andrememberthatitisonlythesoulthatcanovercomeSatan。“
　　InresponseSilantievrosetohisfeet，shookhisfistattheoldman，andshoutedinarough，angryvoice，avoicethatwasnothisown:
　　“AllthatIhaveheardbefore，andfromothersbesidesyourself。
　　ThetruthisthatIholdallyoufather-confessorsinabhorrence。
　　“Moreover，“thislastwasaddedwithaviolentoath“itisnotSatanthatneedstoberesisted，butsuchdevil’sravens，suchdevil’svampires，asYOU。“
　　Whichsaid，hekickedastoneawayfromthefire，thrusthishandsintohispockets，andturnedslowlyonhisheel，withhiselbowspressedclosetohissides。Neverthelesstheoldman，stillsmiling，saidtomeinanundertone:
　　“Heisproud，butthatwillnotlastforlong。“
　　“Whynot？“
　　“BecauseIknowinadvancethat——“
　　Breakingoffshort，heturnedhisheaduponhisshoulder，andsatlisteningtosomeshoutingthatwasgoingonacrosstheriver。
　　Everyoneinthatquarterwasdrunk，and，inparticular，someonecouldbeheardbawlinginatoneofchallenge:
　　“Oh？I，yousay？A-a-ah！Thentakethat！“
　　Silantiev，steppinglightlyfromstonetostone，crossedtheriver。Thenhemingled——aconspicuousfigureowingtohisapparenthandlessness——withthecrowd。Somehow，onhisdeparture，Ifeltillatease。
　　Twitchinghisfingersasthoughperformingaconjuringtrick，theoldmancontinuedtositwithhishandsstretchedovertheembers。Bythistimehisnosehadswollenoverthebridge，andbruisesrisenunderhiseyeswhichtendedtoobscurehisvision。
　　Indeed，ashesatthere，satmouthingwithdark，bestreakedlipsunderacoveringofhoarybeardandmoustache，Ifoundthathisbloodstained，disfigured，wrinkled，asitwere“antique“faceremindedmemorethaneverofthoseofgreatsinnersofancienttimeswhoabandonedthisworldfortheforestandthedesert。
　　“Ihaveseenmanyproudfolk，“hecontinuedwithashakeofhishatlessheadanditssparsehairs。“Afiremayburnupquickly，andcontinuetoburnfiercely，yet，liketheseembers，becometurnedtoashes，and。soliesmoulderingtilldawn。Youngman，thereyouhavesomethingtothinkof。Noraretheymerelymywords。TheyarethewordsoftheHolyGospelitself。“
　　Everdescending，everweighingmoreheavilyuponus，thenightwasasblackandhotandstiflingasthepreviousonehadbeen，albeitaskindlyasamother。Stillthetwofiresontheoppositebankoftherivuletwereaflame，andsendinghotblastsofvapouracrossaseemingbrookofgold。
　　Foldinghisarmsuponhisbreast，theoldmantuckedthepalmsofhishandsintohisarmpits，andsettledhimselfmorecomfortably。
　　Nevertheless，whenImadeasthoughtoaddmoretwigsandshavingstotheembersheexclaimedimperiously:
　　“Thereisnoneedforthat。“
　　“Whyistherenot？“
　　“Becausethatwouldcausethefiretobeseen，andbringsomeofthosemenoverhere。“
　　Again，ashekickedawaysomeboughswhichIhadjustbrokenup，herepeated:
　　“Thereisnoneedforthat，Itellyou。“
　　Presently，thereapproachedusthroughtheshimmeringfirelightontheoppositebanktwocarpenterswithboxesontheirbacks，andaxesintheirhands。
　　“Arealltherestofourmengone？“inquiredtheforemanofthenewcomers。
　　“Yes，“repliedoneofthem，atallmanwithadroopingmoustacheandnobeard。
　　“Well，’shunevil，andgoodwillresult。’“
　　“Aye，andwelikewisewishtodepart。“
　　“Butataskoughtnottobeleftunfinished。Atdinner-timeI
　　sentOleshatosaythatnoneofthosefellowshadbetterbereleasedfromwork；butreleasedtheyhavebeen，andnowtheresultisapparent！Presently，whentheyhavedrunkalittlemoreoftheirpoison，theywillfirethebarraque。“
