It is often a.s.serted that on meeting any one for the first time a voice within will warn us of the good or evil to be the outcome of such meeting. Now Taras had no such foreboding. The new mandatar had impressed him rather favourably; but apart from this, his sense of justice would oppose Judge Stephen"s disparagement of the new bailiff.
"Our Count," he would say, "has come into his possessions by inheritance, just as the Emperor has got his crown: and it is G.o.d who gave them power, for there must be rulers upon earth. It is hard that we should have to yield forced labour, but such is our lot, and it were wrong of us to hate the mandatar because he looks after his master"s interest in claiming that portion of our work. He is but doing his duty; let us do ours." The peasants did not gainsay him, especially as Hajek on the coming round of the harvest expected neither more nor less of them than his predecessor, Gonta, had done. The judge had gone to him misgivingly, fully determined to fight his exactions; but there was no need, and to his own surprise matters were arranged in a moment.
Not till the autumn, six months after Hajek"s arrival, did a cause of conflict present itself, when the tribute of the live stock fell due, the arrangement being that on the day of St. Mary the Virgin each peasant, according to his wealth, had to bring a foal, or a calf, or a goose. Now the former steward had never exacted this tax to the day, but was willing to receive it when the cattle had increase. The judge and the elders would go to him and state when each villager might hope to bring his due, and therewith the mandatar was satisfied. In accordance with this, old Stephen, with Taras, and Simeon Pomenko, his fellow elder, repaired to the manor house, the judge making his statement.
Mr. Hajek listened quietly and blandly, and then he said, "On St.
Mary"s day the tribute is due; if there were any arrears I should be constrained to levy them forcibly."
"Mandatar," cried Stephen, flushing, "have a care how you interfere with old usage!"
"It is an ill-usage."
"Ill-usage to go by the times of nature?"
"You should see that you are prepared."
"I see _you_ are prepared to give good advice," retorted the judge with wrathful sarcasm; "perhaps you speak from experience! In your country the cows may calve at a mandatar"s pleasure, they don"t do so here!"
Hajek changed colour, but not his mind. "It behoves me to watch over the Count"s interests," he said, slipping away to the safety of his inner chamber.
The men went home in a state of excitement, the ill news spreading rapidly through the village. Before long all the community had gathered beneath the linden, angry speeches flying while old Stephen delivered his report. "We must stand up for the time-honoured usage," he cried; "and as to any forcible interference, let him try it! We have guns, and bullets too, thank G.o.d!"
"Urrahah!" cried the men, brandishing their weapons. One only remained quiet, one of the elders--Taras. He allowed the commotion to subside, and then he begged for the word. "It comes hard upon us I own," he said, "for it finds us unprepared! The old usage was reasonable and fair, no doubt; but whatever of hardship any change may involve, we must consider which way the right inclines--the written right I mean, and I fear in this case it will speak for the Count."
"And who has settled that right," cried Stephen, hotly, "but the Emperor"s law-makers. What do they understand about cattle!"
"Little enough, no doubt," owned Taras, "but these same law-makers have also made it a matter of writ that serfdom with us is abolished, and that we peasants have rights which the Count shall not touch. If we would enjoy the law"s benefits, we must put up with its hardships."
"But where shall we get foals and calves all of a sudden?"
"Well, that we must see. I can provide some, and perhaps others of the larger farmers are willing to do the same. Or I will lend the money to any respectable man of ours that may need it if he can buy his foal or calf elsewhere. This can be managed. The chief point is the right, and that must be upheld for our own sakes, even where it goes against us."
He spoke quietly, firmly, and failed not to make an impression. The men began to weigh the question more soberly, Taras"s offer of a.s.sistance going a long way with the less wealthy. There was none but Judge Stephen holding out in the end. "You are sheep, all of you," he cried, "following this great lamb, and you will be shorn, I tell you!" But since the majority outvoted him even the judge had to yield.
And thus the tribute was delivered on the very day, at a heavy tax to Taras"s generosity; for while many could not have made it possible without his proffered help, there were others who improved the opportunity gratuitously, since he was so willing to step into the breach. It was simply his doing, then, that by St. Mary"s Day not a man was in arrears.
Mr. Hajek was prepared to own this when Taras appeared with a foal on his own behalf. "That was good of you, Podolian; I see it is you who brought them to reason," said the mandatar, adding approvingly, "I liked the look of you on our first meeting. I am glad I was not mistaken!" Whereupon Taras bowed, but his answer was anything but a humble acknowledgment of praise. "The right must be upheld," he said, solemnly.
