\"There,hehasgallopedoffforadoctor!\"saidSemyon,shrinkingfromthecold。\"Butlookingforagooddoctorislikechasingthewindinthefieldsorcatchingthedevilbythetail,plaguetakeyoursoul!Whataqueerchap,Lordforgivemeasinner!\"
TheTatarwentuptoCanny,and,lookingathimwithhatredandrepulsion,shivering,andmixingTatarwordswithhisbrokenRussian,said:\"Heisgood……good;butyouarebad!Youarebad!Thegentlemanisagoodsoul,excellent,andyouareabeast,bad!Thegentlemanisalive,butyouareadeadcarcass……Godcreatedmantobealive,andtohavejoyandgriefandsorrow;butyouwantnothing,soyouarenotalive,youarestone,clay!Astonewantsnothingandyouwantnothing。Youareastone,andGoddoesnotloveyou,butHelovesthegentleman!\"
Everyonelaughed;theTatarfrownedcontemptuously,andwithawaveofhishandwrappedhimselfinhisragsandwenttothecampfire。TheferrymenandSemyonsaunteredtothehut。
\"It’scold,\"saidoneferrymanhuskilyashestretchedhimselfonthestrawwithwhichthedampclayfloorwascovered。
\"Yes,itsnotwarm,\"anotherassented。\"It’sadog’slife……\"
Theyalllaydown。Thedoorwasthrownopenbythewindandthesnowdriftedintothehut;nobodyfeltinclinedtogetupandshutthedoor:theywerecold,anditwastoomuchtrouble。
\"Iamallright,\"saidSemyonashebegantodoze。\"Iwouldn’twishanyoneabetterlife。\"
\"Youareatoughone,weallknow。Eventhedevilswon’ttakeyou!\"
Soundslikeadog’showlingcamefromoutside。
\"What’sthat?Who’sthere?\"
\"It’stheTatarcrying。\"
\"Isay……He’saqueerone!\"
\"He’llgetu-usedtoit!\"saidSemyon,andatoncefellasleep。
Theothersweresoonasleeptoo。Thedoorremainedunclosed。
THECATTLE-DEALERS
THElonggoodstrainhasbeenstandingforhoursinthelittlestation。Theengineisassilentasthoughitsfirehadgoneout;
thereisnotasoulnearthetrainorinthestationyard。
Apalestreakoflightcomesfromoneofthevansandglidesovertherailsofasiding。Inthatvantwomenaresittingonanoutspreadcape:oneisanoldmanwithabiggraybeard,wearingasheepskincoatandahighlambskinhat,somewhatlikeabusby;
theotherabeardlessyouthinathreadbareclothreeferjacketandmuddyhighboots。Theyaretheownersofthegoods。Theoldmansits,hislegsstretchedoutbeforehim,musinginsilence;
theyoungmanhalfreclinesandsoftlystrumsonacheapaccordion。Alanternwithatallowcandleinitishangingonthewallnearthem。
Thevanisquitefull。Ifoneglancesinthroughthedimlightofthelantern,forthefirstmomenttheeyesreceiveanimpressionofsomethingshapeless,monstrous,andunmistakablyalive,somethingverymuchlikegiganticcrabswhichmovetheirclawsandfeelers,crowdtogether,andnoiselesslyclimbupthewallstotheceiling;butifonelooksmoreclosely,hornsandtheirshadows,longleanbacks,dirtyhides,tails,eyesbegintostandoutinthedusk。Theyarecattleandtheirshadows。Thereareeightoftheminthevan。Someturnroundandstareatthemenandswingtheirtails。Otherstrytostandorliedownmorecomfortably。Theyarecrowded。Ifoneliesdowntheothersmuststandandhuddlecloser。Nomanger,nohalter,nolitter,notawispofhay……*
Atlasttheoldmanpullsoutofhispocketasilverwatchandlooksatthetime:aquarterpasttwo。
\"Wehavebeenherenearlytwohours,\"hesays,yawning。\"Bettergoandstirthemup,orwemaybeheretillmorning。Theyhavegonetosleep,orgoodnessknowswhattheyareupto。\"
Theoldmangetsupand,followedbyhislongshadow,cautiouslygetsdownfromthevanintothedarkness。Hemakeshiswayalongbesidethetraintotheengine,andafterpassingsometwodozenvansseesaredopenfurnace;ahumanfiguresitsmotionlessfacingit;itspeakedcap,nose,andkneesarelightedupbythecrimsonglow,alltherestisblackandcanscarcelybedistinguishedinthedarkness。
\"Arewegoingtostayheremuchlonger?\"askstheoldman。
Noanswer。Themotionlessfigureisevidentlyasleep。Theoldmanclearshisthroatimpatientlyand,shrinkingfromthepenetratingdamp,walksroundtheengine,andashedoessothebrilliantlightofthetwoenginelampsdazzleshiseyesforaninstantandmakesthenightevenblackertohim;hegoestothestation。
Theplatformandstepsofthestationarewet。Hereandtherearewhitepatchesoffreshlyfallenmeltingsnow。Inthestationitselfitislightandashotasasteam-bath。Thereisasmellofparaffin。Exceptfortheweighing-machineandayellowseatonwhichamanwearingaguard’suniformisasleep,thereisnofurnitureintheplaceatall。Ontheleftaretwowide-opendoors。Throughoneofthemthetelegraphicapparatusandalampwithagreenshadeonitcanbeseen;throughtheother,asmallroom,halfofittakenupbyadarkcupboard。Inthisroomtheheadguardandtheengine-driveraresittingonthewindow-sill。
Theyarebothfeelingacapwiththeirfingersanddisputing。
\"That’snotrealbeaver,it’simitation,\"saystheengine-driver。
\"Realbeaverisnotlikethat。Fiveroubleswouldbeahighpriceforthewholecap,ifyoucaretoknow!\"
\"Youknowagreatdealaboutit,……\"theheadguardsays,offended。\"Fiveroubles,indeed!Here,wewillaskthemerchant。
Mr。Malahin,\"hesays,addressingtheoldman,\"whatdoyousay:
isthisimitationbeaverorreal?\"
OldMalahintakesthecapintohishand,andwiththeairofaconnoisseurpinchesthefur,blowsonit,sniffsatit,andacontemptuoussmilelightsuphisangryface。
