“Allright，“assentedthesoldierwiththesling。“I’llcarryyou，youcan’twalk，holdontomyneck。“
　　Gusevputhisarmroundthesoldier’sneck，thelatterputhisunhurtarmroundhimandcarriedhimup。Onthedecksailorsandtime-expiredsoldierswerelyingasleepsidebyside；thereweresomanyofthemitwasdifficulttopass。
　　“Standdown，“thesoldierwiththeslingsaidsoftly。“Followmequietly，holdontomyshirt。“
　　Itwasdark。Therewasnolightondeck，noronthemasts，noranywhereontheseaaround。Atthefurthestendoftheshipthemanonwatchwasstandingperfectlystilllikeastatue，anditlookedasthoughhewereasleep。Itseemedasthoughthesteamerwereabandonedtoitselfandweregoingatitsownwill。
　　“NowtheywillthrowPavelIvanitchintothesea，“saidthesoldierwiththesling。“Inasackandthenintothewater。“
　　“Yes，that’stherule。“
　　“Butit’sbettertolieathomeintheearth。Anyway，yourmothercomestothegraveandweeps。“
　　“Ofcourse。“
　　Therewasasmellofhayandofdung。Therewereoxenstandingwithdroopingheadsbytheship’srail。One，two，three；eightofthem！Andtherewasalittlehorse。Gusevputouthishandtostrokeit，butitshookitshead，showeditsteeth，andtriedtobitehissleeve。
　　“Damnedbrute“saidGusevangrily。
　　Thetwoofthem，heandthesoldier，threadedtheirwaytotheheadoftheship，thenstoodattherailandlookedupanddown。
　　Overheaddeepsky，brightstars，peaceandstillness，exactlyasathomeinthevillage，belowdarknessanddisorder。Thetallwaveswereresounding，noonecouldtellwhy。Whicheverwaveyoulookedateachonewastryingtorisehigherthanalltherestandtochaseandcrushthenextone；afteritathirdasfierceandhideousflewnoisily，withaglintoflightonitswhitecrest。
　　Theseahasnosenseandnopity。Ifthesteamerhadbeensmallerandnotmadeofthickiron，thewaveswouldhavecrushedittopieceswithouttheslightestcompunction，andwouldhavedevouredallthepeopleinitwithnodistinctionofsaintsorsinners。
　　Thesteamerhadthesamecruelandmeaninglessexpression。Thismonsterwithitshugebeakwasdashingonwards，cuttingmillionsofwavesinitspath；ithadnofearofthedarknessnorthewind，norofspace，norofsolitude，caringfornothing，andiftheoceanhaditspeople，thismonsterwouldhavecrushedthem，too，withoutdistinctionofsaintsorsinners。
　　“Wherearewenow？“askedGusev。
　　“Idon’tknow。Wemustbeintheocean。“
　　“Thereisnosightofland。“
　　“Noindeed！Theysayweshan’tseeitforsevendays。“
　　Thetwosoldierswatchedthewhitefoamwiththephosphoruslightonitandweresilent，thinking。Gusevwasthefirsttobreakthesilence。
　　“Thereisnothingtobeafraidof，“hesaid，“onlyoneisfullofdreadasthoughoneweresittinginadarkforest；butif，forinstance，theyletaboatdownontothewaterthisminuteandanofficerorderedmetogoahundredmilesovertheseatocatchfish，I’dgo。Or，let’ssay，ifaChristianweretofallintothewaterthisminute，I’dgoinafterhim。AGermanoraChinamanI
　　wouldn’tsave，butI’dgoinafteraChristian。“
　　“Andareyouafraidtodie？“
　　“Yes。Iamsorryforthefolksathome。Mybrotherathome，youknow，isn’tsteady；hedrinks，hebeatshiswifefornothing，hedoesnothonourhisparents。Everythingwillgotoruinwithoutme，andfatherandmyoldmotherwillbebeggingtheirbread，I
　　shouldn’twonder。Butmylegswon’tbearme，brother，andit’shothere。Let’sgotosleep。“
　　Gusevwentbacktothewardandgotintohishammock。Hewasagaintormentedbyavaguecraving，andhecouldnotmakeoutwhathewanted。Therewasanoppressiononhischest，athrobbinginhishead，hismouthwassodrythatitwasdifficultforhimtomovehistongue。Hedozed，andmurmuredinhissleep，and，wornoutwithnightmares，hiscough，andthestiflingheat，towardsmorninghefellintoasoundsleep。Hedreamedthattheywerejusttakingthebreadoutoftheoveninthebarracksandheclimbedintothestoveandhadasteambathinit，lashinghimselfwithabunchofbirchtwigs。Hesleptfortwodays，andatmiddayonthethirdtwosailorscamedownandcarriedhimout。
　　Hewassewnupinsailclothandtomakehimheaviertheyputwithhimtwoironweights。Sewnupinthesailclothhelookedlikeacarrotoraradish:broadattheheadandnarrowatthefeet……Beforesunsettheybroughthimuptothedeckandputhimonaplank；oneendoftheplanklayonthesideoftheship，theotheronabox，placedonastool。Roundhimstoodthesoldiersandtheofficerswiththeircapsoff。
