第7章

bitofproperty！“ “Damnit，butnoneofushaveabargeforproperty，havewe？ “Youhadbettergoandtalktoafool。“ “Thetruthisthattheicebreakeroughttohavebeentakeninhandsooner。“ Finally，theoldsoldiermadeaqueergrimace，andejaculated: “Blockhead！“ Fromabargeaknotofsailorsshoutedsomething，andatthesamemomenttheriversentforthasortofwhiffofcruelchillinessandbroodingcalm。Thedispositionofthepineboughsnowhadchanged。Nay，everythinginsightwasbeginningtoassumeadifferentair，asthougheverythingwerechargedwithtenseexpectancy。 Oneoftheyoungermenaskeddiffidently，beneathhisbreath: “MateOssip，whatarewegoingtodo？“ “Whatdoyousay？“Ossipqueriedabsent-mindedly。 “Isay，whatarewegoingtodo？Justtosithere？“ TothisBoevresponded，withloud，nasalderisioninhistone: “Yes，mylad，fortheLordhasseenfittopreventyoufromparticipatinginHismostholyfestival。“ Andtheoldsoldier，insupportofhismate，extendedhispipetowardstheriver，andmutteredwithagrin: “Youwanttocrosstothetown，doyou？Well，beoffwithyou，andthoughtheicemaygivewaybeneathyourfeetanddrownyou，atleastyou’llbetakentothepolicestation，andsogettoyourfestival。Forthat’swhatyouwant，I suppose？“ “Trueenough，“Mokeire-echoed。 Thenthesunwentin，andtherivergrewdarker，whilethetownstoodoutmoreclearly。Ceaselessly，theyoungermengazedtowardsthetownwithwistful，gloomyeyes，thoughsilentlytheyremainedwheretheywere。 Similarly，Imyselfwasbeginningtofindthingsirksomeanduncomfortable，asalwayshappenswhenanumberofcompanionsarethinkingdifferentthoughts，andcontaininthemselvesnoneofthatunityofwillwhichalonecanjoinmenintoadirect，uniformforce。Rather，IfeltasthoughIcouldgladlyleavemycompanionsandstartoutupontheicealone。 SuddenlyOssiprecoveredhisfaculties。Rising，thendoffinghiscapandmakingthesignofthecrossinthedirectionofthetown，hesaidwithaquiet，simple，yetsomehowauthoritative，air: “Verywell，mymates。Goinpeace，andmaytheLordgowithyou！“ “Butwhither？“askedSashok，leapingtohisfeet。“Tothetown？“ “Whitherelse？“ Theoldsoldierwastheonlyonenottorise，andwithconvictionheremarked: “Itwillresultbutinourgettingdrowned。“ “Thenstaywhereyouare。“ Ossipglancedaroundtheparty。Thenhecontinued: “Bestiryourselves！Lookalive！“ Uponwhichallcrowdedtogether，andBoev，thrustingthetoolsintoaholeinthebank，groaned: “Theorder’go’hasbeengiven，sogoweMUST，wellthoughamaninreceiptofsuchanordermightaskhimself，’Howisitgoingtobedone？’“ Ossipseemed，insomeway，tohavegrownyoungerandmoreactive，whilethehabituallyshy，thoughgood-humoured，expressionofhiscountenancewasgonefromhisruddyfeatures，andhisdarkenedeyeshadassumedanairofsternactivity。Nay，evenhisindolent，rollinggaithaddisappeared，andinhissteptherewasmorefirmness，moreassurance，thanhadeverbeforebeenthecase。 “Leteverymantakeaplank，“hesaid，“andholditinfrontofhim。Then，shouldanyonefallin(whichGodforbid！)，theplank-endswillcatchupontheicetoeithersideofhim，andholdhimup。Also，everymanmustavoidcracksintheice。Yes，andistherearopehandy？Here，Narodetz！Reachmethatspirit-level。Iseveryoneready？Iwillwalkfirst，andnexttheremustcome——well，whichistheheaviest？——you，soldier，andthenMokei，andthentheMorduine，andthenBoev，andthenMishuk，andthenSashok，andthenMakarei，thelightestofall。 Anddoyoualltakeoffyourcapsbeforestarting，andsayaprayertotheMotherofGod。Ha！HereisOldFatherSuncomingouttogreetus。“ Readilydidthemenbaretheirtousledgreyorflaxenheadsasmomentarilythesunglancedthroughabankofthinwhitevapourbeforeagainconcealinghimself，asthoughaversetoarousinganyfalsehopes。 “Now！“sharplycommandedOssipinhisnew-foundvoice。“AndmayGodgowithus！Watchmyfeet，anddon’tcrowdtoomuchupononeanother，butkeepeachatasazhen’sdistanceormore——infact，themorethebetter。Yes，come，mates！