A Nogay family was moving from one part of the steppe to another.

Afterwards they met two tattered Nogay women with high cheekbones, who with baskets on their backs were gathering dung left by the cattle that wandered over the steppe.

The cornet, who did not know their language well, tried to question them, but they did not understand him and, obviously frightened, looked at one another.
Lukashka rode up to them both, stopped his horse, and promptly uttered the usual greeting.

The Nogay women were evidently relieved, and began speaking to him quite freely as to a brother.
'Ay--ay, kop abrek!' they said plaintively, pointing in the direction in which the Cossacks were going.

Olenin understood that they were saying, 'Many abreks.' Never having seen an engagement of that kind, and having formed an idea of them only from Daddy Eroshka's tales, Olenin wished not to be left behind by the Cossacks, but wanted to see it all.