"Take such measures as may be necessary," said the Commandant, taking
off his spectacles and folding up the paper. "You know it is very easy
to say that. The scoundrel seems in force, and we have but a hundred and
thirty men, even counting the Cossacks, on whom we must not count too
much, be it said, without any reproach to you, Maximitch." The
"ouriadnik" smiled. "Nevertheless, let us do our duty, gentlemen. Be
ready, place sentries, let there be night patrols in case of attack,
shut the gates, and turn out the troops. You, Maximitch, keep a sharp
eye on the Cossacks; look to the cannon, and let it be well cleansed;
and, above all, let everything be kept secret. Let no one in the fort
know anything until the time comes."
After thus giving his orders, Ivan Kouzmitch dismissed us. I went out
with Chvabrine, speculating upon what we had just heard.
"What do you think of it? How will it all end?" I asked him.
"God knows," said he; "we shall see. As yet there is evidently nothing
serious. If, however--"
Then he fell into a brown study while whistling absently a French air.
In spite of all our precautions the news of Pugatchef's appearance
spread all over the fort. Whatever was the respect in which Ivan
Kouzmitch held his wife, he would not have revealed to her for the world
a secret confided to him on military business.
After receiving the General's letter he had rather cleverly got rid of
Vassilissa Igorofna by telling her that Father Garasim had heard most
extraordinary news from Orenburg, which he was keeping most profoundly
dark.
Vassilissa Igorofna instantly had a great wish to go and see the Pope's
wife, and, by the advice of Ivan Kouzmitch, she took Masha, lest she
should be dull all alone.
Left master of the field, Ivan Kouzmitch sent to fetch us at once, and
took care to shut up Polashka in the kitchen so that she might not spy
upon us.
Vassilissa Igorofna came home without having been able to worm anything
out of the Pope's wife; she learnt upon coming in that during her
absence Ivan Kouzmitch had held a council of war, and that Palashka had
been locked up. She suspected that her husband had deceived her, and she
immediately began overwhelming him with questions. But Ivan Kouzmitch
was ready for this onset; he did not care in the least, and he boldly
answered his curious better-half-"Look here, little mother, the country-women have taken it into their
heads to light fires with straw, and as that might be the cause of a
misfortune, I assembled my officers, and I ordered them to watch that
the women do not make fires with straw, but rather with faggots and
brambles."