“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: