Stumbling，andpowerlesstoretainmyfooting，Iblundereddownuponmykneesinhelplessastonishment；andthen，asIglancedupstream，feargrippedatmythroat，deprivedmeofspeech，anddarkenedallmyvision。Forthewholesubstanceofthegreyice-corehadcometolifeandbeguntoheaveitselfupwards！
Yes，thehithertolevelsurfacewasthrustingforthsharpangularridges，andtheairseemedfullofastrangesoundlikethetramplingofsomeheavybeingoverbrokenglass。
Withaquiettrickletherecameaswirlofwateraroundme，whileanadjacentpineboughcrackedandsqueakedasthoughittoohadcometolife。Mycompanionsshouted，andcollectedintoaknot；whereupon，atoncedominatingandquellingthetense，painfulhubbubofsounds，thererangforththevoiceofOssip。
“MotherofGod！“heshouted。“Scatter，lads！Getawayfromoneanother，andkeepeachtohimself！Now！Courage！“
Withthat，springingtowardsusasthoughwaspshadbeenafterhim，andgraspingthespirit-levelasthoughithadbeenaweapon，hejabbedittoeveryside，asthoughfightinginvisiblefoes，while，justasthequiveringtownbegan，seemingly，toglidepastus，andtheiceatmyfeetgaveascreechandcrumbledtofragmentsbeneathme，sothatwaterbubbledtomyknees。IleaptupfromwhereIwas，andrushedblindlyinOssip’sdirection。
“Whereareyoucomingto，fool？“washisshoutashebrandishedthespirit-level。“Standstillwhereyouare！“
Indeed，OssipseemednolongertobeOssipatall，butapersoncuriouslyyounger，apersoninwhomallthathadbeenfamiliarinOssiphadbecomeeffaced。Yes，theonceblueeyeshadturnedtogrey，andthefigureaddedhalfanarshintoitsstatureas，standingaserectasanewlymadenail，andpressingbothfeettogether，theforemanstretchedhimselftohisfullheight，andshoutedwithhismouthopentoitswidestextent:
“Don’tshuffleabout，norcrowdupononeanother，orI’llbreakyourheads！“
Whereafter，ofmyselfinparticular，heinquiredasheraisedthespirit-level:
“WhatisthematterwithYOU，pray？“
“Iamfeelingfrightened，“Imutteredinresponse。
“FeelingfrightenedofWHAT，indeed？“
“Ofbeingdrowned。“
“Pooh！Justyouholdyourtongue。“
Yetthenextmomentheglancedatme，andaddedinagentler，quietertone:
“Nonebutafoolgetsdrowned。Pickyourselfupandcomealong。“
Thenoncemoreheshoutedfull-throatedwordsofencouragementtohismen；andashedidso，hischestswelledandhisheadrockedwiththeeffort。
Yet，cracklingandcracking，theicewasbreakingup；andsoonitbeganslowlytobearuspastthetown。’Twasasthoughsomeunknownforceashorehadawakened，andwasstrivingtotearthebanksoftheriverintwo，somuchdidtheportionofthelandscapedownstreamseemtobestandingstillwhiletheportionlevelwithusseemedtoberecedingintheoppositedirection，andthuscausingabreaktotakeplaceinthemiddleofthepicture。
Andsoonthismovement，amovementagonisinglyslow，deprivedmeofmysenseofbeingconnectedwiththerestoftheworld，until，asthewholereceded，despairagaingrippedmyheartandunnervedmylimbs。Roseatecloudswereglidingacrosstheskyandcausingstrayfragmentsoftheice，which，seemingly，yearnedtoengulfme，toassumereflectedtintsofasimilarhue。Yes，itwasasthoughthebirthofspringhadreawakenedtheuniverse，andwascausingittostretchitself，andtoemitdeep，hurried，brokenpantsthatcrackeditsbonesastheriver，embeddedintheearth’sstoutframework，revivifiedthewholewiththick，turbulent，ebullientblood。
Andthissenseoflittleness，ofimpotenceamidthecalm，assuredmovementoftheearth’svastbulk，weigheduponmysoul，andevoked，andmomentarilyfannedtoflameinme，theshamelesshumanquestion:“WhatifIshouldstretchforthmyhandandlayituponthehillandthebanksoftheriver，andsay，’HaltuntilIcometoyou！’？“
Meanwhilethebellscontinuedthemournfulmoaningoftheirresonant，copperynotes；andthatmoaningledmetoreflectthatwithintwodaysonthenightofthemorrowtheywouldbepealingajoyouswelcometotheResurrectionFeast。
“Ohthatallofusmaylivetohearthatsound！“wasmyunspokenthought。
Beforemyvisiontherekeptquaveringsevendarkfigures——figuresshufflingovertheice，andbrandishingplankslikeoars。And，wrigglinglikealampreyinfrontofthemwasalittleoldfellow，anoldfellowresemblingSaintNicholastheWonder-Worker，anoldfellowwhokeptcryingsoftly，butauthoritatively:
“Donotstareaboutyou！“
Andevertheriverwasgrowingrougherandruder；everitsbackbonewasbeginningtopuiverandflounderlikeawhaleunderfoot，withitsliquescentbodyofcold，grey，murkywaterburstingwithincreasingfrequencyfromitsshellofice，andlappinghungrilyatourfeet。
Yes，wewerehumanbeingstraversing，asitwere，aslenderpoleoverabottomlessabyss；andaswewalked，thewater’ssoft，cantabilesplashsetmeinmindofthedepthsbelow，oftheinfinitetimeduringwhichabodywouldcontinuesinkingthroughdense，chillybulkuntilsightfadedandtheheartstoppedbeating。Yes，beforemymind’seyetherearosemendrownedanddevouredbycrayfish，menwithcrumblingskullsandswollenfeatures，andglassy，bulgingeyesandpuffyhandsandoutstretchedfingersandpalmsofwhichtheskinhadrottedoffwiththedamp。
ThefirsttofallinwasMokeiBudirin。HehadbeenwalkingnextaheadoftheMorduine，and，asamanhabituallysilentandabsorbed，proceedingonhiswaymorequietlythantherest。
Suddenlysomethinghadseemedtocatchathislegs，andhehaddisappeareduntilonlyhisheadandhishands，asthelatterclutchedathisplank，hadbeenleftabove-level。
“Runandhelphim，somebody！“wasOssip’sinstantcry。“Yes，butnotallofyou——justoneortwo。HelphimIsay！“
ThesplutteringMokei，however，saidtotheMorduineandmyself:
“No；doyoumoveaway，mates，forIshallbesthelpmyself。
Neveryoumind。“
And，sureenough，hedidsucceedindrawinghimselfoutontotheicewithoutassistance。Whereafterheremarkedasheshookhimself:
“Anicepickle，this，tobein！Imightaswellhavebeendrowned！“
And，infact，atthemomenthelooked，withhischatteringteethandgreattonguelickingadrippingmoustache，preciselylikealarge，good-natureddog。
ThenIrememberedhow，amonthearlier，hehadaccidentallydriventhebladeofhisaxethroughthejointofhisleftthumb，and，merelypickingupthewhitefragmentoffleshwiththenailturningblue，andscanningitwithhisunfathomableeyes，hadremarked，asthoughitwashehimselfthathadbeenatfault:
“HowoftenbeforeIhaveinjuredthatthumb，Icouldnotsay。
AndwhenonceIdislocatedit，Iwentonworkingwithitlongerthanwasright……NowIwillgoandburyit。“
Withwhich，carefullywrappingupthefragmentinsomeshavings，hehadthrustthewholeintohispocket，andbandagedthewoundedhand，Similarly，afterthat，didBoev，themannextinorderbehindMokei，contrivetowresthimselffromthegraspoftheice，though，onimmersion，hestartedbawling，“Mates，Ishalldrown！Iamdeadalready！Helpme，helpme！“andbecamesocrampedwithterrorastobeextricatedonlywithgreatdifficulty，whileamidthegeneralconfusiontheMorduinetoonearlyslippedintothewater。
“AnarrowshaveofsayingVesperstonightwiththedevilsinHell！“heremarkedasheclamberedback，andstoodgrinningwithanevenmoreangularandattenuatedappearancethanusual。
ThenextmomentBoevachievedasecondplunge，andscreamed，asbefore，forhelp。
“Don’tshout，yougoatofaYashka！“Ossipexclaimedashethreatenedhimwiththespirit-level。“Whyscarepeople？I’llgiveityou！Lookhere，lads。Leteverymantakeoffhisbeltandturnouthispockets。Thenhe’llwalklighter。“
Toothedjawsgapedandcrunchedatusateverystep，andvomitedthickspittle；ateverytenthsteptheirkeenbluefangsreachedforourlives。Meanwhile，thesoakedconditionofourbootsandclotheshadrenderedusasslimyasthoughsmearedwithpaste。Also，itsoweighedusdownastohinderanyactivemovement，andtocauseeachsteptobetakencautiously，slowly，silently，andwithponderousdiffidence。
Yet，soakedthoughwewere，Ossipmightverilyhaveknownthenumberofcracksinadvance，sosmoothandharelikewashisprogressfromfloetofloeasatintervalshefacedabout，watchedus，andcriedsonorously:
“That’sthewaytodoit，eh？“
Yes，heabsolutelyplayedwiththeriver，andthoughitkeptcatchingathisdiminutiveform，healwaysevadedit，circumventeditsmovements，andavoideditssnares。Nay，capableevenofdirectingitstrenddidheseem，andofthrustingunderourfeetonlythelargestandfirmestfloes。
“Lads，thereisnoneedtobedownhearted，“hewouldcryatintervals。
“Ah，thatbraveOssip！“theMorduineonceejaculated。“Inverytruthisheaman，andnomistake！Justlookathim！“
Thecloserweapproachedthefurthershore，thethinnerandthemorebrittledidtheicebecome，andthemoreliablewetobreakthroughit。Bythistimethetownhadnearlypassedus，andwewerebiddingfairtobecarriedoutintotheVolga，wheretheicewouldstillbesound，and，aslikelyasnot，drawusunderitself。