Under the yoke, p.47
Under the Yoke, page 47
to her — ^that it was he himself ; and her heart throbbed
with " inexpressible dismay.
Why, look at that little girl running alone barefoot,"
cried Staika, pointing to a little girl who was darting across
the meadow.
It was Marika. The child was returning disconsolate,
after trying vainly for several hours to find out where Dr.
Sokoloff was. With delight she saw Rada, the only friend
of Boicho's whom she knew, and who could assist her.
Though she had not forgotten Boicho's instructions, Marika
felt that Rada would not be dangerous, that Boicho had
most likely forgotten to say she might tell Rada, and that
there was no harm in trusting to her.
Rada rose to meet her.
" Come here, Marika. What is it, dear ?
"
The little girl stopped, looked round her timidly, and
asked :
"
Rada, dear, do you know where the doctor is ?
"
"
Sokoloff, dear ? No, I don't know. Is anybody ill ?
"
Marika shook her head.
" Who sent you for the doctor, then, dear ?
"
"
Rada, dear ; it was — Boi "
Marika in her terror did not venture to complete the name.
But Rada understood. She grew pale, and tears started
to her eyes. At the same moment Stefchoff returned, and
fixed his piercing eyes on Marika. He had noticed her,
and come back for that reason.
" What have you got in your hand, little girl ?
" he asked.
Marika trembled. She started back guiltily, and hid her
hand in her dress.
AN ALLY 279
"
Give me the paper ; I want to see it," he said, advancing
towards her.
The girl shrieked wildly, and fifed across the meadow
towards the rose-gardens.
A dark suspicion formed in Stefchoff's mind. He guessed
that there was some important secret in the letter the terrified
child was trying to conceal : he had also recognised old
Stoyan's orphan. Why had she come to Rada, and who
could have sent her with a letter at such a moment ? Could
it be from Ognianofi, and was he the rebel who had come
down from the Balkan ? The thought made his face beam
with evil joy, and he hastened after Marika.
Rada, sighing deeply, followed Marika, who, seeing the
buffalo drover in the way, turned back and fled in the
opposite direction : this would throw her right into
Stefchoff's arms, who was running towards her.
Marika saw this new danger and shrieked aloud, as if to
implore assistance against her cruel pursuer.
Staika was watching this scene with much surprise. She
could not understand why Stefchoff was so anxious to
secure the paper, but from Rada's face she saw that he
must at any cost be prevented from getting hold of it. The
moment she understood this she ran like a hare across the
meadow, and seizing Stefchoff by the coat-tails, held him
firmly, so as to give the child time to escape.
Stefchoff turned round and saw the peasant-woman.
Her boldness surpassed all belief.
"
Guv'ner, what are you chasing the girl for ?
" asked
Staika angrily, holding him.
'' Let me go, you pig," shrieked Stefchoff in a fury, struggling
to get free.
" Ah ! I see it all ; she's sent you, you
infernal village hussy. Kosta, Kosta, confound you, catch
hold of h^* !
"
he cried to Yordan's drover, who had been
startled by Marika's screams. He cut off her fiight. The
poor girl stopped in terror when she saw this fresh pursuer,
turned back like a frightened fawn, and hid herself between
the buffaloes, as if to beg for protection against her fellow
human creatures.
Staika, whose wild instincts had been roused, tried to
throw herself upon Stefchoff and the drover at the same
time ; they stood before her Hke hens facing an eagle, but a
despairing ^sign from Rada held her back.
The amazed peasant girl did not dare to go on. She
280 UNDER THE YOKE
sorrowfully watched the poor child, half dead, as she fell
fainting on the grass by the buffaloes. Ever since that
terrible night in the mill Marika was subject to hysterical
fits whenever she was frightened. One of the buffaloes,
who was standing upright, bent his great head over the
motionless girl, sniffed gently and compassionately at her
face, and raised his damp nose again, looking round quietly
and unconcernedly out of his wide blue eyes.
Stefchoff hastily searched Marika's dress, for he had seen
the child put the letter away there as she fled. But he
could not find it. They hunted all over the field, but the
paper had vanished, as if it had sunk into the ground.
Stefchoff turned round " angrily.
