NO one in the little rafthouse on the "Swan" ever knew of Sergey's adventure that night. For, tired with the arduous day's work, and sleepy from fourteen to sixteen hours' exposure to wind and sun, the raft skipper and his big sons slept heavily to the music of their own snoring.
So when the boy, left at the water's edge by his uncle and the guardian Appolon, crept noiselessly into the cabin, no one stirred foot or hand, and Sergey betook himself to his usual corner without disturbing the sleepers. Worn out with excitement and weariness, the boy fell asleep too, and knew nothing until he was roused by old Ivan next morning.
"How now, little son?" said the kind old voice. "Thou art not an over early riser, thou new cook-boy. Wake up, child, the samovar ought to have been boiling ere this. Didst thou sleep well?"
Sergey sat up rubbing his eyes.
"Not very, Ivan, but, all the same, I should not have been so lazy. I will make haste now and get your tea ready."
There were new experiences that day for the lad, and some were of such interest and y that they made him forget the strange happenings of the night before.
For after a while the river began to narrow again, changing into a turbid, rushing stream, running in rapids over rocks and stones, down a somewhat steep incline. It was just above this incline that the men drove their strong poles deep down into the sand and mud at the bottom to arrest the progress of the raft. They then threw out a plank (so narrow was the channel) on each side to make bridges to the banks.
"Now, Sasha! Now, Kostia!" cried old Ivan. "Quick and lively does it! On shore with you! Vassia and Sergey, stay with me."
In a minute the two elder sons, each with a coil of rope over his arm, had crossed the plank bridges, and now stood on the wooded, rocky banks, one on each side. One end of the coils of rope was securely knotted in huge iron rings screwed into the sides of the raft, while the rest of the rope hung in even coils over the left arm of the young men.
"Now, children, are you ready?" shouted Ivan, when Sasha and Kostia had stood at attention a moment while the "Swan" strained against the arresting poles.
Sergey had meanwhile quickly drawn in the bridge planks, while Ivan and Vassia kept the poles in their places. Yes, all was quite ready, for Kostia and Sasha had now taken a turn of their respective ropes round sturdy tree stems.
"Out with the poles! Let her go!" they shouted together.
And old Ivan and Vassia drew out the poles. The raft made a sudden rush which threw Sergey down and rolled him into the little cabin.
But having gone as far as the stout rope on either side would allow, the "Swan" was again pinned tightly in place by the poles, while the men on shore ran forward, and for the second time took a turn of their ropes round the trees.
Once more the poles were pulled up and the "Swan" rushed on until again checked by the ropes. And the same process was repeated until the rapids were past, and the river brned out into a quiet expanse of water with a lazy current which bore the ponderous "Swan" only very slowly on her way.
The shore here was low lying, and would be marshy when the frost was all out of the earth. But as yet only the surface of the ground was melted, and in many sheltered places the snow still lay.
As the raft drifted easily along, Sergey cooked the dinner, which to-day consisted of cabbage soup, a dish of baked potatoes, and a big earthen pot of buckwheat porridge, with a lump of butter and a handful of salt in it.
When the lad saw how these men ate, he wondered how the raft could be provisioned for so long a voyage, even with such purchase of food as could be made at the villages or in the towns upon the river. But he had yet to learn that there were ways and means of obtaining food other than by buying. Indeed, that very evening Ivan called a halt, and they moored the "Swan" close in shore where the water was deep right up to the bank.
Here they got out fishing-tackle, and baiting their hooks with bits of salt herring, they fished over the raft side, while Sergey was told to take a hand-net and draw it through the shallows a little farther on.
In an hour or two the anglers had caught plenty of large fish to last several days, while Sergey had secured a bucketful of small, silvery fry, which were consigned at once to strong brine for future use. The larger fish were split open, cleaned, rubbed dry, and laid in salt for twelve hours, then taken up and spread out on the raft deck to dry.
The lesser kinds were cooked at once, and the boy learned how to fry them in water with plenty of pepper and salt. And he was surprised to find that when the frying-pan had been on the stove for about half an hour the water had turned into savoury gravy, and the fish floated in a light brown sea.
To vary the meals, Ivan, who had an old gun with him, now and then shot capercailzie and blackcock, and occasionally a hare, so that the raftsmen did not fare badly on the whole.
One dark night, the moon hidden, black clouds gathering, and a strong wind moaning among the riverside woods, Ivan decided that it would not be safe to proceed. So they secured the "Swan" to a big tree, cooked their supper, and lay down in the cabin as usual to sleep. In the morning the skipper had shot a hare, which was now hanging on a nail just inside the cabin door. The weather being milder than usual, the door of the cabin had been left open.
The men were soon asleep, and Sergey was just dropping off, when his quick ears caught an unusual sound. First a dull, soft thud on the raft deck, and then the cautious tread of light cushioned feet which paused in the open doorway. Wondering and somewhat alarmed, the boy sat up, and saw, just by the door, two great greeny-yellow eyes full of fierce fire. It was far too dark to make out any face or form, and fascinated and silent with fear, he could only stare back into the savage, hungry glare of this invisible intruder.
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