“ Withwhich，stuffinghiscapintohisbosom，andgraspingthespirit-levelinhishands，Ossipsetfootupontheicewithasliding，cautious，shufflinggait。Atthesamemoment，therecamefromthebankbehindusastartledcryof: “Whereareyouoffto，youfools？“ “Nevermind，“saidOssiptoourselves。“Comealongwithyou，anddon’tstandstaring。“ “Youblockheads！“thevoicerepeated。“Youhadfarbetterreturn。“ “No，no！comeon！“wasOssip’scounter-command。“AndasyoumovethinkofGod，oryou’llneverfindyourselvesamongtheinvitedguestsatHisholyfestivalofEastertide。“ NextOssipsoundedapolicewhistle，whichactledtheoldsoldiertoexclaim: “Oh，that’stheway，mate！Good！Yes，youknowwhattodo。Nownoticewillhavebeengiventothepoliceonthefurtherbank，and，ifwe’renotdrowned，weshallfindourselvesclappedingaolwhenwegetthere。However，I’mnotresponsible。“ Inspiteofthisremonstrance，Ossip’ssturdyvoicedrewhiscompanionsafterhimasthoughtheyhadbeentiedtoarope。 “Watchyourfeetcarefully，“oncemorehecried。 Ourlineofmarchwasdirectedobliquely，andintheoppositedirectiontothecurrent。Also，I，astherearmostoftheparty，founditpleasanttonotehowthewarylittleOssipofthesilveryheadwentloopingovertheicewiththedeftnessofahare，andpracticallynoraisingofthefeet，whilebehindhimtheretrailed，inwild-goosefashion，andasthoughtiedtoasingleinvisiblestring，sixdarkandundulatingfigurestheshadowsofwhichkeptmakingthemselvesvisibleontheice，fromthosefigures’feettopointsindefinitelyremote。Andasweproceeded，allofuskeptourheadsloweredasthoughwehadbeendescendingfromamountaininmomentaryfearofafalsestep。 Also，thoughtheshoutinginourrearkeptgrowinginvolume，andwecouldtellthatbythistimeacrowdhadgathered，notawordcouldwedistinguish，butonlyasortofuglydin。 Intimeourcautiousmarchbecameformeamere，mechanical，wearisometask，foronordinaryoccasionsitwasmycustomtomaintainapaceofgreaterrapidity。Thus，eventuallyIsankintothesemiconsciousconditionamidwhichthesoulturnstovacuity，andonenolongerthinksofoneself，but，onthecontraryissuesfromone’spersonality，andbeginstoseeobjectswithunwontedclarity，andtohearsoundswithunwontedprecision。Undermyfeettheseamsintheblue-grey，leadenicelayfullofwater，whileasfortheiceitself，itwasblindinginitsexpansiveglitter，eventhoughinplacesithadcometobeeithercrackedorbulbous，orhadgrounditselfintopowderwithitsownmovement，orhadbecomeheapedintoslushyhummocksofpumice-likesponginessandtheconsistencyofbrokenglass。 AndeverywherearoundmeIcoulddiscernthechilly，gapingsmileofbluecreviceswhichcaughtatmyfeet，andrenderedthetreadofmyboot-solesunstable。Andever，aswemarched，couldthevoicesofBoevandtheoldsoldierbeheardspeakinginantiphony，liketwopipesbeingflutedbyoneandthesamepairoflips。 “Iwon’tberesponsible，“saidtheonevoice。 “NorI，“respondedtheother。 “TheonlyreasonwhyIhavecomeisthatIwastoldtodoso。 That’sallaboutit。“ “Yes，andthesamewithme。“ “Onemangivesanorder，andanotherman，perhapsamanathousandtimesmoresensiblethanhe，isforcedtoobeyit。“ “Isanyman，inthesedays，sensible，seeingwhataracketwehavetoliveamong？“ BythistimeOssiphadtuckedtheskirtsofhisgreatcoatintohisbelt，whilebeneaththoseskirtshislegs(cladingreyclothgaitersofamilitarypattern)wereshufflingalongaslightlyandeasilyassprings，andinamannerthatsuggestedthattherewasturningandtwistinginfrontofhimsomepersonwhom，thoughdesirousofbarringtohimthedirectcourse，theshortestroute，Ossipsuccessfullyopposedandevadedbydintofdodgesanddeviationstorightandleft，andoccasionalturnsabout，andtheexecutionofdancestepsandloopsandsemicircles。MeanwhileinthetonesofOssip’svoicetherewasasoft，musicalringthatstruckagreeablyupontheear，andharmonisedtoadmirationwiththesongofthebellsjustwhenwewereapproachingthemiddleoftheriver’sbreadthoffourhundredsazheni。Thereresoundedoverthesurfaceoftheiceaviciousrustle’whileapieceoficeslidfromundermyfeet。