　　Everytimethatthefirstofthetwocarpentersinhaledthesmokeofmycigarettehespatintotheembers，whiletheotherman，ayoungfellowasplumpasafemalebaker，sankhistowsledheaduponhisbreastassoonashesatdown，andfellasleep。
　　Next，theclamouracrosstherivuletsubsidedforawhile。ButsuddenlyIheardtheex-soldierexclaimindrunken，singsongaccentswhichcamefromtheverycentreofthetumult:
　　“Hi，doyouanswerme！HowcomesitthatyouhavenorespectforRussia？IsnotRiazanapartofRussia？WhatisRussia，then，I
　　shouldliketoknow？“
　　“Atavern，“theforemancommentedquietly；whereafter，turningtome，headdedmoreloudly:
　　“Isaythisofsuchfellows——thatatavern……Butwhatanoisethoseroisterersaremaking，tobesure！“
　　Theyoungfellowintheredshirthadjustshouted:
　　“Hi，there，soldier！Seizehimbythethroat！Seizehim，seizehim！“
　　WhilefromSilantievhadcomethegruffretort:
　　“What？Doyousupposethatyouarehuntingapackofhounds？“
　　“Here，answerme！“wasthenextshoutedutterance——itcamefromtheex-soldier——whereupontheoldmanremarkedtomeinanundertone:
　　“Itwouldseemthatafightisbrewing。“
　　Rising，Imovedinthedirectionoftheuproar。AsIdidso，I
　　heardtheoldmansaysoftlytohiscompanions:
　　“Hetooisgone，thankGod！“
　　Suddenlytheresurgedtowardsmefromtheoppositebankacrowdofmen。Belching，hiccuping，andgrunting，theyseemedtobecarryingordraggingintheirmidstsomeheavyweight。Presentlyawoman’svoicescreamed，“Ya-av-sha！“andothervoicesraisedmingledshoutsof“Throwhimin！Givehimathrashing！“and“Draghimalong！“
　　ThenextmomentwesawSilantievbreakoutofthecrowd，straightenhimself，swinghisrightfistintheair，andhurlhimselfatthecrowdagain。Ashedidsotheyoungfellowintheredshirtraisedagiganticarm，andtherefollowedthesoundofamuffled，grislyblow。Staggeringbackwards，Silantievslidsilentlyintothewater，andlaythereatmyfeet。
　　“That’sright！“wasthecommentofsomeone。
　　Foramomentortwotheclamoursubsidedalittle，andduringthatmomentortwoone’searsoncemorebecamelavedwiththesweetsingsongoftheriver。Shortlyafterwardssomeonethrewintothewaterahugestone，andsomeoneelselaughedinadullway。
　　AsIwasbendingtolookatSilantievsomeofthemenjostledme。
　　Nevertheless，Icontinuedtostruggletoraisehimfromthespotwhere，halfinandhalfoutofthewater，helaywithhisheadandbreastrestingagainstthestepping-stones。
　　“Youhavekilledhim！“nextIshouted——notbecauseIbelievedthestatementtobetrue，butbecauseIhadamindtofrightenintosobrietythemenwhowereimpedingme。
　　Uponthissomeoneexclaimedinafaltering，soberedtone:
　　“Surelynot？“
　　Asfortheyoungfellowintheredshirt，hepassedmebywithabraggart，resentfulshoutof:
　　“Well？Hehadnorighttoinsultme。WhyshouldhehavesaidthatIwasanuisancetothewholecountry？“
　　Andsomeoneelseshouted:
　　“Whereistheex-soldier？Whoisthewatchmanhere？“
　　“Bringalight，“wasthecryofathird。
　　Yetallthesevoicesweremoresober，moresubdued，morerestrainedthantheyhadbeen，andpresentlyalittlemuzhikwhosepollwasswathedinaredhandkerchiefstoopedandraisedSilantiev’shead。Butalmostasinstantlyheletitfallagain，and，dippinghishandsintothewater，saidgravely:
　　“Youhavekilledhim。Heisdead。“
　　AtthemomentIdidnotbelievethewords；butpresently，asI
　　stoodwatchinghowthewatercoursedbetweenSilantiev’slegs，andturnedthemthiswayandthat，andmadethemstirasthoughtheywerestrivingtodivestthemselvesoftheshabbyoldboots，Irealisedwithallmybeingthatthehandswhichwererestinginminewerethehandsofacorpse。And，trueenough，whenI
　　releasedthemtheyslappeddownuponthesurfacelikewetdish-
　　cloths。