\"Itmustbeimitation!\"hesaysgleefully。\"Imitationitis。\"
Adisputefollows。Theguardmaintainsthatthecapisrealbeaver,andtheengine-driverandMalahintrytopersuadehimthatitisnot。Inthemiddleoftheargumenttheoldmansuddenlyrememberstheobjectofhiscoming。
\"Beaverandcapisallverywell,butthetrain’sstandingstill,gentlemen!\"hesays。\"Whoisitwearewaitingfor?Letusstart!\"
\"Letus,\"theguardagrees。\"Wewillsmokeanothercigaretteandgoon。Butthereisnoneedtobeinahurry……Weshallbedelayedatthenextstationanyway!\"
\"Whyshouldwe?\"
\"Oh,well……Wearetoomuchbehindtime……Ifyouarelateatonestationyoucan’thelpbeingdelayedattheotherstationstoletthetrainsgoingtheoppositewaypass。Whetherwesetoffnoworinthemorningweshan’tbenumberfourteen。
Weshallhavetobenumbertwenty-three。\"
\"Andhowdoyoumakethatout?\"
\"Well,thereitis。\"
Malahinlooksattheguard,reflects,andmuttersmechanicallyasthoughtohimself:
\"Godbemyjudge,Ihavereckoneditandevenjotteditdowninanotebook;wehavewastedthirty-fourhoursstandingstillonthejourney。Ifyougoonlikethis,eitherthecattlewilldie,ortheywon’tpaymetworoublesforthemeatwhenIdogetthere。
It’snottraveling,butruination。\"
Theguardraiseshiseyebrowsandsighswithanairthatseemstosay:\"Allthatisunhappilytrue!\"Theengine-driversitssilent,dreamilylookingatthecap。Fromtheirfacesonecanseethattheyhaveasecretthoughtincommon,whichtheydonotutter,notbecausetheywanttoconcealit,butbecausesuchthoughtsaremuchbetterexpressedbysignsthanbywords。Andtheoldmanunderstands。Hefeelsinhispocket,takesoutaten-roublenote,andwithoutpreliminarywords,withoutanychangeinthetoneofhisvoiceortheexpressionofhisface,butwiththeconfidenceanddirectnesswithwhichprobablyonlyRussiansgiveandtakebribes,hegivestheguardthenote。Thelattertakesit,foldsitinfour,andwithoutunduehasteputsitinhispocket。
Afterthatallthreegooutoftheroom,andwakingthesleepingguardontheway,goontotheplatform。
\"Whatweather!\"grumblestheheadguard,shrugginghisshoulders。
\"Youcan’tseeyourhandbeforeyourface。\"
\"Yes,it’svileweather。\"
Fromthewindowtheycanseetheflaxenheadofthetelegraphclerkappearbesidethegreenlampandthetelegraphicapparatus;
soonafteranotherhead,beardedandwearingaredcap,appearsbesideit——nodoubtthatofthestation-master。Thestation-masterbendsdowntothetable,readssomethingonablueform,rapidlypassinghiscigarettealongthelines……
Malahingoestohisvan。
Theyoungman,hiscompanion,isstillhalfrecliningandhardlyaudiblystrummingontheaccordion。Heislittlemorethanaboy,withnotraceofamustache;hisfullwhitefacewithitsbroadcheek-bonesischildishlydreamy;hiseyeshaveamelancholyandtranquillookunlikethatofagrown-upperson,butheisbroad,strong,heavyandroughliketheoldman;hedoesnotstirnorshifthisposition,asthoughheisnotequaltomovinghisbigbody。Itseemsasthoughanymovementhemadewouldtearhisclothesandbesonoisyastofrightenbothhimandthecattle。
Fromunderhisbigfatfingersthatclumsilypickoutthestopsandkeysoftheaccordioncomesasteadyflowofthin,tinklingsoundswhichblendintoasimple,monotonouslittletune;helistenstoit,andisevidentlymuchpleasedwithhisperformance。
Abellrings,butwithsuchamufflednotethatitseemstocomefromfaraway。Ahurriedsecondbellsoonfollows,thenathirdandtheguard’swhistle。Aminutepassesinprofoundsilence;thevandoesnotmove,itstandsstill,butvaguesoundsbegintocomefrombeneathit,likethecrunchofsnowundersledge-runners;thevanbeginstoshakeandthesoundscease。
Silencereignsagain。Butnowcomestheclankofbuffers,theviolentshockmakesthevanstartand,asitwere,givealurchforward,andallthecattlefallagainstoneanother。
\"Mayyoubeservedthesameintheworldtocome,\"grumblestheoldman,settingstraighthiscap,whichhadslippedonthebackofhisheadfromthejolt。\"He’llmaimallmycattlelikethis!\"
Yashagetsupwithoutawordand,takingoneofthefallenbeastsbythehorns,helpsittogetontoitslegs……Thejoltisfollowedbyastillnessagain。Thesoundsofcrunchingsnowcomefromunderthevanagain,anditseemsasthoughthetrainhadmovedbackalittle。
\"Therewillbeanotherjoltinaminute,\"saystheoldman。Andtheconvulsivequiverdoes,infact,runalongthetrain,thereisacrashingsoundandthebullocksfallononeanotheragain。
\"It’sajob!\"saysYasha,listening。\"Thetrainmustbeheavy。Itseemsitwon’tmove。\"
\"Itwasnotheavybefore,butnowithassuddenlygotheavy。No,mylad,theguardhasnotgoneshareswithhim,Iexpect。Goandtakehimsomething,orhewillbejoltingustillmorning。\"
Yashatakesathree-roublenotefromtheoldmanandjumpsoutofthevan。Thedullthudofhisheavyfootstepsresoundsoutsidethevanandgraduallydiesaway。Stillness……Inthenextvanabullockuttersaprolongedsubdued\"moo,\"asthoughitweresinging。
Yashacomesback。Acolddampwinddartsintothevan。
\"Shutthedoor,Yasha,andwewillgotobed,\"saystheoldman。
\"Whyburnacandlefornothing?\"
Yashamovestheheavydoor;thereisasoundofawhistle,theengineandthetrainsetoff。
\"It’scold,\"mutterstheoldman,stretchinghimselfonthecapeandlayinghisheadonabundle。\"Itisverydifferentathome!