I wonder if he's swallowed it," he said, looking savagely
at the buffalo.
GoHo, as if he understood that he was suspected of theft,
opened his huge mouth wide ; only a few half-munched
blades of grass were to be seen in his capacious jaws.
Stefchoff was bewildered . He could not understand what
had become of the letter.
*' No doubt the little devil has dropped it somewhere in
the field," he said, and he and Kosta began to search
again.
Marika soon came to herself. Her first impulse was to
feel in her pocket ; she began to cry when she found nothing
there. The poor child rose and went away sobbing.
Stefchoff and the drover searched for a long time. At
last Stefchoff went off hurriedly to the town. He had
probably found the letter. As he passed by Rada he
muttered with a savage look :
"
We'll see his head stuck on
a pole to-day."
Rada, overcome with dismay, was unable to move.
Staika stood bolt upright by the buffaloes. ,She shared
Rada's fears, but could not understand why she had not
been allowed to help Marika to escape. She still looked
fiercely in the direction in which Stefchoff had disappeared,
while she unconsciously stroked Golio's shaggy neck.
Golio sniffed at the hand of this stranger who was caressing
him, and turned away. "
Here's the letter, Rada," she cried, picking up a muddy
scrap of paper which had been concealed under the beast's
hoof. Golio had indeed placed his foot upon it while
sniffing over the fainting Marika.
LOVE AND HEROISM 281
Rada seized the letter, unfolded it with a trembling hand,
and glanced at it " hurriedly. From Boicho !
"
she cried.
She pressed her hand to her heart, overcome with emotion.
The letter consisted of two lines only :
"
I've come down, the Balkan. Bring or send me clothes
and news at once."
There was no signature to the letter.
Rada read it over again and again : she noticed with
emotion that these words were written on the blank portion
of the very letter she had sent by Eall-the-Bear at that
frightful moment. Her signature
"
Rada," in pencil, was
still on the other side. Her tears flowed afresh.
" What does it say in the letter, Rada ?
" asked Staika.
" He's alive — alive, dear," exclaimed Rada with a sigh.
Staika's broad face grinned all over with joy. "
Teacher's alive, is he, Rada ? Didn't I tell you the old
cat knew nothing about it, for all her talk about the
teacher ?
"
" He's alive, dear, he's alive ; tell Ghinka I'm not well,
and that I've gone home. Don't say a word about the
letter !
"
And she went towards the orchards.
CHAPTER X : LOVE AND HEROISM
What Rada required above all was time to coUect her
thoughts, and to take a rapid decision. She crouched behind
some neighbouring bushes, which concealed her from
view, and began to think earnestly what she should do.
Things were most critical. Boicho's life hung on a single
hair, and he suspected nothing, for it could only have been
Boicho whom the gipsy had seen ; yes, yes, it must have
been he. He must at once be informed of the danger, and
be supplied with the means of escape. For her, for a girl,
this was no easy task : the fields were now deserted except
by occasional Bashi-bozouks prowling round in search of
plunder. She shuddered at the thought that she might
encounter some of these semi-savages : but Boicho's life was
at stake, and she must risk everything. Her love would
brave all the cruelty of fate or of man. Yes, she must start
at once. But he asked for clothes, ordinary clothes of
course, the clothes of some peaceful citizen, so as to avoid
282 UNDER THE YOKE
arousing suspicion. ProiDerly disguised, he might even
enter Bela Cherkva. This was a great difficult}^ Where
could she find such clothes ? Who would incur the evident
danger of lending his ? Where could she search for clothes
when every moment was precious ! Then another thought
struck her, which ought to have occurred to her from the
first : where was Ognianoff hidden ? The letter did not
say. Probably out of precaution he had enjoined Marika
to reveal the secret only verbally to Sokoloff. And now
Marika was gone ! Oh ! why had she not thought of asking
her just before where Boicho was ? Thank God, at least
she knew he was in the valley of the Monastery ; she had
heard the zaptie say so. The valley of the Monastery was
immense, but she would find Boicho if she had to search
every inch of it. But, oh dear ! his enemies would not lose
all that time ; they knew exactly where he was waiting for
the reply to his letter. But she would find him ; she would
get there before them, long before, for her feet would be
winged. If she could only have found the clothes, and they
were the most necessary of all ! My God ! and time was
going by so fast, and there was no one to advise her.
All these thoughts presented themselves to her in a
moment with lightning rapidity. She resolved to leave her
hiding-place, and hasten towards the valley of the Monastery.
But first of all she looked carefully through the
bushes towards the garden. By the gate she saw a man
standing in a tall fez, dressed in a suit of grey tweed. She
took him at first for Stefchoff. But no ; this was a shorter
man, and quite different in appearance. She recognised
blind Kolcho. Her heart quivered with joy, although
Kolcho, being blind, could be but of little service to her.
But at least she would discuss the matter with him. God
alone could have sent him there.
But she saw with dismay that Kolcho was already passing
through the gateway into the garden.
She called aloud :
" Kolcho ! Kolcho ! stop !
" and darted towards him.
Kolcho heard her cry, and stopped.
In a moment Rada was at his side.
" Kolcho !
"
** Rada ! I was looking for you," said the blind lad.
And drawing near to her, he whispered ;
*' Boicho's alive 1
''
LOVE AND HEROISM 28^
"
Yes, yes ; I know he is, Kolcho," said " Rada, panting.
He's in the mountain," added Kolcho.
"
No, Kolcho ; he's come down into the Monastery valley."
Kolcho started.
" What do you mean, Rada ?
"
"
He's there, he's there now, Kolcho ; I've just had a
letter from him. He wants clothes, Kolcho, he must have
clothes. They've brought word to the Turks ; the gipsies
saw him. But I'll fly to him and warn him. He'll escape.
They won't catch him ; but wherever he goes they'll know
he belongs to the rebels, because of his clothes. My
God ! my God ! and there's no time."
While Rada sobbed out her broken ejaculations, Kolcho
was thinking : he had hit upon a plan. "
There's clothes to be had, Rada," said he.
"
Oh, Kolcho, tell me where. Where can we find them ?
"
"
Close by, at a friend's house."
"
Quick, quick, dear !
"
' ' Wait here haK a minute .
"
And Kolcho hurried away.
Rada waited impatiently hidden among the bushes. Not
more than a minute or two passed, but they seemed to her
hours. Moreover, she was trembling lest some one should
come out of the gardens and find her there alone and in
that state of excitement.
She groaned aloud.
But at that moment a little girl came towards her carrying
a bundle.
The blind lad had placed in it a fez, a long coat and a
pair of trousers of grey tweed. He had been wearing them
a moment before. His tender solicitude had also thought
of two other things which Rada in her confusion had forgotten
: in the pockets he had put a loaf of bread and a
hundred piastres.
But Rada did not even look at the bundle : she took it
from the little girl and hastily went northwards, through the
orchard.
" My God, my God !
"
she thought to herself bitterly,
"
he
doesn't want to see me any more ! What have I done to
him ? And I love him so."
As it has already been stated, the fields were deserted,
not a single Bulgarian dared to venture outside the town :
only Bashi-bozouks were occasionally to be seen lurking
284 UNDER THE YOKE
there ; and for a lonely girl the danger was still greater and
more terrible.
But Rada did not even think about it.
Love has only one thought — self-sacrifice.
CHAPTER XI : THE BASHI-BOZOUK
Ognianoff, hidden in the deserted mill, was awaiting the
appearance of some friend, or at least of Marika.
The dilapidated mill, which was crumbling in ruin, stood
solitary at the topmost end of the stream, not far from the
thundering waterfall : beyond it there was no other
building.
In its walls were great chasms, where the doors and
windows had formerly been, and a part of the roof had been
carried away by the wind.
The breaches in the walls served OgnianofE as portholes
through which he could watch the path which followed the
stream up to the very waterfall, where it crossed to the
other side and wound up the slope to the mountain.
Ognianoff was much disturbed. The terrible feeling of uncertainty
grew stronger every minute : his anxiety and dismay
were increasing. He could not understand the reason
of this delay. But his worst fear was lest Marika should not
have succeeded in finding either the doctor or Brzobegounek,
who were perhaps obliged to remain in hiding.
He never for a moment suspected the terrible danger which
was threatening him. He could not guess that his presence
