第6章

Thebuildingsofthetown(lookinglikeheapsofmuddysnow)，theblack，nakedeartharoundthosebuildings，thetreesinthegardens，thehummocksofpiled-upsoil，thedullgreyglimmerofthewindowpanesofthehouses——allthesethingsremindedmeofwinter，eventhoughthemistybreathofthenorthernspringwasbeginningtostealoverthewhole。 Presentlyayoungfellowwithflaxenhair，apendentunderlip，andatall，ungainlyfigure，bynameMishukDiatlov，essayedtotrollthestanza: “Thatmorntohimthemaidencame，Tofindhissoulhadfled。“ Whereupontheoldsoldiershouted: “Hi，you！Haveyouforgottentheday？“ AndevenBoevsawfittotakeumbrageatthesinging，and，threateningDiatlovwithhisfist，torapout: “Ah，sobatchniadusha！“[“Soulofadog。“] “Whatarude，rough，primitivelotweRussiansare！“commentedOssip，seatinghimselfatopoftheicebreaker，andscrewinguphiseyestomeasureitsfall。“Tospeakplainly，weRussiansaresheerbarbarians。Onceuponatime，Imaytellyou，ananchoritehappenedtobeonhistravels；andasthepeoplecamepressingaroundhim，andkneelingtohim，andtearfullybeseechinghimwiththewords，’0hholyfather，intercedeforuswiththewolveswhicharedevouringoursubstance！’hereplied: ’Ha！Areyou，orareyounot，OrthodoxChristians？SeethatI assignyounottocondignperdition！’Yes，angry，inverytruthhewas。Nay，heevenspatinthepeople’sfaces。Yetinrealityhewasakindlyoldman，forhiseyeskeptsheddingtearsequallywiththeirs。“ Twentysazhenibelowtheicebreakerwasagangofbarefootedsailors，engagedinhackingoutthefloesfromundertheirbarges；andastheyshatteredthebrittle，greyish-bluecrustontheriver，themattocksrangout，andthesharpbladesoftheicecuttersgleamedastheythrustthebrokenfragmentsunderthesurface。Meanwhile，therecouldbeheardabubblingofwater，andthesoundofrivuletstricklingdowntothesandymarginoftheriver。Andsimilarlyamongourowngangwasthereaudibleascrapingofplanes，andascreechingofsaws，andaclatteringofironbracesastheyweredrivenintothesmoothyellowwood，whilethroughallthewebofthesesoundsthererantheceaselesssongofthebells，asongsosoftenedbydistanceastothrillthesoul，muchasthoughdingy，burdensomelabourwereholdingrevelinhonourofspring，andcallinguponthelattertospreaditselfoverthestarved，nakedsurfaceofthegraduallythawingground。 Atthispointsomeoneshoutedhoarsely: “GoandfetchtheGerman。Wehavenotgothandsenough。“ Andfromthebanksomeonebawledinreply: “WhereIShe？“ “Inthetavern。Thatiswhereyoumustgoandlookforhim。“ Andastheymadethemselvesheard，thevoicesfloatedupturgidlyintothesoddenair，spreadthemselvesovertheriver’smournfulvoid，anddiedaway，Meanwhileourmenworkedwithindustryandspeed，butnotwithoutafaultortwo，fortheirthoughtswerefixeduponthetownanditswashhousesandchurches。AndparticularlyrestlesswasSashokDiatlov，amanwhosehair，asflaxenasthatofhisbrother，seemedtohavebeenboiledinlye。Atintervals，glancingup-river，thiswell-built，sturdyyoungfellowwouldsaysoftlytohisbrother: “It’scrackingnow，eh？“ And，certainly，theicehad“moved“twonightsago，sothatsinceyesterdaymorningtheriverwatchmenhadrefusedtopermithorsedvehiclestocross，andonlyafewbeadlikepedestriansnowweremakingtheirwayalongthemarked-outicepaths，while，astheyproceeded，onecouldhearthewaterslappingagainsttheplanksasthelatterbentunderthetravellers’weight。 “Yes，itIScracking，“atlengthMishukrepliedwithahoistofhisgingereyebrows。 Ossiptooscannedtheriverfromunderhishand。ThenhesaidtoMishuk: “Pah！Itisthedrysqueakoftheplanesinyourownhandthatyoukeephearing，sogoonwithyourwork，yousonofabeldame。 Andasforyou，Inspector，doyouhelpmetospeedupthemeninsteadofburyingyournoseinyournotebook。“ Bythistimethereremainedonlytwomorehoursforwork，andthearchoftheicebreakerhadbeenwhollysheathedinbutter-tintedscantlings，andnothingrequiredtobeaddedtoitsavethegreatironbraces。