It’swarmandcleanandsoft,andthereisroomtosayyourprayers,buthereweareworseoffthananypigs。It’sfourdaysandnightssinceIhavetakenoffmyboots。\"
Yasha,staggeringfromthejoltingofthetrain,opensthelanternandsnuffsoutthewickwithhiswetfingers。Thelightflaresup,hisseslikeafryingpanandgoesout。
\"Yes,mylad,\"Malahingoeson,ashefeelsYashaliedownbesidehimandtheyoungman’shugebackhuddleagainsthisown,\"it’scold。Thereisadraughtfromeverycrack。Ifyourmotheroryoursisterweretosleephereforonenighttheywouldbedeadbymorning。Thereitis,mylad,youwouldn’tstudyandgotothehighschoollikeyourbrothers,soyoumusttakethecattlewithyourfather。It’syourownfault,youhaveonlyyourselftoblame……Yourbrothersareasleepintheirbedsnow,theyaresnugunderthebedclothes,butyou,thecarelessandlazyone,areinthesameboxasthecattle……Yes……\"
Theoldman’swordsareinaudibleinthenoiseofthetrain,butforalongtimehegoesonmuttering,sighingandclearinghisthroat……ThecoldairintherailwayvangrowsthickerandmorestiflingThepungentodoroffreshdungandsmolderingcandlemakesitsorepulsiveandacridthatitirritatesYasha’sthroatandchestashefallsasleep。Hecoughsandsneezes,whiletheoldman,beingaccustomedtoit,breatheswithhiswholechestasthoughnothingwereamiss,andmerelyclearshisthroat。
Tojudgefromtheswayingofthevanandtherattleofthewheelsthetrainismovingrapidlyandunevenly。Theenginebreathesheavily,snortingoutoftimewiththepulsationofthetrain,andaltogetherthereisamedleyofsounds。Thebullockshuddletogetheruneasilyandknocktheirhornsagainstthewalls。
Whentheoldmanwakesup,thedeepblueskyofearlymorningispeepinginatthecracksandatthelittleuncoveredwindow。Hefeelsunbearablycold,especiallyinthebackandthefeet。Thetrainisstandingstill;Yasha,sleepyandmorose,isbusywiththecattle。
Theoldmanwakesupoutofhumor。Frowningandgloomy,heclearshisthroatangrilyandlooksfromunderhisbrowsatYashawho,supportingabullockwithhispowerfulshoulderandslightlyliftingit,istryingtodisentangleitsleg。
\"Itoldyoulastnightthatthecordsweretoolong,\"mutterstheoldman;\"butno,’It’snottoolong,Daddy。’There’snomakingyoudoanything,youwillhaveeverythingyourownway……
Blockhead!\"
Heangrilymovesthedooropenandthelightrushesintothevan。
Apassengertrainisstandingexactlyoppositethedoor,andbehinditaredbuildingwitharoofed-inplatform——abigstationwitharefreshmentbar。Theroofsandbridgesofthetrains,theearth,thesleepers,allarecoveredwithathincoatingoffluffy,freshlyfallensnow。Inthespacesbetweenthecarriagesofthepassengertrainthepassengerscanbeseenmovingtoandfro,andared-haired,red-facedgendarmewalkingupanddown;awaiterinafrock-coatandasnow-whiteshirt-front,lookingcoldandsleepy,andprobablyverymuchdissatisfiedwithhisfate,isrunningalongtheplatformcarryingaglassofteaandtworusksonatray。
Theoldmangetsupandbeginssayinghisprayerstowardstheeast。Yasha,havingfinishedwiththebullockandputdownthespadeinthecorner,standsbesidehimandsayshisprayersalso。
Hemerelymoveshislipsandcrosseshimself;thefatherpraysinaloudwhisperandpronouncestheendofeachprayeraloudanddistinctly。
\"……Andthelifeoftheworldtocome。Amen,\"theoldmansaysaloud,drawsinabreath,andatoncewhispersanotherprayer,rappingoutclearlyandfirmlyattheend:\"……andlaycalvesuponThyaltar!\"
Aftersayinghisprayers,Yashahurriedlycrosseshimselfandsays:\"Fivekopecks,please。\"
Andonbeinggiventhefive-kopeckpiece,hetakesaredcopperteapotandrunstothestationforboilingwater。Takinglongjumpsovertherailsandsleepers,leavinghugetracksinthefeatherysnow,andpouringawayyesterday’steaoutoftheteapotherunstotherefreshmentroomandjingleshisfive-kopeckpieceagainsthisteapot。Fromthevanthebar-keepercanbeseenpushingawaythebigteapotandrefusingtogivehalfofhissamovarforfivekopecks,butYashaturnsthetaphimselfand,spreadingwidehiselbowssoasnottobeinterferedwithfillshisteapotwithboilingwater。
\"Damnedblackguard!\"thebar-keepershoutsafterhimasherunsbacktotherailwayvan。
ThescowlingfaceofMalahingrowsalittlebrighteroverthetea。
\"Weknowhowtoeatanddrink,butwedon’trememberourwork。
Yesterdaywecoulddonothingalldaybuteatanddrink,andI’llbeboundweforgottoputdownwhatwespent。Whatamemory!Lordhavemercyonus!\"
Theoldmanrecallsaloudtheexpenditureofthedaybefore,andwritesdowninatatterednotebookwhereandhowmuchhehadgiventoguards,engine-drivers,oilers……
Meanwhilethepassengertrainhaslongagogoneoff,andanenginerunsbackwardsandforwardsontheemptyline,apparentlywithoutanydefiniteobject,butsimplyenjoyingitsfreedom。Thesunhasrisenandisplayingonthesnow;brightdropsarefallingfromthestationroofandthetopsofthevans。
Havingfinishedhistea,theoldmanlazilysauntersfromthevantothestation。Hereinthemiddleofthefirst-classwaiting-roomheseesthefamiliarfigureoftheguardstandingbesidethestation-master,ayoungmanwithahandsomebeardandinamagnificentroughwoollenovercoat。Theyoungman,probablynewtohisposition,standsinthesameplace,gracefullyshiftingfromonefoottotheotherlikeagoodracehorse,looksfromsidetoside,saluteseveryonethatpassesby,smilesandscrewsuphiseyes……Heisred-cheeked,sturdy,andgood-humored;hisfaceisfullofeagerness,andisasfreshasthoughhehadjustfallenfromtheskywiththefeatherysnow。
SeeingMalahin,theguardsighsguiltilyandthrowsuphishands。
\"Wecan’tgonumberfourteen,\"hesays。\"Weareverymuchbehindtime。Anothertrainhasgonewiththatnumber。\"
Thestation-masterrapidlylooksthroughsomeforms,thenturnshisbeamingblueeyesuponMalahin,and,hisfaceradiantwithsmilesandfreshness,showersquestionsonhim:
\"YouareMr。Malahin?Youhavethecattle?Eightvanloads?Whatistobedonenow?YouarelateandIletnumberfourteengointhenight。Whatarewetodonow?\"
TheyoungmandiscreetlytakesholdofthefurofMalahin’scoatwithtwopinkfingersand,shiftingfromonefoottotheother,explainsaffablyandconvincinglythatsuchandsuchnumbershavegonealready,andthatsuchandsucharegoing,andthatheisreadytodoforMalahineverythinginhispower。AndfromhisfaceitisevidentthatheisreadytodoanythingtopleasenotonlyMalahin,butthewholeworld——heissohappy,sopleased,andsodelighted!Theoldmanlistens,andthoughhecanmakeabsolutelynothingoftheintricatesystemofnumberingthetrains,henodshisheadapprovingly,andhe,too,putstwofingersonthesoftwooloftheroughcoat。Heenjoysseeingandhearingthepoliteandgenialyoungman。Toshowgoodwillonhissidealso,hetakesoutaten-roublenoteand,afteramoment’sthought,addsacoupleofroublenotestoit,andgivesthemtothestation-master。Thelattertakesthem,putshisfingertohiscap,andgracefullythruststhemintohispocket。
\"Well,gentlemen,can’twearrangeitlikethis?\"hesays,kindledbyanewideathathasflashedonhim。\"Thetrooptrainislate,……asyousee,itisnothere,……sowhyshouldn’tyougoasthetrooptrain?**AndIwillletthetrooptraingoastwenty-eight。Eh?\"
\"Ifyoulike,\"agreestheguard。
\"Excellent!\"thestation-mastersays,delighted。\"Inthatcasethereisnoneedforyoutowaithere;youcansetoffatonce。
I’lldispatchyouimmediately。Excellent!\"
HesalutesMalahinandrunsofftohisroom,readingformsashegoes。Theoldmanisverymuchpleasedbytheconversationthathasjusttakenplace;hesmilesandlooksabouttheroomasthoughlookingforsomethingelseagreeable。
\"We’llhaveadrink,though,\"hesays,takingtheguard’sarm。
\"Itseemsalittleearlyfordrinking。\"
\"No,youmustletmetreatyoutoaglassinafriendlyway。\"
Theybothgototherefreshmentbar。Afterhavingadrinktheguardspendsalongtimeselectingsomethingtoeat。
Heisaverystout,elderlyman,withapuffyanddiscoloredface。Hisfatnessisunpleasant,flabby-looking,andheissallowaspeoplearewhodrinktoomuchandsleepirregularly。
\"Andnowwemighthaveasecondglass,\"saysMalahin。\"It’scoldnow,it’snosintodrink。Pleasetakesome。SoIcanrelyuponyou,Mr。Guard,thattherewillbenohindranceorunpleasantnessfortherestofthejourney。Foryouknowinmovingcattleeveryhourisprecious。To-daymeatisoneprice;andto-morrow,lookyou,itwillbeanother。Ifyouareadayortwolateanddon’tgetyourprice,insteadofaprofityougethome——excusemysayingit——withoutyourbreeches。Praytakealittle……
Irelyonyou,andasforstandingyousomethingorwhatyoulike,Ishallbepleasedtoshowyoumyrespectatanytime。\"
Afterhavingfedtheguard,Malahingoesbacktothevan。
\"Ihavejustgotholdofthetrooptrain,\"hesaystohisson。
\"Weshallgoquickly。Theguardsaysifwegoallthewaywiththatnumberweshallarriveateighto’clockto-morrowevening。
Ifonedoesnotbestironeself,myboy,onegetsnothing……
That’sso……Soyouwatchandlearn……\"
Afterthefirstbellamanwithafaceblackwithsoot,inablouseandfilthyfrayedtrousershangingveryslack,comestothedoorofthevan。Thisistheoiler,whohadbeencreepingunderthecarriagesandtappingthewheelswithahammer。
\"Aretheseyourvansofcattle?\"heasks。
\"Yes。Why?\"
\"Why,becausetwoofthevansarenotsafe。Theycan’tgoon,theymuststayheretoberepaired。\"
\"Oh,come,tellusanother!Yousimplywantadrink,togetsomethingoutofme……Youshouldhavesaidso。\"
\"Asyouplease,onlyitismydutytoreportitatonce。\"
Withoutindignationorprotest,simply,almostmechanically,theoldmantakestwotwenty-kopeckpiecesoutofhispocketandgivesthemtotheoiler。Hetakesthemverycalmly,too,andlookinggood-naturedlyattheoldmanentersintoconversation。
