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，struckamatchilluminatingoncemorethefaceofthedeadman，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。