The thought had no sooner crossed his mind than he saw three Tartars standing on a hill, not more than a few yards away. They had seen him and dashed down towards him. His heart gave a great bound. He waved his arms and shouted with all his might, “Help, help, brothers!” The soldiers heard him; a few Cossacks sprang upon their horses and dashed forward to cut across the Tartars’ path. The Cossacks were far off and the Tartars were near, but Jilin made one last effort; lifting the shackles with his hand, he ran towards the Cossacks. He hardly knew what he was doing and crossed himself wildly, crying, “Help, brothers, help!” The Cossacks numbered about fifteen. The Tartars grew afraid and stopped in hesitation before they reached him. Jilin managed to get to the Cossacks. They surrounded him, asking who he was and where he came from, but Jilin was quite beside himself and could only repeat, through his tears, “Brothers, brothers!” The soldiers came up and crowded round him, one giving him bread, another porridge, another some vodka to drink, another gave him his cloak to cover him, and another wrenched off the shackles. The officers recognized him and took him to the fortress. His men were delighted to see him; his fellow-officers gathered about him. Jilin told them all that had happened to him and ended by saying, “That’s how I went home and got married. I wasn’t meant to marry, evidently.” And Jilin remained in the army in the Caucasus. It was not until a month later that Kostilin was released, after paying a ransom of five thousand roubles. He was brought back in a half-dead condition. EMELIAN AND THE EMPTY DRUM Emelian was a labourer and worked for a master. He was walking through a field one day on his way to work, when a frog hopped in front of him and he just missed crushing it by stepping across. Suddenly some one called to him from behind. He turned, and there stood a beautiful maiden, who said to him, “Why don’t you marry, Emelian?” “How can I, dear maiden? I possess nothing but the clothes I stand up in, and who would have a husband like that?” “Marry me,” the maiden said. Emelian looked at her in admiration. “I would with pleasure,” he said, “but how should we live?” “What a thing to trouble about, [Illustration: EMELIAN AND THE EMPTY DRUM.] indeed!” the maiden said. “One has only to work the more and sleep the less and one can always be clothed and fed.” “Very well; let us marry, then,” Emelian said. “Where shall we live?” “In the town.” Emelian and the maiden went to the town. She took him to a little house on the very edge and they married and set up housekeeping. One day the King went for a drive beyond the town, and when passing Emelian’s gate, Emelian’s wife came out to look at him. When the King saw her he marvelled. “What a beauty!” he thought. He stopped the carriage and called her to him. “Who are you?” he asked. “Emelian the peasant’s wife.”