第51章

Untilnow，aboutadozenmenhadbeenstandingonthebanktoobservewhatwastoward，butassoonasthelittlemuzhik’swordsrangoutthesemenrecoiled，and，withjostlings，begantovent，insubdued，uneasytones，criesof: “Whowasitfirststruckhim？“ “Thiswillloseusourjobs。“ “Itwasthesoldierthatfirststartedtheracket。“ “Yes，thatistrue。“ “Letusgoanddenouncehim。“ Asfortheyoungfellowintheredshirt，hecried: “Iswearonmyhonour，mates，thattheaffairwasonlyaquarrel。“ “Tohitamanwithabludgeonismorethanaquarrel。“ “Itwasastonethatwasused，notabludgeon。“ “Thesoldieroughtto——“ Awoman’shigh-pitchedvoicebrokeinwithaplaintivecryof: “GoodLord！Alwayssomethinghappenstous！“ Asformyself，IfeltstunnedandhurtasIseatedmyselfuponthestepping-stones；andthougheverythingwasplaintomysight，nothingwasplaintomyunderstanding，whileinmybreastastrangeemptinesswaspresent，savethattheclamourofthebystandersarousedmetoacertainlongingtooutshoutthemall，tosendforthmyvoiceintothenightlikethevoiceofabrazentrumpet。 Presentlytwoothermenapproachedus。Inthehandofthefirstwasatorchwhichhekeptwavingtoandfrotopreventitsbeingextinguished，andwhence，therefore，hekeptstrewingshowersofgoldensparks。Afair-headedlittlefellow，hehadabodyasthinasapikewhenstandingonitstail，agrey，stonelikecountenancethatwasdeeplysunkenbetweentheshoulders，amouthperpetuallyhalf-agape，andround，owlish-lookingeyes。 AsheapproachedthecorpsehebentforwardwithonehanduponhiskneetothrowthemorelightuponSilantiev’sbruisedheadandbody。Thatheadwasrestingturnedupontheshoulder，andnolongercouldIrecognisetheoncehandsomeCossackface，soburiedwasthejauntyforelockunderaclotofblack-redmud，andconcealedbyaswellingwhichhadmadeitsappearanceabovetheleftear。Also，sincethemouthandmoustachehadbeenbashedasidetheteethlaybaredinatwisted，trulyhorriblesmile，while，asthemosthorriblepointofall，thelefteyewashangingfromitssocket，and，becomehideouslylarge，gazing，seemingly，attheinnerpocketoftheflapofSilantiev’spea- jacket，whencetherewasprotrudingawhiteedgingofpaper。 Slowlythetorchholderdescribedacircleoffireintheair，andtherebysprinkledafurthershowerofsparksoverthepoormutilatedface，withitsstreaksofshiningblood。Thenhemutteredwithasmackofthelips: “Youcanseeforyourselveswhothemanis。“ AshespokeafewmoresparksdescendeduponSilantiev’sscalpandwetcheeks，andwentout，whiletheflare’sreflectionsoplayedintheballofSilantiev’seyeastocommunicatetoitanaddedappearanceofdeath。 Finallythetorchholderstraightenedhisback，threwhistorchintotheriver，expectoratedafterit，andsaidtohiscompanionashesmoothedaflaxenpollwhich，inthedarkness，lookedalmostgreenish: “Doyougotothebarraque，andtellthemthatamanhasbeendonetodeath。“ “No；Ishouldbeafraidtogoalone。“ “Come，come！Nothingistheretobeafraidof。Go，Itellyou。“ “ButIwouldmuchrathernot。“ “Don’tbesuchafool！“ Suddenlytheresoundedovermyheadthequietvoiceoftheforeman。 “Iwillaccompanyyou，“hesaid。Thenheaddeddisgustedlyashescrapedhisfootagainstastone: “Howhorriblethebloodsmells！Itwouldseemthatmyveryfootissmearedwithit。“ Withafrownthefair-headedmuzhikeyedhim，whiletheforemanreturnedthemuzhik’sgazewithascrutinythatneverwavered。 Finallytheeldermancommentedwithcoldseverity: “Allthemischiefhascomeofvodkaandtobacco，thedevil’sdrugs。“ Notonlywerethepairstrangelyalike，butbothofthemstrangelyresembledwizards，inthatbothwereshortofstature，assharp-finishedasgimlets，andasgreen-tintedbythedarknessastuftsoflichen。 “Letusgo，brother，“theforemansaid。“GowewiththeHolySpirit。“ And，omittingeventoinquirewhohadbeenkilled，oreventoglanceatthecorpse，oreventopayitthelastsalutedemandedofcustom，theforemandeparteddownthestream，whileinhiswakefollowedthemessenger，amanwhokeptstumblingashepickedhiswayfromstonetostone。Amidthegloomthepairmovedassilentlyasghosts。 Thenarrow-chested，fair-headedlittlemuzhikthenrakedmewithhiseyes；whereafterheproducedacigarettefromatinbox，snapped-tothelidofthebox，struckamatch(illuminatingoncemorethefaceofthedeadman)，andappliedtheflametothecigarette。Lastlyhesaid: “ThisisthesixthmurderwhichIhaveseenonethingandanothercommit。“ “Onethingandanothercommit？“Iqueried。 Thereplycameonlyafterapause；whenthelittlemuzhikasked: “Whatdidyousay？Ididnotquitecatchit。“ Iexplainedthathumanbeings，notinanimateentities，murderedhumanbeings。 “Well，betheyhumanbeingsormachineryorlightningoranythingelse，theyareallone。OneofmymateswascaughtinsomemachineryatBakhmakh。Anotheronehadhisthroatcutinabrawl。Anotheronewascrushedagainstthebucketinacoalmine。 Anotheronewas——“ Carefullythoughthemancounted，heendedbyerringinhisreckoningtotheextentofmakinghistotal“five。“Accordinglyhere-computedthelist——andthistimesucceededinmakingthetotalamountto“seven。“ “Nevermind，“heremarkedwithasighasheblewhiscigaretteintoaredglowwhichilluminatedthewholeofhisface。“ThetruthisthatIcannotalwaysrepeatthelistcorrectly，justasIshouldlike。WereIolderthanIam，Itooshouldcontrivetogetfinishedoff；forold-ageisafarfromdesirablething。Yes，indeed！But，asthingsare，Iamstillalive，nor，thanktheLord，doesanythingmatterverymuch。“ Presently，withanodtowardsSilantiev，hecontinued: “EvennowHISkinsfolkorhiswifemaybelookingfornewsofhim，oraletterfromhim。Well，neveragainwillhewrite，andaslikelyasnothiskinsfolkwillendbysayingtothemselves: ’Hehastakentobadways，andforgottenhisfamily。’Yes，goodsir。“ Bythistimetheclamouraroundthebarraquehadceased，andthetwofireshadburntthemselvesout，andmostofthemendispersed。Fromthesmoothyellowwallsofthebarraquedark，round，knot-holesweregazingattherivuletlikeeyes。Onlyinasinglewindowwithoutaframewastherevisibleafaintlight，whileatintervalsthereissuedthencefragmentary，angryexclamationssuchas: “Looksharpthere，anddeal！Clubswillbethewinners。“ “Ah！Hereisatrump！“ “Indeed？Whatluck，damnit！“ Thefair-headedmuzhikblewtheashesfromhiscigarette，andobserved: “Nosuchthingisthereatcardsasluck——onlyskill。“ Atthisjuncturewesawapproachingussoftlyfromacrosstherivuletayoungcarpenterwhoworeamoustache。Hehaltedbesideus，anddrewadeepbreath。 “Well，mate？“thefair-headedmuzhikinquired。 “Wouldyoumindgivingmesomethingtosmoke？“thecarpenterasked。Theobscuritycausedhimtolooklargeandshapeless，thoughhismannerofspeakingwasbashfulandsubdued。 “Certainly。Hereisacigarette。“ “Christrewardyou！Todaymywifeforgottobringmytobacco，andmygrandfatherhasstrictideasonthesubjectofsmoking。“ “Wasithewhodepartedjustnow？Itwas。“ Asthecarpenterinhaledawhiffhecontinued: “Isupposethatmanwasbeatentodeath？“ “Hewas——todeath。“ Forawhilethepairsmokedinsilence。Thehourwaspastmidnight。 Overthedefilethejaggedstripofskywhichroofeditlookedlikeariverofblueflowingatanimmenseheightabovethenight-envelopedearth，andbearingthebrilliantstarsonitssmoothcurrent。 Quieterandquieterwaseverythinggrowing；moreandmorewaseverythingbecomingpartofthenight…… Onemighthavethoughtthatnothingparticularhadhappened。