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。