go back to the river and rejoin them?"
"Let him not go, Captain!" cried Abram. "He will betray us to the police the next place the raft comes to, and then we shall be caught and sent to Siberia."
"It is quite likely, Abram Kapoostin, that this, or worse, may be thy fate anyway. But as for the boy," added the Captain, "well—I would rather keep him than let him go, of course, for he would be useful to us.
"Look here, youngster! Wilt thou join us? We are not altogether a bad lot. If we sometimes rob the rich, at least we do not harry the poor. Some of us are in service, some are artisans, others clerks, and a few are students. When a big, wealthy house is left in charge of careless or drunken servants we are burglars and take all we can find.
"And now and again a rich traveller or two pay toll, but we never maim nor murder. All of us being engaged in some sort of work, we can only meet occasionally to make plans and compare notes. We have all had grievances in the past, and now it is sometimes our turn to be on the upper end of the see-saw."
"Why try to explain all this to a mere child, Captain?" grumbled Abram. "If you want him, keep him. I will have him under my eye, and if he tries to get away, he shall suffer for it."
"Thanks, Kapoostin! When I am in need of thine advice, I will ask for it. Now, boy—wilt thou take service—say as page in a nobleman's house (there are large estates about here), and secretly be one of us and play into our hands, meeting with us now and again thus in the forest?"
There was dead silence for a minute. Then the lad's answer came in clear tones:
"No, Sir Captain, I will not!"
The men looked at each other in surprise.
"And why?" demanded the chief.
"There is more than one reason," replied Sergey.
"Let us hear them!"
"First, Sir Captain, my voyage on the raft was planned on purpose to get me away from my uncle, because I could be neither good nor happy living with him."
"Now for reason number two!"
"I was brought up by my parents," said Sergey, "to be honest and truthful, to believe in a good God, and to try to be obedient and faithful to Him. I could not continue thus if I became one of your band."
"Well now," said the chief, looking round at the faces in the torch-light, with an amused smile on his lips—"we have got it this time, have we not? Bless the brat! I would not have him at a gift after that! He shall go back to his raft and be rid of us all, and especially of this bad-egg uncle of his."
"He will betray us if you let him go, Captain," said Kapoostin.
"I don't think he will," replied the chief, "and moreover, I don't think he can. He has no idea who we all are, and as, at our meetings, we wear wigs and beards, he could not recognise any of us, even if he did happen to meet us elsewhere. But say, child—wouldest thou betray us—were it in thy power, and send us to Siberia?"
"No, Sir Captain, you have done me no harm; I would not betray you."
"On thy word of honour?"
"On my word of honour."
"Then farewell, little lad."
"Farewell, Sir Captain, and thank you."
"Take him back to the river, Kapoostin," said the big man. "And thou, Appolon, go too, to protect the boy from this uncle of his."
And the three passed out of the building and vanished into the darkness of the forest.
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