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