“But what if our souls are neglected? That’s worse. We took the vow, so let us go! Now, seriously, let us go!”

Elisha succeeded in persuading his comrade. In the morning, after thinking it well over, Efím came to Elisha.

“You are right,” said he, “let us go. Life and death are in God’s hands. We must go now, while we are still alive and have the strength.”

A week later the old men were ready to start. Efím had money enough at hand. He took a hundred roubles himself, and left two hundred with his wife.

Elisha, too, got ready. He sold ten hives to his neighbour, with any new swarms that might come from them before the summer. He took seventy roubles for the lot. The rest of the hundred roubles he scraped together from the other members of his household, fairly clearing them all out. His wife gave him all she had been saving up for her funeral; and his daughter-in-law also gave him what she had.