V to this country of hopelessness do not live people.

Sometimes in the searches for new places for the hunting there zabredayut Indians from the tribe of pouni or chernonogikh, but even the most desperate brave men attempt themselves to faster leave these ominous plains and to return into the native prairies. Here coyotes will rove on the bushes, now and then in air zakhlopayet by wings buzzard, and, heavily falling over, will pass on the dark to hollow gray bear, trying to find subsistence among the naked cliffs. Here, perhaps, and all inhabitants of this backcountry. Navernoye, no in the world of picture of more cheerless than that which is opened from the northern slope of Sierra- form. Around, to what extent eyes be sufficient, stretches the infinite flat plain, continuously covered with solonchak dust; only somewhere on it grow dark the dwarfish bushes of chapparalya. Far at the horizon rises the long chain of mountains with the toothed apexes, at which becomes white the snow. On entire this enormous space there is neither it is indicative life nor it is trace, left by the living beings. In the bluish- steel sky evidently of birds, and nothing will stir on the dim gray earth complete silence envelops everything. How much neither to strain rumor, in this great desert you will hear nor the least sound, here reigns silence inviolable, oppressive silence. Vyshe it was said that in the plain there are none it was trace living life; perhaps, this is not entirely correct. From the height of Sierra- form is visible the twisting road, which is pulled through the desert and disappears somewhere far. It is furrowed by wheels and is trampled by the feet of many finders of happiness. Along the road, gleaming under the sun, vividly become white on gray solonchak some objects. Approach nearer and you will get accustomed! This of the bone some large and massive, others to pomel'che and to poton'she. Large bones are bull, others human. On one-and-a-half thousand miles it is possible to trace terrible by caravan way on these landmarks the remains of those, who perished in the salt desert. ya of May of 187 all this saw before himself lonely traveller. According to the form he could descend after spirit or for the demon of those places. At first glance difficult there were to determine, how much to him years hearth forty or hearth sixty. Yellow parchment tightly covered the bones of its thin, emaciated face, in the long dark hair and the beard strong greyish hair silvered, the begun to fall eyes burnt with unnatural luster, and the hand, which compressed gun, resembled the brush of skeleton. In order to keep balance on the feet, for it it was necessary to rest on the gun, although, judging by the high increase and the powerful addition, it had to possess strong, hardy organism; however, its sharpened face and clothing, in bag visevshaya on its dried up tele-, clearly spoke, why it appears by feeble old man. It died it died from the hunger and the thirst. Napryagaya last forces, it went down into the hollow, then overcame lift in the vain hope of finding here, in the plain, although the drop of moisture, it saw persi with itself only salt desert and the chain of unapproachable mountains far. And nowhere either tree or bush nor sign of water! In this boundless space for it not there it was not flash of hope. By the wild, lost view it looked to the north, then to the east and West and understood that to its wanderings arrived the end, here, on the naked cliff, for it it is necessary to meet its death. "not all whether is equal, here or on the downy bed of years through twenty pyat'", it muttered, being going to sit down into the shadow near the large boulder.
No before to be sit, it assumed to the earth unnecessary now gun and large knot, tied by gray shawl, which it bore, after throwing across the right arm. Knot was, obviously, it is too heavy for it, after going down from the arm, it did not hold it in the hands and almost it dropped to the earth. Sorrowful cry immediately was heard and from the gray the Charles were put out the first small frightened face with the bright hazel eyes, then two dirty chubby fists.