bitofproperty！“
　　“Damnit，butnoneofushaveabargeforproperty，havewe？
　　“Youhadbettergoandtalktoafool。“
　　“Thetruthisthattheicebreakeroughttohavebeentakeninhandsooner。“
　　Finally，theoldsoldiermadeaqueergrimace，andejaculated:
　　“Blockhead！“
　　Fromabargeaknotofsailorsshoutedsomething，andatthesamemomenttheriversentforthasortofwhiffofcruelchillinessandbroodingcalm。Thedispositionofthepineboughsnowhadchanged。Nay，everythinginsightwasbeginningtoassumeadifferentair，asthougheverythingwerechargedwithtenseexpectancy。
　　Oneoftheyoungermenaskeddiffidently，beneathhisbreath:
　　“MateOssip，whatarewegoingtodo？“
　　“Whatdoyousay？“Ossipqueriedabsent-mindedly。
　　“Isay，whatarewegoingtodo？Justtosithere？“
　　TothisBoevresponded，withloud，nasalderisioninhistone:
　　“Yes，mylad，fortheLordhasseenfittopreventyoufromparticipatinginHismostholyfestival。“
　　Andtheoldsoldier，insupportofhismate，extendedhispipetowardstheriver，andmutteredwithagrin:
　　“Youwanttocrosstothetown，doyou？Well，beoffwithyou，andthoughtheicemaygivewaybeneathyourfeetanddrownyou，atleastyou’llbetakentothepolicestation，andsogettoyourfestival。Forthat’swhatyouwant，I
　　suppose？“
　　“Trueenough，“Mokeire-echoed。
　　Thenthesunwentin，andtherivergrewdarker，whilethetownstoodoutmoreclearly。Ceaselessly，theyoungermengazedtowardsthetownwithwistful，gloomyeyes，thoughsilentlytheyremainedwheretheywere。
　　Similarly，Imyselfwasbeginningtofindthingsirksomeanduncomfortable，asalwayshappenswhenanumberofcompanionsarethinkingdifferentthoughts，andcontaininthemselvesnoneofthatunityofwillwhichalonecanjoinmenintoadirect，uniformforce。Rather，IfeltasthoughIcouldgladlyleavemycompanionsandstartoutupontheicealone。
　　SuddenlyOssiprecoveredhisfaculties。Rising，thendoffinghiscapandmakingthesignofthecrossinthedirectionofthetown，hesaidwithaquiet，simple，yetsomehowauthoritative，air:
　　“Verywell，mymates。Goinpeace，andmaytheLordgowithyou！“
　　“Butwhither？“askedSashok，leapingtohisfeet。“Tothetown？“
　　“Whitherelse？“
　　Theoldsoldierwastheonlyonenottorise，andwithconvictionheremarked:
　　“Itwillresultbutinourgettingdrowned。“
　　“Thenstaywhereyouare。“
　　Ossipglancedaroundtheparty。Thenhecontinued:
　　“Bestiryourselves！Lookalive！“
　　Uponwhichallcrowdedtogether，andBoev，thrustingthetoolsintoaholeinthebank，groaned:
　　“Theorder’go’hasbeengiven，sogoweMUST，wellthoughamaninreceiptofsuchanordermightaskhimself，’Howisitgoingtobedone？’“
　　Ossipseemed，insomeway，tohavegrownyoungerandmoreactive，whilethehabituallyshy，thoughgood-humoured，expressionofhiscountenancewasgonefromhisruddyfeatures，andhisdarkenedeyeshadassumedanairofsternactivity。Nay，evenhisindolent，rollinggaithaddisappeared，andinhissteptherewasmorefirmness，moreassurance，thanhadeverbeforebeenthecase。
　　“Leteverymantakeaplank，“hesaid，“andholditinfrontofhim。Then，shouldanyonefallinwhichGodforbid！，theplank-endswillcatchupontheicetoeithersideofhim，andholdhimup。Also，everymanmustavoidcracksintheice。Yes，andistherearopehandy？Here，Narodetz！Reachmethatspirit-level。Iseveryoneready？Iwillwalkfirst，andnexttheremustcome——well，whichistheheaviest？——you，soldier，andthenMokei，andthentheMorduine，andthenBoev，andthenMishuk，andthenSashok，andthenMakarei，thelightestofall。
　　Anddoyoualltakeoffyourcapsbeforestarting，andsayaprayertotheMotherofGod。Ha！HereisOldFatherSuncomingouttogreetus。“
　　Readilydidthemenbaretheirtousledgreyorflaxenheadsasmomentarilythesunglancedthroughabankofthinwhitevapourbeforeagainconcealinghimself，asthoughaversetoarousinganyfalsehopes。
　　“Now！“sharplycommandedOssipinhisnew-foundvoice。“AndmayGodgowithus！Watchmyfeet，anddon’tcrowdtoomuchupononeanother，butkeepeachatasazhen’sdistanceormore——infact，themorethebetter。Yes，come，mates！“