\"Youaregoingtosellyourcattle,Isuppose……It’sgoodbusiness!\"
Malahinsighsand,lookingcalmlyattheoiler’sblackface,tellshimthattradingincattleusedcertainlytobeprofitable,butnowithasbecomeariskyandlosingbusiness。
\"Ihaveamatehere,\"theoilerinterruptshim。\"Youmerchantgentlemenmightmakehimalittlepresent……\"
Malahingivessomethingtothematetoo。Thetrooptraingoesquicklyandthewaitsatthestationsarecomparativelyshort。
Theoldmanispleased。Thepleasantimpressionmadebytheyoungmanintheroughovercoathasgonedeep,thevodkahehasdrunkslightlycloudshisbrain,theweatherismagnificent,andeverythingseemstobegoingwell。Hetalkswithoutceasing,andateverystoppingplacerunstotherefreshmentbar。Feelingtheneedofalistener,hetakeswithhimfirsttheguard,andthentheengine-driver,anddoesnotsimplydrink,butmakesalongbusinessofit,withsuitableremarksandclinkingofglasses。
\"Youhaveyourjobandwehaveours,\"hesayswithanaffablesmile。\"MayGodprosperusandyou,andnotourwillbutHisbedone。\"
Thevodkagraduallyexciteshimandheisworkeduptoagreatpitchofenergy。Hewantstobestirhimself,tofussabout,tomakeinquiries,totalkincessantly。Atoneminutehefumblesinhispocketsandbundlesandlooksforsomeform。Thenhethinksofsomethingandcannotrememberit;thentakesouthispocketbook,andwithnosortofobjectcountsoverhismoney。Hebustlesabout,sighsandgroans,claspshishands……Layingoutbeforehimthelettersandtelegramsfromthemeatsalesmeninthecity,bills,postofficeandtelegraphicreceiptforms,andhisnotebook,hereflectsaloudandinsistsonYasha’slistening。
Andwhenheistiredofreadingoverformsandtalkingaboutprices,hegetsoutatthestoppingplaces,runstothevanswherehiscattleare,doesnothing,butsimplyclaspshishandsandexclaimsinhorror。
\"Oh,dear!oh,dear!\"hesaysinacomplainingvoice。\"HolyMartyrVlassy!Thoughtheyarebullocks,thoughtheyarebeasts,yettheywanttoeatanddrinkasmendo……It’sfourdaysandnightssincetheyhavedrunkoreaten。Oh,dear!oh,dear!\"
Yashafollowshimanddoeswhatheistoldlikeanobedientson。
Hedoesnotliketheoldman’sfrequentvisitstotherefreshmentbar。Thoughheisafraidofhisfather,hecannotrefrainfromremarkingonit。
\"Soyouhavebegunalready!\"hesays,lookingsternlyattheoldman。\"Whatareyourejoicingat?Isityourname-dayorwhat?\"
\"Don’tyoudareteachyourfather。\"
\"Finegoingson!\"
WhenhehasnottofollowhisfatheralongtheothervansYashasitsonthecapeandstrumsontheaccordion。Occasionallyhegetsoutandwalkslazilybesidethetrain;hestandsbytheengineandturnsaprolonged,unmovingstareonthewheelsorontheworkmentossingblocksofwoodintothetender;thehotenginewheezes,thefallingblockscomedownwiththemellow,heartythudoffreshwood;theengine-driverandhisassistant,veryphlegmaticandimperturbablepersons,performincomprehensiblemovementsanddon’thurrythemselves。Afterstandingforawhilebytheengine,Yashasaunterslazilytothestation;herehelooksattheeatablesintherefreshmentbar,readsaloudsomequiteuninterestingnotice,andgoesbackslowlytothecattlevan。Hisfaceexpressesneitherboredomnordesire;apparentlyhedoesnotcarewhereheis,athome,inthevan,orbytheengine。
Towardseveningthetrainstopsnearabigstation。Thelampshaveonlyjustbeenlightedalongtheline;againstthebluebackgroundinthefreshlimpidairthelightsarebrightandpalelikestars;theyareonlyredandglowingunderthestationroof,whereitisalreadydark。Allthelinesareloadedupwithcarriages,anditseemsthatifanothertraincameintherewouldbenoplaceforit。Yasharunstothestationforboilingwatertomaketheeveningtea。Well-dressedladiesandhigh-schoolboysarewalkingontheplatform。Ifonelooksintothedistancefromtheplatformtherearefar-awaylightstwinklingintheeveningduskonbothsidesofthestation——thatisthetown。
Whattown?Yashadoesnotcaretoknow。Heseesonlythedimlightsandwretchedbuildingsbeyondthestation,hearsthecabmenshouting,feelsasharp,coldwindonhisface,andimaginesthatthetownisprobablydisagreeable,uncomfortable,anddull。
Whiletheyarehavingtea,whenitisquitedarkandalanternishangingonthewallagainasonthepreviousevening,thetrainquiversfromaslightshockandbeginsmovingbackwards。Aftergoingalittlewayitstops;theyhearindistinctshouts,someonesetsthechainsclankingnearthebuffersandshouts,\"Ready!\"Thetrainmovesandgoesforward。Tenminuteslateritisdraggedbackagain。
Gettingoutofthevan,Malahindoesnotrecognizehistrain。Hiseightvansofbullocksarestandinginthesamerowwithsometrolleyswhichwerenotapartofthetrainbefore。Twoorthreeoftheseareloadedwithrubbleandtheothersareempty。Theguardsrunningtoandfroontheplatformarestrangers。Theygiveunwillingandindistinctanswerstohisquestions。TheyhavenothoughtstospareforMalahin;theyareinahurrytogetthetraintogethersoastofinishassoonaspossibleandbebackinthewarmth。
