The novel reflects the lifestyle of the Cossacks. Olenin, the main character from Moscow travels across Coccesus during holidays. Coccesus always attracts him. As he was approaching the land, he thought of spending all his life in Coccesus and never returns to the Moscowian society. The Cossack women were clad in the Surkesian dress, besmet, the Tartarian shirt, soft shoes and were masked with handkerchief. To live net and clean, active in service were the Cossack culture. The Cossack women especially the young unmarried girls completely entertained freedom in making the bond of love with their partners. Like the travelogue writers do, Leo Tolstoy writes all the account of the Cossacks in this novel. By reading the fourth episode, we could realize that there were 266 houses in Coccesus with a population of 897 men and 1012 women. The designs and style of the Cossack houses are chalked out in the novelist’s wide-ranged description. In the daytime, the normal life of the Cossack comes and goes. However when the evening approaches, the people rush into their houses due to fear. The family life of Cossack schoolteachers is depicted. Marianka and Dem Ulitka, the daughter and the mother were the persons amongst the main characters in the novel. In Olenin’s view Dem Ulitka first appeared as file wrangling woman. Olenin and his companions were asking the woman for some chikhir, a local wine distilled by the Cossacks. The woman behaves badly. Later on, she calmed down. She even accepted to lend the house to Olenin on rental basis. Though the rent was too high it was no matter to Olenin. Marianka, the beautiful girls attacks him. The plot of the novel revolves around love triangle. There are two heroes and one heroine. Lukaska was a brave young Cossack aged about 20 years. Chapter 6, 7, 8 and 9 focuses on Lukaska. The gallant young man can kill an enemy while patrolling at night. Every Cossack praises him for his gallant act. In chapter 13, Lukaska along with a bevy of girls after drinking a lot of vodka. Marianka is among the girls. Lukaska is enchanted by the beauty of Marianka so much that he approaches her to be his lover. Marianka accepts the love. Later on, the guardians of the two lovers propose for marriage. Olenin knows all about Lukaska and Marianka. Olenin’s thinking in chapter 20 reflects the philosophical view of the novelist. Olenin is a thinking soul. While he is hunting birds at dark night, he is feeling lonely too. He could hear the language of birds, animals and insects. Like a poet, he sees the mosquitoes speaking, ‘come, come on, friends!’ Here is someone eatables, we could eat! The mosquitoes are buzzing and swooping against him. He thinks his own condition. His life seems worthless like an insect or a beast. Like uncle Yoroska, the drunkard Cossack he will live for a moment and die. What uncle Yoroska said to him would also happen to him that only grasses will grow on the grave, that’s all. Then what should be done, he thought. He would seek happiness. But what is happiness? Seeking love, wealth, and fame through self-centered motivation is not a means of achieving happiness. Shall he die without doing anything graceful, he fears. In chapter 41, Lukaska is wounded seriously during an encounter with the Chechens. The Chechens and the Cossacks are trading guns and a lot of Cossacks have die in the battle. In such a trying time Olenin returns to his castle. When he looks out from the window, he sees Marianka walking to and fro for her daily household chores. Then he comes out and calls Marianka, ‘I am coming, Marianka’. Marianka responded by saying, ‘get out, let me stay alone’. ‘Why our Cossacks were killed, that’s all’. When Marianka shows her sense of hatred against him, Olenin turns back. Critic like Earnest J Saimons praise the novel for its quality.