　　Withwhich，stuffinghiscapintohisbosom，andgraspingthespirit-levelinhishands，Ossipsetfootupontheicewithasliding，cautious，shufflinggait。Atthesamemoment，therecamefromthebankbehindusastartledcryof:
　　“Whereareyouoffto，youfools？“
　　“Nevermind，“saidOssiptoourselves。“Comealongwithyou，anddon’tstandstaring。“
　　“Youblockheads！“thevoicerepeated。“Youhadfarbetterreturn。“
　　“No，no！comeon！“wasOssip’scounter-command。“AndasyoumovethinkofGod，oryou’llneverfindyourselvesamongtheinvitedguestsatHisholyfestivalofEastertide。“
　　NextOssipsoundedapolicewhistle，whichactledtheoldsoldiertoexclaim:
　　“Oh，that’stheway，mate！Good！Yes，youknowwhattodo。Nownoticewillhavebeengiventothepoliceonthefurtherbank，and，ifwe’renotdrowned，weshallfindourselvesclappedingaolwhenwegetthere。However，I’mnotresponsible。“
　　Inspiteofthisremonstrance，Ossip’ssturdyvoicedrewhiscompanionsafterhimasthoughtheyhadbeentiedtoarope。
　　“Watchyourfeetcarefully，“oncemorehecried。
　　Ourlineofmarchwasdirectedobliquely，andintheoppositedirectiontothecurrent。Also，I，astherearmostoftheparty，founditpleasanttonotehowthewarylittleOssipofthesilveryheadwentloopingovertheicewiththedeftnessofahare，andpracticallynoraisingofthefeet，whilebehindhimtheretrailed，inwild-goosefashion，andasthoughtiedtoasingleinvisiblestring，sixdarkandundulatingfigurestheshadowsofwhichkeptmakingthemselvesvisibleontheice，fromthosefigures’feettopointsindefinitelyremote。Andasweproceeded，allofuskeptourheadsloweredasthoughwehadbeendescendingfromamountaininmomentaryfearofafalsestep。
　　Also，thoughtheshoutinginourrearkeptgrowinginvolume，andwecouldtellthatbythistimeacrowdhadgathered，notawordcouldwedistinguish，butonlyasortofuglydin。
　　Intimeourcautiousmarchbecameformeamere，mechanical，wearisometask，foronordinaryoccasionsitwasmycustomtomaintainapaceofgreaterrapidity。Thus，eventuallyIsankintothesemiconsciousconditionamidwhichthesoulturnstovacuity，andonenolongerthinksofoneself，but，onthecontraryissuesfromone’spersonality，andbeginstoseeobjectswithunwontedclarity，andtohearsoundswithunwontedprecision。Undermyfeettheseamsintheblue-grey，leadenicelayfullofwater，whileasfortheiceitself，itwasblindinginitsexpansiveglitter，eventhoughinplacesithadcometobeeithercrackedorbulbous，orhadgrounditselfintopowderwithitsownmovement，orhadbecomeheapedintoslushyhummocksofpumice-likesponginessandtheconsistencyofbrokenglass。
　　AndeverywherearoundmeIcoulddiscernthechilly，gapingsmileofbluecreviceswhichcaughtatmyfeet，andrenderedthetreadofmyboot-solesunstable。Andever，aswemarched，couldthevoicesofBoevandtheoldsoldierbeheardspeakinginantiphony，liketwopipesbeingflutedbyoneandthesamepairoflips。
　　“Iwon’tberesponsible，“saidtheonevoice。
　　“NorI，“respondedtheother。
　　“TheonlyreasonwhyIhavecomeisthatIwastoldtodoso。
　　That’sallaboutit。“
　　“Yes，andthesamewithme。“
　　“Onemangivesanorder，andanotherman，perhapsamanathousandtimesmoresensiblethanhe，isforcedtoobeyit。“
　　“Isanyman，inthesedays，sensible，seeingwhataracketwehavetoliveamong？“
　　BythistimeOssiphadtuckedtheskirtsofhisgreatcoatintohisbelt，whilebeneaththoseskirtshislegscladingreyclothgaitersofamilitarypatternwereshufflingalongaslightlyandeasilyassprings，andinamannerthatsuggestedthattherewasturningandtwistinginfrontofhimsomepersonwhom，thoughdesirousofbarringtohimthedirectcourse，theshortestroute，Ossipsuccessfullyopposedandevadedbydintofdodgesanddeviationstorightandleft，andoccasionalturnsabout，andtheexecutionofdancestepsandloopsandsemicircles。MeanwhileinthetonesofOssip’svoicetherewasasoft，musicalringthatstruckagreeablyupontheear，andharmonisedtoadmirationwiththesongofthebellsjustwhenwewereapproachingthemiddleoftheriver’sbreadthoffourhundredsazheni。Thereresoundedoverthesurfaceoftheiceaviciousrustle’whileapieceoficeslidfromundermyfeet。