\"Whatnumberisthis?\"asksMalahin\"Numbereighteen。\"
\"Andwhereisthetrooptrain?Whyhaveyoutakenmeoffthetrooptrain?\"
Gettingnoanswer,theoldmangoestothestation。Helooksfirstforthefamiliarfigureoftheheadguardand,notfindinghim,goestothestation-master。Thestation-masterissittingatatableinhisownroom,turningoverabundleofforms。Heisbusy,andaffectsnottoseethenewcomer。Hisappearanceisimpressive:acroppedblackhead,prominentears,alonghookednose,aswarthyface;hehasaforbiddingand,asitwere,offendedexpression。Malahinbeginsmakinghiscomplaintatgreatlength。
\"What?\"queriesthestation-master。\"Howisthis?\"Heleansagainstthebackofhischairandgoeson,growingindignant:
\"Whatisit?andwhyshouldn’tyougobynumbereighteen?Speakmoreclearly,Idon’tunderstand!Howisit?Doyouwantmetobeeverywhereatonce?\"
Heshowersquestionsonhim,andfornoapparentreasongrowssternerandsterner。Malahinisalreadyfeelinginhispocketforhispocketbook,butintheendthestation-master,aggrievedandindignant,forsomeunknownreasonjumpsupfromhisseatandrunsoutoftheroom。Malahinshrugshisshoulders,andgoesouttolookforsomeoneelsetospeakto。
Fromboredomorfromadesiretoputthefinishingstroketoabusyday,orsimplythatawindowwiththeinscription\"Telegraph!\"onitcatcheshiseye,hegoestothewindowandexpressesadesiretosendoffatelegram。Takingupapen,hethinksforamoment,andwritesonablueform:\"Urgent。TrafficManager。Eightvansoflivestock。Delayedateverystation。
Kindlysendanexpressnumber。Replypaid。Malahin。\"
Havingsentoffthetelegram,hegoesbacktothestation-master’sroom。Therehefinds,sittingonasofacoveredwithgraycloth,abenevolent-lookinggentlemaninspectaclesandacapofraccoonfur;heiswearingapeculiarovercoatverymuchlikealady’s,edgedwithfur,withfrogsandslashedsleeves。
Anothergentleman,dried-upandsinewy,wearingtheuniformofarailwayinspector,standsfacinghim。
\"Justthinkofit,\"saystheinspector,addressingthegentlemaninthequeerovercoat。\"I’lltellyouanincidentthatreallyisA1!TheZ。railwaylineinthecoolestpossiblewaystolethreehundredtrucksfromtheN。line。It’safact,sir!Iswearit!
Theycarriedthemoff,repaintedthem,puttheirlettersonthem,andthat’sallaboutit。TheN。linesendsitsagentseverywhere,theyhuntandhunt。Andthen——canyouimagineit?——theCompanyhappentocomeuponabroken-downcarriageoftheZ。
line。Theyrepairitattheirdepot,andallatonce,blessmysoul!seetheirownmarkonthewheelsWhatdoyousaytothat?
Eh?IfIdidittheywouldsendmetoSiberia,buttherailwaycompaniessimplysnaptheirfingersatit!\"
ItispleasanttoMalahintotalktoeducated,culturedpeople。
Hestrokeshisbeardandjoinsintheconversationwithdignity。
\"Takethiscase,gentlemen,forinstance,\"hesays。IamtransportingcattletoX。Eightvanloads。Verygood……Nowletussaytheychargemeforeachvanloadasaweightoftentons;eightbullocksdon’tweightentons,butmuchless,yettheydon’ttakeanynoticeofthat……\"
AtthatinstantYashawalksintotheroomlookingforhisfather。
Helistensandisabouttositdownonachair,butprobablythinkingofhisweightgoesandsitsonthewindow-sill\"Theydon’ttakeanynoticeofthat,\"Malahingoeson,\"andchargemeandmysonthethird-classfare,too,forty-tworoubles,forgoinginthevanwiththebullocks。ThisismysonYakov。Ihavetwomoreathome,buttheyhavegoneinforstudy。
Wellandapartfromthatitismyopinionthattherailwayshaveruinedthecattletrade。Inolddayswhentheydrovetheminherdsitwasbetter。\"
Theoldman’stalkislengthyanddrawnout。AftereverysentencehelooksatYashaasthoughhewouldsay:\"SeehowIamtalkingtocleverpeople。\"
\"Uponmyword!\"theinspectorinterruptshim。\"Nooneisindignant,noonecriticizes。Andwhy?Itisverysimple。Anabominationstrikestheeyeandarousesindignationonlywhenitisexceptional,whentheestablishedorderisbrokenbyit。Here,where,savingyourpresence,itconstitutesthelong-establishedprogramandformsandentersintothebasisoftheorderitself,whereeverysleeperonthelinebearsthetraceofitandstinksofit,onetooeasilygrowsaccustomedtoit!Yes,sir!\"
Thesecondbellrings,thegentlemeninthequeerovercoatgetsup。Theinspectortakeshimbythearmand,stilltalkingwithheat,goesoffwithhimtotheplatform。Afterthethirdbellthestation-masterrunsintohisroom,andsitsdownathistable。
\"Listen,withwhatnumberamItogo?\"asksMalahin。
Thestation-masterlooksataformandsaysindignantly:
\"AreyouMalahin,eightvanloads?Youmustpayaroubleavanandsixroublesandtwentykopecksforstamps。Youhavenostamps。
