“Allright，“assentedthesoldierwiththesling。“I’llcarryyou，youcan’twalk，holdontomyneck。“
Gusevputhisarmroundthesoldier’sneck，thelatterputhisunhurtarmroundhimandcarriedhimup。Onthedecksailorsandtime-expiredsoldierswerelyingasleepsidebyside；thereweresomanyofthemitwasdifficulttopass。
“Standdown，“thesoldierwiththeslingsaidsoftly。“Followmequietly，holdontomyshirt。“
Itwasdark。Therewasnolightondeck，noronthemasts，noranywhereontheseaaround。Atthefurthestendoftheshipthemanonwatchwasstandingperfectlystilllikeastatue，anditlookedasthoughhewereasleep。Itseemedasthoughthesteamerwereabandonedtoitselfandweregoingatitsownwill。
“NowtheywillthrowPavelIvanitchintothesea，“saidthesoldierwiththesling。“Inasackandthenintothewater。“
“Yes，that’stherule。“
“Butit’sbettertolieathomeintheearth。Anyway，yourmothercomestothegraveandweeps。“
“Ofcourse。“
Therewasasmellofhayandofdung。Therewereoxenstandingwithdroopingheadsbytheship’srail。One，two，three；eightofthem！Andtherewasalittlehorse。Gusevputouthishandtostrokeit，butitshookitshead，showeditsteeth，andtriedtobitehissleeve。
“Damnedbrute“saidGusevangrily。
Thetwoofthem，heandthesoldier，threadedtheirwaytotheheadoftheship，thenstoodattherailandlookedupanddown。
Overheaddeepsky，brightstars，peaceandstillness，exactlyasathomeinthevillage，belowdarknessanddisorder。Thetallwaveswereresounding，noonecouldtellwhy。Whicheverwaveyoulookedateachonewastryingtorisehigherthanalltherestandtochaseandcrushthenextone；afteritathirdasfierceandhideousflewnoisily，withaglintoflightonitswhitecrest。
Theseahasnosenseandnopity。Ifthesteamerhadbeensmallerandnotmadeofthickiron，thewaveswouldhavecrushedittopieceswithouttheslightestcompunction，andwouldhavedevouredallthepeopleinitwithnodistinctionofsaintsorsinners。
Thesteamerhadthesamecruelandmeaninglessexpression。Thismonsterwithitshugebeakwasdashingonwards，cuttingmillionsofwavesinitspath；ithadnofearofthedarknessnorthewind，norofspace，norofsolitude，caringfornothing，andiftheoceanhaditspeople，thismonsterwouldhavecrushedthem，too，withoutdistinctionofsaintsorsinners。
“Wherearewenow？“askedGusev。
“Idon’tknow。Wemustbeintheocean。“
“Thereisnosightofland。“
“Noindeed！Theysayweshan’tseeitforsevendays。“
Thetwosoldierswatchedthewhitefoamwiththephosphoruslightonitandweresilent，thinking。Gusevwasthefirsttobreakthesilence。
“Thereisnothingtobeafraidof，“hesaid，“onlyoneisfullofdreadasthoughoneweresittinginadarkforest；butif，forinstance，theyletaboatdownontothewaterthisminuteandanofficerorderedmetogoahundredmilesovertheseatocatchfish，I’dgo。Or，let’ssay，ifaChristianweretofallintothewaterthisminute，I’dgoinafterhim。AGermanoraChinamanI
wouldn’tsave，butI’dgoinafteraChristian。“
“Andareyouafraidtodie？“
“Yes。Iamsorryforthefolksathome。Mybrotherathome，youknow，isn’tsteady；hedrinks，hebeatshiswifefornothing，hedoesnothonourhisparents。Everythingwillgotoruinwithoutme，andfatherandmyoldmotherwillbebeggingtheirbread，I
shouldn’twonder。Butmylegswon’tbearme，brother，andit’shothere。Let’sgotosleep。“
Gusevwentbacktothewardandgotintohishammock。Hewasagaintormentedbyavaguecraving，andhecouldnotmakeoutwhathewanted。Therewasanoppressiononhischest，athrobbinginhishead，hismouthwassodrythatitwasdifficultforhimtomovehistongue。Hedozed，andmurmuredinhissleep，and，wornoutwithnightmares，hiscough，andthestiflingheat，towardsmorninghefellintoasoundsleep。Hedreamedthattheywerejusttakingthebreadoutoftheoveninthebarracksandheclimbedintothestoveandhadasteambathinit，lashinghimselfwithabunchofbirchtwigs。Hesleptfortwodays，andatmiddayonthethirdtwosailorscamedownandcarriedhimout。
Hewassewnupinsailclothandtomakehimheaviertheyputwithhimtwoironweights。Sewnupinthesailclothhelookedlikeacarrotoraradish:broadattheheadandnarrowatthefeet……Beforesunsettheybroughthimuptothedeckandputhimonaplank；oneendoftheplanklayonthesideoftheship，theotheronabox，placedonastool。Roundhimstoodthesoldiersandtheofficerswiththeircapsoff。
