andrememberthatitisonlythesoulthatcanovercomeSatan。“
InresponseSilantievrosetohisfeet，shookhisfistattheoldman，andshoutedinarough，angryvoice，avoicethatwasnothisown:
“AllthatIhaveheardbefore，andfromothersbesidesyourself。
ThetruthisthatIholdallyoufather-confessorsinabhorrence。
“Moreover，“thislastwasaddedwithaviolentoath“itisnotSatanthatneedstoberesisted，butsuchdevil’sravens，suchdevil’svampires，asYOU。“
Whichsaid，hekickedastoneawayfromthefire，thrusthishandsintohispockets，andturnedslowlyonhisheel，withhiselbowspressedclosetohissides。Neverthelesstheoldman，stillsmiling，saidtomeinanundertone:
“Heisproud，butthatwillnotlastforlong。“
“Whynot？“
“BecauseIknowinadvancethat——“
Breakingoffshort，heturnedhisheaduponhisshoulder，andsatlisteningtosomeshoutingthatwasgoingonacrosstheriver。
Everyoneinthatquarterwasdrunk，and，inparticular，someonecouldbeheardbawlinginatoneofchallenge:
“Oh？I，yousay？A-a-ah！Thentakethat！“
Silantiev，steppinglightlyfromstonetostone，crossedtheriver。Thenhemingled——aconspicuousfigureowingtohisapparenthandlessness——withthecrowd。Somehow，onhisdeparture，Ifeltillatease。
Twitchinghisfingersasthoughperformingaconjuringtrick，theoldmancontinuedtositwithhishandsstretchedovertheembers。Bythistimehisnosehadswollenoverthebridge，andbruisesrisenunderhiseyeswhichtendedtoobscurehisvision。
Indeed，ashesatthere，satmouthingwithdark，bestreakedlipsunderacoveringofhoarybeardandmoustache，Ifoundthathisbloodstained，disfigured，wrinkled，asitwere“antique“faceremindedmemorethaneverofthoseofgreatsinnersofancienttimeswhoabandonedthisworldfortheforestandthedesert。
“Ihaveseenmanyproudfolk，“hecontinuedwithashakeofhishatlessheadanditssparsehairs。“Afiremayburnupquickly，andcontinuetoburnfiercely，yet，liketheseembers，becometurnedtoashes，and。soliesmoulderingtilldawn。Youngman，thereyouhavesomethingtothinkof。Noraretheymerelymywords。TheyarethewordsoftheHolyGospelitself。“
Everdescending，everweighingmoreheavilyuponus，thenightwasasblackandhotandstiflingasthepreviousonehadbeen，albeitaskindlyasamother。Stillthetwofiresontheoppositebankoftherivuletwereaflame，andsendinghotblastsofvapouracrossaseemingbrookofgold。
Foldinghisarmsuponhisbreast，theoldmantuckedthepalmsofhishandsintohisarmpits，andsettledhimselfmorecomfortably。
Nevertheless，whenImadeasthoughtoaddmoretwigsandshavingstotheembersheexclaimedimperiously:
“Thereisnoneedforthat。“
“Whyistherenot？“
“Becausethatwouldcausethefiretobeseen，andbringsomeofthosemenoverhere。“
Again，ashekickedawaysomeboughswhichIhadjustbrokenup，herepeated:
“Thereisnoneedforthat，Itellyou。“
Presently，thereapproachedusthroughtheshimmeringfirelightontheoppositebanktwocarpenterswithboxesontheirbacks，andaxesintheirhands。
“Arealltherestofourmengone？“inquiredtheforemanofthenewcomers。
“Yes，“repliedoneofthem，atallmanwithadroopingmoustacheandnobeard。
“Well，’shunevil，andgoodwillresult。’“
“Aye，andwelikewisewishtodepart。“
“Butataskoughtnottobeleftunfinished。Atdinner-timeI
sentOleshatosaythatnoneofthosefellowshadbetterbereleasedfromwork；butreleasedtheyhavebeen，andnowtheresultisapparent！Presently，whentheyhavedrunkalittlemoreoftheirpoison，theywillfirethebarraque。“