Total,fourteenroubles,twentykopecks。\"
Receivingthemoney,hewritessomethingdown,driesitwithsand,and,hurriedlysnatchingupabundleofforms,goesquicklyoutoftheroom。
Atteno’clockintheeveningMalahingetsananswerfromthetrafficmanager:\"Giveprecedence。\"
Readingthetelegramthrough,theoldmanwinkssignificantlyand,verywellpleasedwithhimself,putsitinhispocket。
\"Here,\"hesaystoYasha,\"lookandlearn。\"
Atmidnighthistraingoeson。Thenightisdarkandcoldlikethepreviousone;thewaitsatthestationsarelong。Yashasitsonthecapeandimperturbablystrumsontheaccordion,whiletheoldmanisstillmoreeagertoexerthimself。Atoneofthestationsheisovertakenbyadesiretolodgeacomplaint。
Athisrequestagendarmesitsdownandwrites:
\"November10,188。——I,non-commissionedofficeroftheZ。
sectionoftheN。policedepartmentofrailways,IlyaTchered,inaccordancewitharticleIIofthestatuteofMay19,1871,havedrawnupthisprotocolatthestationofX。asherewithfollows……\"
\"WhatamItowritenext?\"asksthegendarme。
Malahinlaysoutbeforehimforms,postalandtelegraphreceipts,accounts……Hedoesnotknowhimselfdefinitelywhathewantsofthegendarme;hewantstodescribeintheprotocolnotanyseparateepisodebuthiswholejourney,withallhislossesandconversationswithstation-masters——todescribeitlengthilyandvindictively。
\"AtthestationofZ。,\"hesays,\"writethatthestation-masterunlinkedmyvansfromthetrooptrainbecausehedidnotlikemycountenance。\"
Andhewantsthegendarmetobesuretomentionhiscountenance。
Thelatterlistenswearily,andgoesonwritingwithouthearinghimtotheend。Heendshisprotocolthus:
\"TheabovedepositionI,non-commissionedofficerTchered,havewrittendowninthisprotocolwithaviewtopresentittotheheadoftheZ。section,andhavehandedacopythereoftoGavrilMalahin。\"
Theoldmantakesthecopy,addsittothepaperswithwhichhissidepocketisstuffed,and,muchpleased,goesbacktohisvan。
InthemorningMalahinwakesupagaininabadhumor,buthiswrathventsitselfnotonYashabutthecattle。
\"Thecattlearedonefor!\"hegrumbles。\"Theyaredonefor!Theyareatthelastgasp!Godbemyjudge!theywillalldie。Tfoo!\"
Thebullocks,whohavehadnothingtodrinkformanydays,torturedbythirst,arelickingthehoarfrostonthewalls,andwhenMalachingoesuptothemtheybeginlickinghiscoldfurjacket。Fromtheirclear,tearfuleyesitcanbeseenthattheyareexhaustedbythirstandthejoltingofthetrain,thattheyarehungryandmiserable。
\"It’sanicejobtakingyoubyrail,youwretchedbrutes!\"
muttersMalahin。\"Icouldwishyouweredeadtogetitover!Itmakesmesicktolookatyou!\"
Atmiddaythetrainstopsatabigstationwhere,accordingtotheregulations,therewasdrinkingwaterprovidedforcattle。
Waterisgiventothecattle,butthebullockswillnotdrinkit:
thewateristoocold……
*******
Twomoredaysandnightspass,andatlastinthedistanceinthemurkyfogthecitycomesintosight。Thejourneyisover。Thetraincomestoastandstillbeforereachingthetown,nearagoods’station。Thebullocks,releasedfromthevan,staggerandstumbleasthoughtheywerewalkingonslipperyice。
Havinggotthroughtheunloadingandveterinaryinspection,MalahinandYashatakeuptheirquartersinadirty,cheaphotelintheoutskirtsofthetown,inthesquareinwhichthecattle-marketisheld。Theirlodgingsarefilthyandtheirfoodisdisgusting,unlikewhattheyeverhaveathome;theysleeptotheharshstrainsofawretchedsteamhurdy-gurdywhichplaysdayandnightintherestaurantundertheirlodging。
Theoldmanspendshistimefrommorningtillnightgoingaboutlookingforpurchasers,andYashasitsfordaysinthehotelroom,orgoesoutintothestreettolookatthetown。Heseesthefilthysquareheapedupwithdung,thesignboardsofrestaurants,theturretedwallsofamonasteryinthefog。
Sometimesherunsacrossthestreetandlooksintothegrocer’sshop,admiresthejarsofcakesofdifferentcolors,yawns,andlazilysauntersbacktohisroom。Thecitydoesnotinteresthim。
Atlastthebullocksaresoldtoadealer。Malahinhiresdrovers。
Thecattlearedividedintoherds,tenineach,anddriventotheotherendofthetown。Thebullocks,exhausted,gowithdroopingheadsthroughthenoisystreets,andlookindifferentlyatwhattheyseeforthefirstandlasttimeintheirlives。Thetattereddroverswalkafterthem,theirheadsdroopingtoo。Theyarebored……Nowandthensomedroverstartsoutofhisbrooding,remembersthattherearecattleinfrontofhimintrustedtohischarge,andtoshowthatheisdoinghisdutybringsastickdownfullswingonabullock’sback。Thebullockstaggerswiththepain,runsforwardadozenpaces,andlooksabouthimasthoughhewereashamedatbeingbeatenbeforepeople。