“BlessedbetheNameoftheLord“thepriestbegan。“Asitwasinthebeginning，isnow，andevershallbe。“
“Amen，“chantedthreesailors。
Thesoldiersandtheofficerscrossedthemselvesandlookedawayatthewaves。Itwasstrangethatamanshouldbesewnupinsailclothandshouldsoonbeflyingintothesea。Wasitpossiblethatsuchathingmighthappentoanyone？
TheprieststrewedearthuponGusevandboweddown。Theysang“EternalMemory。“
Themanonwatchdutytilteduptheendoftheplank，Gusevslidoffandflewheadforemost，turnedasomersaultintheairandsplashedintothesea。Hewascoveredwithfoamandforamomentlookedasthoughhewerewrappedinlace，buttheminutepassedandhedisappearedinthewaves。
Hewentrapidlytowardsthebottom。Didhereachit？Itwassaidtobethreemilestothebottom。Aftersinkingsixtyorseventyfeet，hebeganmovingmoreandmoreslowly，swayingrhythmically，asthoughhewerehesitatingand，carriedalongbythecurrent，movedmorerapidlysidewaysthandownwards。
Thenhewasmetbyashoalofthefishcalledharbourpilots。
Seeingthedarkbodythefishstoppedasthoughpetrified，andsuddenlyturnedroundanddisappeared。InlessthanaminutetheyflewbackswiftasanarrowtoGusev，andbeganzig-zaggingroundhiminthewater。
Afterthatanotherdarkbodyappeared。Itwasashark。ItswamunderGusevwithdignityandnoshowofinterest，asthoughitdidnotnoticehim，andsankdownuponitsback，thenitturnedbellyupwards，baskinginthewarm，transparentwaterandlanguidlyopeneditsjawswithtworowsofteeth。Theharbourpilotsaredelighted，theystoptoseewhatwillcomenext。Afterplayingalittlewiththebodythesharknonchalantlyputsitsjawsunderit，cautiouslytouchesitwithitsteeth，andthesailclothisrentitsfulllengthfromheadtofoot；oneoftheweightsfallsoutandfrightenstheharbourpilots，andstrikingthesharkontheribsgoesrapidlytothebottom。
Overheadatthistimethecloudsaremassedtogetheronthesidewherethesunissetting；onecloudlikeatriumphalarch，anotherlikealion，athirdlikeapairofscissors。Frombehindthecloudsabroad，greenshaftoflightpiercesthroughandstretchestothemiddleofthesky；alittlelateranother，violet-coloured，liesbesideit；nextthat，oneofgold，thenonerose-coloured。Theskyturnsasoftlilac。Lookingatthisgorgeous，enchantedsky，atfirsttheoceanscowls，butsoonit，too，takestender，joyous，passionatecoloursforwhichitishardtofindanameinhumanspeech。
ATfirsttheweatherwasfineandstill。Thethrusheswerecalling，andintheswampsclosebysomethingalivedronedpitifullywithasoundlikeblowingintoanemptybottle。Asnipeflewby，andtheshotaimedatitrangoutwithagay，resoundingnoteinthespringair。Butwhenitbegantogetdarkintheforestacold，penetratingwindblewinappropriatelyfromtheeast，andeverythingsankintosilence。Needlesoficestretchedacrossthepools，anditfeltcheerless，remote，andlonelyintheforest。Therewasawhiffofwinter。
IvanVelikopolsky，thesonofasacristan，andastudentoftheclericalacademy，returninghomefromshooting，walkedallthetimebythepathinthewater-sidemeadow。Hisfingerswerenumbandhisfacewasburningwiththewind。Itseemedtohimthatthecoldthathadsuddenlycomeonhaddestroyedtheorderandharmonyofthings，thatnatureitselffeltillatease，andthatwaswhytheeveningdarknesswasfallingmorerapidlythanusual。
Allarounditwasdesertedandpeculiarlygloomy。Theonlylightwasonegleaminginthewidows’gardensneartheriver；thevillage，overthreemilesaway，andeverythinginthedistanceallroundwasplungedinthecoldeveningmist。Thestudentrememberedthat，ashewentoutfromthehouse，hismotherwassittingbarefootonthefloorintheentry，cleaningthesamovar，whilehisfatherlayonthestovecoughing；asitwasGoodFridaynothinghadbeencooked，andthestudentwasterriblyhungry。Andnow，shrinkingfromthecold，hethoughtthatjustsuchawindhadblowninthedaysofRurikandinthetimeofIvantheTerribleandPeter，andintheirtimetherehadbeenjustthesamedesperatepovertyandhunger，thesamethatchedroofswithholesinthem，ignorance，misery，thesamedesolationaround，thesamedarkness，thesamefeelingofoppression——allthesehadexisted，didexist，andwouldexist，andthelapseofathousandyearswouldmakelifenobetter。Andhedidnotwanttogohome。
