"You saw us,"she answered."You will tell on us."And,with a supernatural effort,she flung me on to the side of the boat;we both hung half overboard;her hair touched the water.The decisive moment had come.I planted my knee against the bottom of the boat,caught her by the tresses with one hand and by the throat with the other;she let go my clothes,and,in an instant,I had thrown her into the waves.
It was now rather dark;once or twice her head appeared for an instant amidst the sea foam,and I saw no more of her.
I found the half of an old oar at the bottom of the boat,and somehow or other,after lengthy efforts,I made fast to the harbour.Making my way along the shore towards my hut,I involun-tarily gazed in the direction of the spot where,on the previous night,the blind boy had awaited the nocturnal mariner.The moon was already rolling through the sky,and it seemed to me that somebody in white was sitting on the shore.
Spurred by curiosity,I crept up and crouched down in the grass on the top of the cliff.By thrusting my head out a little way I was able to get a good view of everything that was happen-ing down below,and I was not very much aston-ished,but almost rejoiced,when I recognised my water-nymph.She was wringing the sea-foam from her long hair.Her wet garment out-lined her supple figure and her high bosom.
Soon a boat appeared in the distance;it drew near rapidly;and,as on the night before,a man in a Tartar cap stepped out of it,but he now had his hair cropped round in the Cossack fashion,and a large knife was sticking out behind his leather belt.
"Yanko,"the girl said,"all is lost!"
Then their conversation continued,but so softly that I could not catch a word of it.
"But where is the blind boy?"said Yanko at last,raising his voice.
"I have told him to come,"was the reply.
After a few minutes the blind boy appeared,dragging on his back a sack,which they placed in the boat.
"Listen!"said Yanko to the blind boy.
"Guard that place!You know where I mean?
There are valuable goods there.Tell"--Icould not catch the name --"that I am no longer his servant.Things have gone badly.He will see me no more.It is dangerous now.I will go seek work in another place,and he will never be able to find another dare-devil like me.Tell him also that if he had paid me a little better for my labours,I would not have forsaken him.
For me there is a way anywhere,if only the wind blows and the sea roars."After a short silence Yanko continued.
"She is coming with me.It is impossible for her to remain here.Tell the old woman that it is time for her to die;she has been here a long time,and the line must be drawn somewhere.
As for us,she will never see us any more.""And I?"said the blind boy in a plaintive voice.
"What use have I for you?"was the answer.
In the meantime my Undine had sprung into the boat.She beckoned to her companion with her hand.He placed something in the blind boy's hand and added:
"There,buy yourself some gingerbreads."
"Is this all?"said the blind boy.
"Well,here is some more."
The money fell and jingled as it struck the rock.
The blind boy did not pick it up.Yanko took his seat in the boat;the wind was blowing from the shore;they hoisted the little sail and sped rapidly away.For a long time the white sail gleamed in the moonlight amid the dark waves.
Still the blind boy remained seated upon the shore,and then I heard something which sounded like sobbing.The blind boy was,in fact,weeping,and for a long,long time his tears flowed...
I grew heavy-hearted.For what reason should fate have thrown me into the peaceful circle of honourable smugglers?Like a stone cast into a smooth well,I had disturbed their quietude,and I barely escaped going to the bottom like a stone.
I returned home.In the hall the burnt-out candle was spluttering on a wooden platter,and my Cossack,contrary to orders,was fast asleep,with his gun held in both hands.I left him at rest,took the candle,and entered the hut.
Alas!my cashbox,my sabre with the silver chasing,my Daghestan dagger --the gift of a friend --all had vanished!It was then that Iguessed what articles the cursed blind boy had been dragging along.Roughly shaking the Cossack,I woke him up,rated him,and lost my temper.But what was the good of that?
And would it not have been ridiculous to com-plain to the authorities that I had been robbed by a blind boy and all but drowned by an eighteen-year-old girl?
Thank heaven an opportunity of getting away presented itself in the morning,and I left Taman.
What became of the old woman and the poor blind boy I know not.And,besides,what are the joys and sorrows of mankind to me --me,a travelling officer,and one,moreover,with an order for post-horses on Government business?