Unfortunately，BoevandSaniavin，themenwhohadbeenengageduponthetaskofcuttingoutthesocketsforthebraces，hadworkedsoamiss，andruntheirlinessostraight，that，whenitcametothepoint，thearmsofthebracesrefusedtosinkproperlyintothewood。 “Oh，youcock-eyedfoolofaMorduine！“shoutedOssip，smitinghisfistagainstthesideofhiscap。“DoyoucallTHATsortofthingwork？“ Atthisjuncturetherecamefromsomewhereonthebankaseeminglyexultantshoutof: “Ah！NOWit’sgivingway！“ Andalmostatthesamemoment，therestoleovertheriverasortofrustle，asortofquietcrunchingwhichmadetheprojectingpinebranchesquiverasthoughtheyweretryingtocatchatsomething，while，shoulderingtheirmattocks，thebarefootedsailorsnoisilyhastenedaboardtheirbargeswiththeaidofropeladders。 Andthencuriousindeedwasittoseehowmanypeoplesuddenlycameintoviewontheriver——toseehowtheyappearedtoissuefrombelowtheveryiceitself，and，hurryingtoandfrolikejackdawsstartledbytheshotofagun，todarthitherandthither，andtoseizeupplanksandboathooks，andtothrowthemdownagain，andoncemoretoseizethemup。 “Putthetoolstogether，“Ossipshouted。“Andlookalivethere，andmakeforthebank。“ “Aye，andafineEasterDayitwillbeforusonTHATbank！“ growledSashok。 Meanwhile，itwastheriverratherthanthetownthatseemedtobemotionless——thelatterhadbegun，asitwere，toquiverandreel，and，withthehillaboveit，toappeartobeglidingslowlyupstream，evenasthegrey，sandybanksometensazhenifromuswasbeginningtogrowtremulous，andtorecede。 “Run，allofyou！“shoutedOssip，givingmeaviolentpushashedidso。Thentomyselfinparticularheadded:“Whystandgapingthere？“ Thiscausedakeensenseofdangertostrikehomeinmyheart，andtomakemyfeetfeelasthoughalreadytheicewasescapingtheirtread。So，automaticallypickingthemselvesup，thosefeetstartedtobearmybodyinthedirectionofaspotonthesandybankwherethewinter-strippedbranchesofawillowtreewerewrithing，andwhithertherewerebetakingthemselvesalsoBoev，theoldsoldier，Budirin，andthebrothersDiatlov。MeanwhiletheMorduineranbymyside，cursingvigorouslyashedidso，andOssipfollowedus，walkingbackwards。 “No，no，Narodetz，“hesaid。 “But，mygoodOssip——“ “Nevermind。Whathastobe，hastobe。“ “But，aslikelyasnot，wemayremainstuckherefortwodays！“ “NevermindevenifweDOremainstuckhere。“ “Butwhatofthefestival？“ “Itwillhave，forthisyearatleast，tobekeptwithoutyou。“ Seatinghimselfonthesand，theoldsoldierlithispipeandgrowled: “Whatcowardsyouallare！Thebankwasonlyfifteensazhenifromus，yetyouranasthoughpossessed！“ “Withyouyourselfasleader，“putinMokei。 Theoldsoldiertooknonotice，butadded: “Whatwereyouallafraidof？OnceuponatimeChristHimself，OurLittleFather，died。“ “Androseagain，“mutteredtheMorduinewithatingeofresentment。WhichledBoevtoexclaim: “Puppy，holdyourtongue！Whatrighthaveyoutoairyouropinions？“ “Besides，thisisGoodFriday，notEasterDay，“theoldsoldierconcludedwithsevere，didacticalmien。 InagapofbluebetweenthecloudstherewasshiningtheMarchsun，andeverywheretheicewassparklingasthoughinderisionofourselves。Shadinghiseyes，Ossipgazedatthedissolvingriver，andsaid: “Yes，itISrising——butthatwillnotlastforlong。“ “No，butlongenoughtomakeusmissthefestival，“grumbledSashok。 Uponthisthesmooth，beardlessfaceoftheyouthfulMorduine，afacedarkandangularliketheskinofanunpeeledpotato，assumedaresentfulfrown，and，blinkinghiseyes，hemuttered: “Yes，herewemayhavetosit——herewherethere’sneitherfoodnormoney！Otherfolkwillbeenjoyingthemselves，butweshallhavetoremainhuggingourhungrystomachslikeapackofdogs！“ MeanwhileOssip’seyeshadremainedfixedupontheriver，forevidentlyhisthoughtswerefaraway，anditwasinabsentmindedfashionthathereplied: “Hungercannotbeconsideredwherenecessityimpels。Bytheway，whatuseareourdamnedicebreakers？Fortheprotectionofbargesandsuch？Why，theicehasn’tthesensetocare。Itjustgoesslidingoverabarge，andfarewellisthewordtoTHAT