Aftersellingthebullocksandbuyingforhisfamilypresentssuchastheycouldperfectlywellhaveboughtathome,MalahinandYashagetreadyfortheirjourneyback。Threehoursbeforethetraingoestheoldman,whohasalreadyhadadroptoomuchwiththepurchaserandsoisfussy,goesdownwithYashatotherestaurantandsitsdowntodrinktea。Likeallprovincials,hecannoteatanddrinkalone:hemusthavecompanyasfussyandasfondofsedateconversationashimself。
\"Callthehost!\"hesaystothewaiter;\"tellhimIshouldliketoentertainhim。\"
Thehotel-keeper,awell-fedman,absolutelyindifferenttohislodgers,comesandsitsdowntothetable。
\"Well,wehavesoldourstock,\"Malahinsays,laughing。\"Ihaveswappedmygoatforahawk。Why,whenwesetoffthepriceofmeatwasthreeroublesninetykopecks,butwhenwearrivedithaddroppedtothreeroublestwenty-five。Theytelluswearetoolate,weshouldhavebeenherethreedaysearlier,fornowthereisnotthesamedemandformeat,St。Philip’sfasthascome……Eh?It’sanicehow-do-you-do!Itmeantalossoffourteenroublesoneachbullock。Yes。Butonlythinkwhatitcoststobringthestock!Fifteenroublescarriage,andyoumustputdownsixroublesforeachbullock,tips,bribes,drinks,andonethingandanother……\"
Thehotel-keeperlistensoutofpolitenessandreluctantlydrinkstea。Malahinsighsandgroans,gesticulates,jestsabouthisill-luck,buteverythingshowsthatthelosshehassustaineddoesnottroublehimmuch。Hedoesn’tmindwhetherhehaslostorgainedaslongashehaslisteners,hassomethingtomakeafussabout,andisnotlateforhistrain。
AnhourlaterMalahinandYasha,ladenwithbagsandboxes,godownstairsfromthehotelroomtothefrontdoortogetintoasledgeanddrivetothestation。Theyareseenoffbythehotel-keeper,thewaiter,andvariouswomen。Theoldmanistouched。Hethruststen-kopeckpiecesinalldirections,andsaysinasing-songvoice:
\"Goodby,goodhealthtoyou!Godgrantthatallmaybewellwithyou。PleaseGodifwearealiveandwellweshallcomeagaininLent。Good-by。Thankyou。Godblessyou!\"
Gettingintothesledge,theoldmanspendsalongtimecrossinghimselfinthedirectioninwhichthemonasterywallsmakeapatchofdarknessinthefog。Yashasitsbesidehimontheveryedgeoftheseatwithhislegshangingovertheside。Hisfaceasbeforeshowsnosignofemotionandexpressesneitherboredomnordesire。Heisnotgladthatheisgoinghome,norsorrythathehasnothadtimetoseethesightsofthecity。
\"Driveon!\"
Thecabmanwhipsupthehorseand,turninground,beginsswearingattheheavyandcumbersomeluggage。
————*Onmanyrailwaylines,inordertoavoidaccidents,itisagainsttheregulationstocarryhayonthetrains,andsolivestockarewithoutfodderonthejourney。——Author’sNote。
**Thetraindestinedespeciallyforthetransportoftroopsiscalledthetrooptrain;whentheyarenotroopsittakesgoods,andgoesmorerapidlythanordinarygoodstrain。——Author’sNote。
SORROW
THEturner,GrigoryPetrov,whohadbeenknownforyearspastasasplendidcraftsman,andatthesametimeasthemostsenselesspeasantintheGaltchinskoydistrict,wastakinghisoldwomantothehospital。Hehadtodriveovertwentymiles,anditwasanawfulroad。Agovernmentpostdrivercouldhardlyhavecopedwithit,muchlessanincompetentsluggardlikeGrigory。A
cuttingcoldwindwasblowingstraightinhisface。Cloudsofsnowflakeswerewhirlingroundandroundinalldirections,sothatonecouldnottellwhetherthesnowwasfallingfromtheskyorrisingfromtheearth。Thefields,thetelegraphposts,andtheforestcouldnotbeseenforthefogofsnow。AndwhenaparticularlyviolentgustofwindswoopeddownonGrigory,eventheyokeabovethehorse’sheadcouldnotbeseen。Thewretched,feeblelittlenagcrawledslowlyalong。Ittookallitsstrengthtodragitslegsoutofthesnowandtotugwithitshead。Theturnerwasinahurry。Hekeptrestlesslyhoppingupanddownonthefrontseatandlashingthehorse’sback。
\"Don’tcry,Matryona,……\"hemuttered。\"Havealittlepatience。PleaseGodweshallreachthehospital,andinatriceitwillbetherightthingforyou……PavelIvanitchwillgiveyousomelittledrops,ortellthemtobleedyou;ormaybehishonorwillbepleasedtorubyouwithsomesortofspirit——
it’ll……drawitoutofyourside。PavelIvanitchwilldohisbest。Hewillshoutandstampabout,buthewilldohisbest……Heisanicegentleman,affable,Godgivehimhealth!Assoonaswegettherehewilldartoutofhisroomandwillbegincallingmenames。’How?Whyso?’hewillcry。’Whydidyounotcomeattherighttime?Iamnotadogtobehangingaboutwaitingonyoudevilsallday。Whydidyounotcomeinthemorning?Goaway!Getoutofmysight。Comeagainto-morrow。’AndIshallsay:’Mr。Doctor!PavelIvanitch!Yourhonor!’Geton,do!plaguetakeyou,youdevil!Geton!\"
Theturnerlashedhisnag,andwithoutlookingattheoldwomanwentonmutteringtohimself:
\"’Yourhonor!It’strueasbeforeGod……Here’stheCrossforyou,Isetoffalmostbeforeitwaslight。HowcouldIbehereintimeiftheLord……TheMotherofGod……iswroth,andhassentsuchasnowstorm?Kindlylookforyourself