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。