That was in September. About a month later Hajek sent for the judge and elders, receiving them with his blandest smile. "After All Souls", and throughout the winter, you owe me eight labourers a day for forest work, do you not?" he said. "Well, then, make your arrangements and let me have a list of the men I am to expect. On the morning after All Souls" I shall look for the first eight to make their appearance."
"The forest labour certainly is due," replied the judge, "that is to say, it was; but since all the timber has been cut, the obligation dropped. Or are we expected to make new plantations now that winter is upon us?"
"Certainly not," said Hajek, "but if the men are due to me, I may employ them as I think fit. I have sold their labour to the forester of Prinkowce."
"That is unjust!" exclaimed Stephen. "We owe forest labour to our own count, and in his own forests only!"
Mr. Wenceslas pretended not to hear, picking up his papers and preparing to retire. "So I shall look for the men on the morning after All Souls"," he said and vanished.
"There will be bloodshed if you insist," cried Stephen after him, but the mandatar was gone.
The men went their way perturbed.
"Well, Judge," said Taras, as they walked along, "this is hard. We must try and advise the people justly, but to do so we must first examine the doc.u.ments in your keeping--I dare say his reverence will help us."
"Podolian!" cried Stephen, angrily, "leave us alone with your suggestions! We want no doc.u.ments to be looked into. It is a glaring wrong, and if proof be needed"--he s.n.a.t.c.hed at his pistol--"here it is!"
Taras mused sadly. "Will you take any bloodshed upon your conscience?"
he asked quietly.
"Will your conscience answer for the wrong?" retorted the judge.
"Certainly not!" exclaimed Taras. "But in the first place there is but one just means of redress if we suffer--the authority of the appointed magistrates; and in the second place we must make sure which way the right lies--we shall find out by examining the papers."
Stephen resisted to his utmost, but as Simeon also agreed with Taras he was obliged to yield; he fetched the deeds, and the men called upon their parish priest.
Now Father Martin was an amiable man, glad to leave things alone in life--his favourite schnaps always excepted, with which he meddled freely. And he was always ready to express his views, but his opinion was apt to be that of his latest interlocutor. For both these reasons he could after all throw no great light upon the matter, which was the more to be regretted as the question left room for doubt, the information contained in the doc.u.ments amounting to this only: "The men of Zulawce owe forest labour to their count."
"There you see!" cried Stephen, triumphantly, "to their count. What could be plainer--and not to the forester of Prinkowce!"
"Of course not," a.s.sented his reverence, "how could the mandatar think of selling your labour?--ridiculous!"
"Owe forest labour to their count," said Taras, meditatively. "If there is no clause to limit the place, the Count _may_ be within the law if he says: "Having no forest at Zulawce of my own now, I sell the labour which is due to me.""
"Of course," cried the pope, "he has lost his forest, poor man, shall he lose his profit besides?--ridiculous!"
"If he has no forest, he cannot expect us to work in it," objected Stephen, doggedly.
"Naturally not," affirmed his reverence; "even a child can see that!
Where is the forest you are to work in?--ridiculous!"
"There is no lack of forest at Prinkowce," said Taras.
"No, no, plenty of it," declared the pope; "why, the place is covered with woods, partly beech, partly pine. And, after all, I suppose it may be pretty equal to you whether you do the work here or----"
"All honour to your reverence," broke in the judge, angrily; "but this is just nonsense; your judgment, I fear, is awry with your schnaps."
And the amiable man adopted even this opinion, owning humbly "it was Avrumko, that miserable Jew, with his tempting supply ..."
But the men went their way none the wiser for their shepherd"s willingness to solve their difficulty. Simeon upon this attempted to reason with the judge, suggesting their applying to the magistrates for decision. It was not without a real struggle with himself that old Stephen at last gave in.
"To stand up for his right, and knock down the man who wrongs him, this is the true Huzul way," he cried, pa.s.sionately, "but if you will try the law, like a coward, see what you get by it."
But here Taras held out. "No man can appeal to the law," he said, "but he who is sure of his right. I am not! I cannot tell whether the right in this case is on our side or not. And, therefore--G.o.d forgive me if it is wrong, but I cannot otherwise--I shall propose to the people to yield the forest labour at Prinkowce."
"You shall not, brother!" cried Simeon, urgently. "You shall not!
Remember that you are no longer a man of the lowlands. We men of Zulawce love not to bend our necks."
Taras flushed. "Your taunt is not altogether just," he said, gently, yet firmly. "True, we of Podolia are more peace-loving, even more humble than you. It is because we have borne the yoke. But the feeling of right and wrong is as strong with us as with most men, perhaps all the stronger for the wrong we have suffered. You determine between right and wrong with your reason only, we feel it with the heart. And the right is very sacred to us."
"Then why not stand up for it now?"