Thebuildingsofthetownlookinglikeheapsofmuddysnow，theblack，nakedeartharoundthosebuildings，thetreesinthegardens，thehummocksofpiled-upsoil，thedullgreyglimmerofthewindowpanesofthehouses——allthesethingsremindedmeofwinter，eventhoughthemistybreathofthenorthernspringwasbeginningtostealoverthewhole。
　　Presentlyayoungfellowwithflaxenhair，apendentunderlip，andatall，ungainlyfigure，bynameMishukDiatlov，essayedtotrollthestanza:
　　“Thatmorntohimthemaidencame，Tofindhissoulhadfled。“
　　Whereupontheoldsoldiershouted:
　　“Hi，you！Haveyouforgottentheday？“
　　AndevenBoevsawfittotakeumbrageatthesinging，and，threateningDiatlovwithhisfist，torapout:
　　“Ah，sobatchniadusha！“[“Soulofadog。“]
　　“Whatarude，rough，primitivelotweRussiansare！“commentedOssip，seatinghimselfatopoftheicebreaker，andscrewinguphiseyestomeasureitsfall。“Tospeakplainly，weRussiansaresheerbarbarians。Onceuponatime，Imaytellyou，ananchoritehappenedtobeonhistravels；andasthepeoplecamepressingaroundhim，andkneelingtohim，andtearfullybeseechinghimwiththewords，’0hholyfather，intercedeforuswiththewolveswhicharedevouringoursubstance！’hereplied:
　　’Ha！Areyou，orareyounot，OrthodoxChristians？SeethatI
　　assignyounottocondignperdition！’Yes，angry，inverytruthhewas。Nay，heevenspatinthepeople’sfaces。Yetinrealityhewasakindlyoldman，forhiseyeskeptsheddingtearsequallywiththeirs。“
　　Twentysazhenibelowtheicebreakerwasagangofbarefootedsailors，engagedinhackingoutthefloesfromundertheirbarges；andastheyshatteredthebrittle，greyish-bluecrustontheriver，themattocksrangout，andthesharpbladesoftheicecuttersgleamedastheythrustthebrokenfragmentsunderthesurface。Meanwhile，therecouldbeheardabubblingofwater，andthesoundofrivuletstricklingdowntothesandymarginoftheriver。Andsimilarlyamongourowngangwasthereaudibleascrapingofplanes，andascreechingofsaws，andaclatteringofironbracesastheyweredrivenintothesmoothyellowwood，whilethroughallthewebofthesesoundsthererantheceaselesssongofthebells，asongsosoftenedbydistanceastothrillthesoul，muchasthoughdingy，burdensomelabourwereholdingrevelinhonourofspring，andcallinguponthelattertospreaditselfoverthestarved，nakedsurfaceofthegraduallythawingground。
　　Atthispointsomeoneshoutedhoarsely:
　　“GoandfetchtheGerman。Wehavenotgothandsenough。“
　　Andfromthebanksomeonebawledinreply:
　　“WhereIShe？“
　　“Inthetavern。Thatiswhereyoumustgoandlookforhim。“
　　Andastheymadethemselvesheard，thevoicesfloatedupturgidlyintothesoddenair，spreadthemselvesovertheriver’smournfulvoid，anddiedaway，Meanwhileourmenworkedwithindustryandspeed，butnotwithoutafaultortwo，fortheirthoughtswerefixeduponthetownanditswashhousesandchurches。AndparticularlyrestlesswasSashokDiatlov，amanwhosehair，asflaxenasthatofhisbrother，seemedtohavebeenboiledinlye。Atintervals，glancingup-river，thiswell-built，sturdyyoungfellowwouldsaysoftlytohisbrother:
　　“It’scrackingnow，eh？“
　　And，certainly，theicehad“moved“twonightsago，sothatsinceyesterdaymorningtheriverwatchmenhadrefusedtopermithorsedvehiclestocross，andonlyafewbeadlikepedestriansnowweremakingtheirwayalongthemarked-outicepaths，while，astheyproceeded，onecouldhearthewaterslappingagainsttheplanksasthelatterbentunderthetravellers’weight。
　　“Yes，itIScracking，“atlengthMishukrepliedwithahoistofhisgingereyebrows。
　　Ossiptooscannedtheriverfromunderhishand。ThenhesaidtoMishuk:
　　“Pah！Itisthedrysqueakoftheplanesinyourownhandthatyoukeephearing，sogoonwithyourwork，yousonofabeldame。
　　Andasforyou，Inspector，doyouhelpmetospeedupthemeninsteadofburyingyournoseinyournotebook。“
　　Bythistimethereremainedonlytwomorehoursforwork，andthearchoftheicebreakerhadbeenwhollysheathedinbutter-tintedscantlings，andnothingrequiredtobeaddedtoitsavethegreatironbraces。Unfortunately，BoevandSaniavin，themenwhohadbeenengageduponthetaskofcuttingoutthesocketsforthebraces，hadworkedsoamiss，andruntheirlinessostraight，that，whenitcametothepoint，thearmsofthebracesrefusedtosinkproperlyintothewood。
