THE HORSE AND HIS RTDER. 165 



And thus they arranged the whole affair between 

 them, no very creditable affair, to say the least of it. 

 I expressed this opinion subsequently to Petchorin ; 

 but he merely replied, that the barbarian Circassian 

 girl was very well off to get so good a husband as him- 

 self, for according to the way of thinking of her own 

 people, he was in every respect her husband; and 

 that Kasbitch was a robber who deserved to be 

 punished. Judge for yourself, what answer I could 

 make to that ? But, at that time, I knew nothing of 

 the preconcerted bargain. Well, behold you ! Kas- 

 bitch came at last, and asked, did we want sheep or 

 honey ? I desired him to bring them on the following 

 day. ( Asamat,' said Petchorin, ' to-morrow Kara- 

 gos will be in my possession ; if Bela is not here this 

 night, you shall never see the horse.' 



' Good,' said Asamat, and off he ran to the ham- 

 let. In the evening, Petchorin armed himself and 

 rode out of the fort. How they managed the thing 

 I cannot tell ; all I know is that the sentinel saw a 

 girl laid crossways on Asamat's saddle, her hands 

 and feet bound, and her head muffled up in a thick 

 veil. 



Next day Kasbitch came with ten sheep for sale. 

 After putting up his horse he came in to me. I enter- 

 tained him with tea, because, though he was a robber, 