Everytimethatthefirstofthetwocarpentersinhaledthesmokeofmycigarettehespatintotheembers，whiletheotherman，ayoungfellowasplumpasafemalebaker，sankhistowsledheaduponhisbreastassoonashesatdown，andfellasleep。
Next，theclamouracrosstherivuletsubsidedforawhile。ButsuddenlyIheardtheex-soldierexclaimindrunken，singsongaccentswhichcamefromtheverycentreofthetumult:
“Hi，doyouanswerme！HowcomesitthatyouhavenorespectforRussia？IsnotRiazanapartofRussia？WhatisRussia，then，I
shouldliketoknow？“
“Atavern，“theforemancommentedquietly；whereafter，turningtome，headdedmoreloudly:
“Isaythisofsuchfellows——thatatavern……Butwhatanoisethoseroisterersaremaking，tobesure！“
Theyoungfellowintheredshirthadjustshouted:
“Hi，there，soldier！Seizehimbythethroat！Seizehim，seizehim！“
WhilefromSilantievhadcomethegruffretort:
“What？Doyousupposethatyouarehuntingapackofhounds？“
“Here，answerme！“wasthenextshoutedutterance——itcamefromtheex-soldier——whereupontheoldmanremarkedtomeinanundertone:
“Itwouldseemthatafightisbrewing。“
Rising，Imovedinthedirectionoftheuproar。AsIdidso，I
heardtheoldmansaysoftlytohiscompanions:
“Hetooisgone，thankGod！“
Suddenlytheresurgedtowardsmefromtheoppositebankacrowdofmen。Belching，hiccuping，andgrunting，theyseemedtobecarryingordraggingintheirmidstsomeheavyweight。Presentlyawoman’svoicescreamed，“Ya-av-sha！“andothervoicesraisedmingledshoutsof“Throwhimin！Givehimathrashing！“and“Draghimalong！“
ThenextmomentwesawSilantievbreakoutofthecrowd，straightenhimself，swinghisrightfistintheair，andhurlhimselfatthecrowdagain。Ashedidsotheyoungfellowintheredshirtraisedagiganticarm，andtherefollowedthesoundofamuffled，grislyblow。Staggeringbackwards，Silantievslidsilentlyintothewater，andlaythereatmyfeet。
“That’sright！“wasthecommentofsomeone。
Foramomentortwotheclamoursubsidedalittle，andduringthatmomentortwoone’searsoncemorebecamelavedwiththesweetsingsongoftheriver。Shortlyafterwardssomeonethrewintothewaterahugestone，andsomeoneelselaughedinadullway。
AsIwasbendingtolookatSilantievsomeofthemenjostledme。
Nevertheless，Icontinuedtostruggletoraisehimfromthespotwhere，halfinandhalfoutofthewater，helaywithhisheadandbreastrestingagainstthestepping-stones。
“Youhavekilledhim！“nextIshouted——notbecauseIbelievedthestatementtobetrue，butbecauseIhadamindtofrightenintosobrietythemenwhowereimpedingme。
Uponthissomeoneexclaimedinafaltering，soberedtone:
“Surelynot？“
Asfortheyoungfellowintheredshirt，hepassedmebywithabraggart，resentfulshoutof:
“Well？Hehadnorighttoinsultme。WhyshouldhehavesaidthatIwasanuisancetothewholecountry？“
Andsomeoneelseshouted:
“Whereistheex-soldier？Whoisthewatchmanhere？“
“Bringalight，“wasthecryofathird。
Yetallthesevoicesweremoresober，moresubdued，morerestrainedthantheyhadbeen，andpresentlyalittlemuzhikwhosepollwasswathedinaredhandkerchiefstoopedandraisedSilantiev’shead。Butalmostasinstantlyheletitfallagain，and，dippinghishandsintothewater，saidgravely:
“Youhavekilledhim。Heisdead。“
AtthemomentIdidnotbelievethewords；butpresently，asI
stoodwatchinghowthewatercoursedbetweenSilantiev’slegs，andturnedthemthiswayandthat，andmadethemstirasthoughtheywerestrivingtodivestthemselvesoftheshabbyoldboots，Irealisedwithallmybeingthatthehandswhichwererestinginminewerethehandsofacorpse。And，trueenough，whenI
releasedthemtheyslappeddownuponthesurfacelikewetdish-
cloths。