　　“Oh，youcock-eyedfoolofaMorduine！“shoutedOssip，smitinghisfistagainstthesideofhiscap。“DoyoucallTHATsortofthingwork？“
　　Atthisjuncturetherecamefromsomewhereonthebankaseeminglyexultantshoutof:
　　“Ah！NOWit’sgivingway！“
　　Andalmostatthesamemoment，therestoleovertheriverasortofrustle，asortofquietcrunchingwhichmadetheprojectingpinebranchesquiverasthoughtheyweretryingtocatchatsomething，while，shoulderingtheirmattocks，thebarefootedsailorsnoisilyhastenedaboardtheirbargeswiththeaidofropeladders。
　　Andthencuriousindeedwasittoseehowmanypeoplesuddenlycameintoviewontheriver——toseehowtheyappearedtoissuefrombelowtheveryiceitself，and，hurryingtoandfrolikejackdawsstartledbytheshotofagun，todarthitherandthither，andtoseizeupplanksandboathooks，andtothrowthemdownagain，andoncemoretoseizethemup。
　　“Putthetoolstogether，“Ossipshouted。“Andlookalivethere，andmakeforthebank。“
　　“Aye，andafineEasterDayitwillbeforusonTHATbank！“
　　growledSashok。
　　Meanwhile，itwastheriverratherthanthetownthatseemedtobemotionless——thelatterhadbegun，asitwere，toquiverandreel，and，withthehillaboveit，toappeartobeglidingslowlyupstream，evenasthegrey，sandybanksometensazhenifromuswasbeginningtogrowtremulous，andtorecede。
　　“Run，allofyou！“shoutedOssip，givingmeaviolentpushashedidso。Thentomyselfinparticularheadded:“Whystandgapingthere？“
　　Thiscausedakeensenseofdangertostrikehomeinmyheart，andtomakemyfeetfeelasthoughalreadytheicewasescapingtheirtread。So，automaticallypickingthemselvesup，thosefeetstartedtobearmybodyinthedirectionofaspotonthesandybankwherethewinter-strippedbranchesofawillowtreewerewrithing，andwhithertherewerebetakingthemselvesalsoBoev，theoldsoldier，Budirin，andthebrothersDiatlov。MeanwhiletheMorduineranbymyside，cursingvigorouslyashedidso，andOssipfollowedus，walkingbackwards。
　　“No，no，Narodetz，“hesaid。
　　“But，mygoodOssip——“
　　“Nevermind。Whathastobe，hastobe。“
　　“But，aslikelyasnot，wemayremainstuckherefortwodays！“
　　“NevermindevenifweDOremainstuckhere。“
　　“Butwhatofthefestival？“
　　“Itwillhave，forthisyearatleast，tobekeptwithoutyou。“
　　Seatinghimselfonthesand，theoldsoldierlithispipeandgrowled:
　　“Whatcowardsyouallare！Thebankwasonlyfifteensazhenifromus，yetyouranasthoughpossessed！“
　　“Withyouyourselfasleader，“putinMokei。
　　Theoldsoldiertooknonotice，butadded:
　　“Whatwereyouallafraidof？OnceuponatimeChristHimself，OurLittleFather，died。“
　　“Androseagain，“mutteredtheMorduinewithatingeofresentment。WhichledBoevtoexclaim:
　　“Puppy，holdyourtongue！Whatrighthaveyoutoairyouropinions？“
　　“Besides，thisisGoodFriday，notEasterDay，“theoldsoldierconcludedwithsevere，didacticalmien。
　　InagapofbluebetweenthecloudstherewasshiningtheMarchsun，andeverywheretheicewassparklingasthoughinderisionofourselves。Shadinghiseyes，Ossipgazedatthedissolvingriver，andsaid:
　　“Yes，itISrising——butthatwillnotlastforlong。“
　　“No，butlongenoughtomakeusmissthefestival，“grumbledSashok。
　　Uponthisthesmooth，beardlessfaceoftheyouthfulMorduine，afacedarkandangularliketheskinofanunpeeledpotato，assumedaresentfulfrown，and，blinkinghiseyes，hemuttered:
　　“Yes，herewemayhavetosit——herewherethere’sneitherfoodnormoney！Otherfolkwillbeenjoyingthemselves，butweshallhavetoremainhuggingourhungrystomachslikeapackofdogs！“
　　MeanwhileOssip’seyeshadremainedfixedupontheriver，forevidentlyhisthoughtswerefaraway，anditwasinabsentmindedfashionthathereplied:
　　“Hungercannotbeconsideredwherenecessityimpels。Bytheway，whatuseareourdamnedicebreakers？Fortheprotectionofbargesandsuch？Why，theicehasn’tthesensetocare。Itjustgoesslidingoverabarge，andfarewellisthewordtoTHAT