　　“BlessedbetheNameoftheLord“thepriestbegan。“Asitwasinthebeginning，isnow，andevershallbe。“
　　“Amen，“chantedthreesailors。
　　Thesoldiersandtheofficerscrossedthemselvesandlookedawayatthewaves。Itwasstrangethatamanshouldbesewnupinsailclothandshouldsoonbeflyingintothesea。Wasitpossiblethatsuchathingmighthappentoanyone？
　　TheprieststrewedearthuponGusevandboweddown。Theysang“EternalMemory。“
　　Themanonwatchdutytilteduptheendoftheplank，Gusevslidoffandflewheadforemost，turnedasomersaultintheairandsplashedintothesea。Hewascoveredwithfoamandforamomentlookedasthoughhewerewrappedinlace，buttheminutepassedandhedisappearedinthewaves。
　　Hewentrapidlytowardsthebottom。Didhereachit？Itwassaidtobethreemilestothebottom。Aftersinkingsixtyorseventyfeet，hebeganmovingmoreandmoreslowly，swayingrhythmically，asthoughhewerehesitatingand，carriedalongbythecurrent，movedmorerapidlysidewaysthandownwards。
　　Thenhewasmetbyashoalofthefishcalledharbourpilots。
　　Seeingthedarkbodythefishstoppedasthoughpetrified，andsuddenlyturnedroundanddisappeared。InlessthanaminutetheyflewbackswiftasanarrowtoGusev，andbeganzig-zaggingroundhiminthewater。
　　Afterthatanotherdarkbodyappeared。Itwasashark。ItswamunderGusevwithdignityandnoshowofinterest，asthoughitdidnotnoticehim，andsankdownuponitsback，thenitturnedbellyupwards，baskinginthewarm，transparentwaterandlanguidlyopeneditsjawswithtworowsofteeth。Theharbourpilotsaredelighted，theystoptoseewhatwillcomenext。Afterplayingalittlewiththebodythesharknonchalantlyputsitsjawsunderit，cautiouslytouchesitwithitsteeth，andthesailclothisrentitsfulllengthfromheadtofoot；oneoftheweightsfallsoutandfrightenstheharbourpilots，andstrikingthesharkontheribsgoesrapidlytothebottom。
　　Overheadatthistimethecloudsaremassedtogetheronthesidewherethesunissetting；onecloudlikeatriumphalarch，anotherlikealion，athirdlikeapairofscissors。Frombehindthecloudsabroad，greenshaftoflightpiercesthroughandstretchestothemiddleofthesky；alittlelateranother，violet-coloured，liesbesideit；nextthat，oneofgold，thenonerose-coloured。Theskyturnsasoftlilac。Lookingatthisgorgeous，enchantedsky，atfirsttheoceanscowls，butsoonit，too，takestender，joyous，passionatecoloursforwhichitishardtofindanameinhumanspeech。
　　ATfirsttheweatherwasfineandstill。Thethrusheswerecalling，andintheswampsclosebysomethingalivedronedpitifullywithasoundlikeblowingintoanemptybottle。Asnipeflewby，andtheshotaimedatitrangoutwithagay，resoundingnoteinthespringair。Butwhenitbegantogetdarkintheforestacold，penetratingwindblewinappropriatelyfromtheeast，andeverythingsankintosilence。Needlesoficestretchedacrossthepools，anditfeltcheerless，remote，andlonelyintheforest。Therewasawhiffofwinter。
　　IvanVelikopolsky，thesonofasacristan，andastudentoftheclericalacademy，returninghomefromshooting，walkedallthetimebythepathinthewater-sidemeadow。Hisfingerswerenumbandhisfacewasburningwiththewind。Itseemedtohimthatthecoldthathadsuddenlycomeonhaddestroyedtheorderandharmonyofthings，thatnatureitselffeltillatease，andthatwaswhytheeveningdarknesswasfallingmorerapidlythanusual。
　　Allarounditwasdesertedandpeculiarlygloomy。Theonlylightwasonegleaminginthewidows’gardensneartheriver；thevillage，overthreemilesaway，andeverythinginthedistanceallroundwasplungedinthecoldeveningmist。Thestudentrememberedthat，ashewentoutfromthehouse，hismotherwassittingbarefootonthefloorintheentry，cleaningthesamovar，whilehisfatherlayonthestovecoughing；asitwasGoodFridaynothinghadbeencooked，andthestudentwasterriblyhungry。Andnow，shrinkingfromthecold，hethoughtthatjustsuchawindhadblowninthedaysofRurikandinthetimeofIvantheTerribleandPeter，andintheirtimetherehadbeenjustthesamedesperatepovertyandhunger，thesamethatchedroofswithholesinthem，ignorance，misery，thesamedesolationaround，thesamedarkness，thesamefeelingofoppression——allthesehadexisted，didexist，andwouldexist，andthelapseofathousandyearswouldmakelifenobetter。Andhedidnotwanttogohome。