“Silence！“athreateningvoicenearthebarraquebrokein。“I
　　amtheforemanhere。“
　　Thevoiceoftheex-soldierreplied:
　　“Whatworkmenaretheseofyours？Theyaremeresectarians，fellowswhoareforeversinginghymns。“
　　Towhichsomeoneelseadded:
　　“Besides，olddevilthatyouare，aren’tyouboundtofinishallbuildingworkbeforethebeginningofaSunday？“
　　“Letusthrowtheirtoolsintothestream。“
　　“Yes，andstartariot，“wasSilantiev’scommentashesquattedbeforetheembersofthefire。
　　Aroundthebarraque，pickedoutagainsttheyellowofitsframework，anumberofdarkfiguresweresurgingtoandfroasaroundaconflagration。Presentlyweheardsomethingsmashedtopieces——atallevents，weheardthecrackingandscrapingofwoodagainststone，andthenthestrident，hilariouscommand:
　　“Holdonthere！I’LLsoonputthingstorights！Carpenters，justhandoverthesaw！“
　　Apparentlytherewerethreemeninchargeoftheproceedings:theoneared-beardedmuzhikinaseaman’sblouse；thesecondatallmanwithhunchedshoulders，thinlegs，andlongarmswhokeptgraspingtheforemanbythecollar，shakinghim，andbawling，“Whereareyourlathes？Bringthemout！“whilenoticeablealsowasabroad-shoulderedyoungfellowinaraggedredshirtwhokeptthrustingpiecesofscantlingthroughthewindowsofthebarraque，andshouting，“Catchholdofthese！Laythemoutinarow！“；andthethirdtheex-soldierhimself。Thelast-named，ashejostledhiswayamongthecrowd，keptvociferating，viciously，virulently，andwithacurioussystemofdivisionofhissyllables:
　　“Aha-a，ra-abble，secta-arians。Yo-ouwouldhavenothingtosaytome，youSe-erbs！YetIsaytoYOU:Goalong，mychickens，forthere-estofusareti-iredofyou，andcometosa-ayso！“
　　“Whatdoeshewant？“askedSilantievquietlyashelitacigarette。“Vodka？Oh，THEY’LLgivehimvodka！……Yetareyounotsorryforfellowsofthatstamp？“
　　Throughthebluetobacco-smokehegazedintotheglowingembers；
　　untilatlasthetookacharredstick，andcollectedtheembersintoaheapglowingred-goldlikeabouquetoffierypoppies；andashedidso，hishandsomeeyesgleamedwithjustsuchareverentaffection，suchaprayerfulkindliness，asmusthavelurkedintheeyesofprimeval，nomadicmaninthepresenceofthedancing，beneficentsourceoflightandheat。
　　“AtleastIamsorryforsuchfellows，“Vasilicontinued。
　　“Aye，theverythoughtofthemany，manyfolkwhohavecometonothing！Theverythoughtofit！Terrible，terrible！“
　　Atouchofdaylightwasstilllingeringonthetopsofthemountains，butinthedefileitselfnightwasbeginningtoloom，andtolullallthingstosleep——toinclineoneneithertospeakoneselfnortolistentothedullclamourofthoseothersontheoppositebank，whereeventothemurmuroftherivuletthedistastefuldinseemedtocommunicateanoteofanger。
　　Therethecrowdhadlitahugebonfire，andthenaddedtoitasecondonewhich，crackling，hissing，andemittingcoilsofbluish-tintedsmoke，hadfallentovyingwithitsfellowinlacingthefoamoftherivuletwithmuslin-likepatternsinred。
　　Asthemassofdarkfiguressurgedbetweenthetwoflaresanhilariousvoiceshoutedtoustheinvitation:
　　“Comeoverhere，you！Don’tbebackward！Comeoverhere，Isay！“
　　Uponwhichfollowedaclatterasofthesmashingofadrinking-
　　vessel，whilefromthered-beardedmuzhikcameathick，raucousshoutof:
　　“Thesefellowsneededtobetaughtalesson！“
　　Almostatthesamemomenttheforemanofthecarpentersbrokehiswayclearofthecrowd，and，carefullycrossingtherivuletbythestepping-stoneswhichwehadconstructed，squatteddownuponhisheelsbythemargin，andwithmuchpuffingandblowingfelltorinsinghisface，afacewhichinthemurkyfirelightlookedflushedandred。
　　“Ithinkthatsomeonehasgivenhimablow，“hazardedSilantievsottovoce。
　　Andwhentheforemanrosetoapproachusthisprovedtobethecase，forthenwesawthatdrippingfromhisnose，andmeanderingoverhismoustacheandsoakedwhitebeard，therewasastreamofdarkbloodwhichhadspottedandstreakedhisshirt-front。
　　“Peacetothisgathering！“hesaidgravelyas，pressinghislefthandtohisstomach，hebowed。
　　“Andweprayyourindulgence，“wasSilantiev’sresponse，thoughhedidnotraisehiseyesashespoke。“Praybeseated。“
　　Small，withered，and，forallbuthisblood-stainedshirt，scrupulouslyclean，theoldmanremindedmeofcertainpicturesofold-timehermits，andthemoresosinceeitherpainorshameorthegleamofthefirelighthadcausedhishithertodeadeyestogatherlifeandgrowbrighter——aye，andsterner。Somehow，asI
　　lookedathim，Ifeltawkwardandabashed。
　　Acoughtwistedhisbroadnose。Thenhewipedhisbeardonthepalmofhishand，andhishandonhisknee；whereafter，ashestretchedforththepairofsenile，dark-colouredhands，andheldthemovertheembers，hesaid:
　　“Howcoldthewateroftherivuletis！Itisabsolutelyicy。“
　　WithaglancefromunderhisbrowsSilantievinquired:
　　“Areyouverybadlyhurt？“
　　“No。Merelyamancaughtmeablowonthebridgeofthenose，wherethebloodflowsreadily。Yet，asGodknows，hewillgainnothingbyhisact，whereasthesufferingwhichhehascausedmewillgotoswellmyaccountwiththeHolySpirit。“
　　Asthemanspokeheglancedacrosstherivulet。Ontheoppositebanktwomenwerestaggeringalong，anddrunkenlybawlingthetipsyrefrain:
　　“Inthedu-u-uokletmedie，Intheau-autumntime！“
　　“Aye，longisitsinceIreceivedablow，“theoldmancontinued，scanningthetworevellersfromunderhishand。
　　“TwentyyearsitmustbesincelastIdidso。Andnowtheblowwasstruckfornothing，fornorealfault……Yousee，Ihavebeenallowednonailsforthedoingofthework，andhavebeenobligedtomakeuseofwoodenclampsformostofit，whilebattensalsohavenotbeenforthcoming；and，thisbeingso，itwasthroughnoremissnessofminethattheworkcouldnotbefinishedbysunsettonight。Isuspect，too，that，toekeoutitswages，thatrabblehasbeenthieving，withtheeldestleadingtherest。Andthat，again，isnotathingforwhichIcanbeheldresponsible。True，thisisaGovernmentjob，andsomeofthosefellowsareyoung，andyoung，hungryfellowssuchastheywillmaytheybeforgiven！steal，sinceeveryonehankerstogetsomethinginreturnforaverylittle。But，oncemore，howisthatmyfault？
　　Yes，thatrabblemustbearegularsetofrascals！Justnowtheydeprivedmyeldestsonofasaw，ofabrand-newsaw；andthereaftertheyspiltmyblood，thebloodofagreybeard！“
　　Herehissmall，greyfacecontractedintowrinkles，and，closinghiseyes，hesobbedadry，gratingsob。
　　Silantievfidgeted——thensighed。Presentlytheoldmanlookedathim，blewhisnose，wipedhishanduponhistrousers，andsaidquietly:
　　“Somewhere，Ithink，Ihaveseenyoubefore。“
　　“Thatisso。YousawmeoneeveningwhenIvisitedyoursettlementforthemendingofathresher。“
　　“Yes，yes。ThatiswhereIDIDseeyou。Itwasyou，wasitnot？
　　Well，doyoustilldisagreewithme？“
　　Towhichtheoldmanaddedwithanodandasmile:
　　“SeehowwellIrememberyourwords！Youare，Iimagine，stillofthesameopinion？“
　　“HowshouldInotbe？“respondedSilantievdourly。
　　“Ah，well！Ah，well！“
　　Andtheoldmanstretchedhishandsoverthefireoncemore，discolouredhandsthethumbsofwhichwerecuriouslybentoutwardsandsplayed，and，seemingly，unabletomoveinharmonywiththefingers。
　　Theex-soldiershoutedacrosstheriver:
　　“Thelandhereiseasytowork，andmakesthepeoplelazy。Whowouldcaretoliveinsucharegion？Whowouldcaretocometoit？MuchratherwouldIgoandearnalivingondifficultland。“
　　Theoldmanpaidnoheed，butsaidtoSilantiev——saidtohimwithanaustere，derisivesmile:
　　“DoyouSTILLthinkitnecessarytostruggleagainstwhathasbeenordainedofGod？DoyouSTILLthinkthatlong-sufferingisbad，andresistancegood？Youngman，yoursoulisweakindeed: