第11章

WhenmycomradeandDamianhadseenthebearknockmedownandbeginworryingme，theyrushedtotherescue。Mycomrade，inhishaste，blundered，andinsteadoffollowingthetroddenpath，ranintothedeepsnowandfelldown。Whilehewasstrugglingoutofthesnow，thebearwasgnawingatme。ButDamianjustashewas，withoutagun，andwithonlyastickinhishand，rushedalongthepathshouting:

’He’seatingthemaster！He’seatingthemaster！’

Andasheran，hecalledtothebear:

’Ohyouidiot！Whatareyoudoing？Leaveoff！Leaveoff！’

Thebearobeyedhim，andleavingmeranaway。WhenIrose，therewasasmuchbloodonthesnowasifasheephadbeenkilled，andthefleshhunginragsabovemyeyes，thoughinmyexcitementIfeltnopain。

Mycomradehadcomeupbythistime，andtheotherpeoplecollectedround:theylookedatmywound，andputsnowonit。

ButI，forgettingaboutmywounds，onlyasked:

’Where’sthebear？Whichwayhashegone？’

SuddenlyIheard:

’Hereheis！Hereheis！’

Andwesawthebearagainrunningatus。Weseizedourguns，butbeforeanyonehadtimetofirehehadrunpast。Hehadgrownferocious，andwantedtognawmeagain，butseeingsomanypeoplehetookfright。Wesawbyhistrackthathisheadwasbleedingandwewantedtofollowhimup；but，asmywoundshadbecomeverypainful，wewent，instead，tothetowntofindadoctor。

Thedoctorstitchedupmywoundswithsilk，andtheysoonbegantoheal。

Amonthlaterwewenttohuntthatbearagain，butIdidnotgetachanceoffinishinghim。Hewouldnotcomeoutofthecircle，butwentroundandroundgrowlinginaterriblevoice。

Damiankilledhim。Thebear’slowerjawhadbeenbroken，andoneofhisteethknockedoutbymybullet。

Hewasahugecreature，andhadsplendidblackfur。

Ihadhimstuffed，andhenowliesinmyroom。Thewoundsonmyforeheadhealedupsothatthescarscanscarcelybeseen。

(Writtenabout1872。)

whaymenlivebyWHATMENLIVEBY

’Weknowthatwehavepassedoutofdeathintolife，becausewelovethebrethren。Hethatlovethnotabidethindeath。’——I

EpistleSt。Johniii。14。

’Whosohaththeworld’sgoods，andbeholdethhisbrotherinneed，andshuttethuphiscompassionfromhim，howdoththeloveofGodabideinhim？Mylittlechildren，letusnotloveinword，neitherwiththetongue；butindeedandtruth。’——iii。17-18。

’LoveisofGod；andeveryonethatlovethisbegottenofGod，andknowethGod。HethatlovethnotknowethnotGod；forGodislove。’——iv。7-8。

’NomanhathbeheldGodatanytime；ifweloveoneanother，Godabidethinus。’——iv。12。

’Godislove；andhethatabidethinloveabidethinGod，andGodabidethinhim。’——iv。16。

’Ifamansay，IloveGod，andhatethhisbrother，heisaliar；forhethatlovethnothisbrotherwhomhehathseen，howcanheloveGodwhomhehathnotseen？’——iv。20。

ASHOEMAKERnamedSimon，whohadneitherhousenorlandofhisown，livedwithhiswifeandchildreninapeasant’shut，andearnedhislivingbyhiswork。Workwascheapbutbreadwasdear，andwhatheearnedhespentforfood。Themanandhiswifehadbutonesheepskincoatbetweenthemforwinterwear，andeventhatwasworntotatters，andthiswasthesecondyearhehadbeenwantingtobuysheep-skinsforanewcoat。BeforewinterSimonsavedupalittlemoney:athree-roublenotelayhiddeninhiswife’sbox，andfiveroublesandtwentykopeks[6]

wereowedhimbycustomersinthevillage。

Soonemorninghepreparedtogotothevillagetobuythesheep-skins。

Heputonoverhisshirthiswife’swaddednankeenjacket，andoverthatheputhisownclothcoat。Hetookthethree-roublenoteinhispocket，cuthimselfasticktoserveasastaff，andstartedoffafterbreakfast。’I’llcollectthefiveroublesthatareduetome，’thoughthe，’addthethreeIhavegot，andthatwillbeenoughtobuysheep-skinsforthewintercoat。’

Hecametothevillageandcalledatapeasant’shut，butthemanwasnotathome。Thepeasant’swifepromisedthatthemoneyshouldbepaidnextweek，butshewouldnotpayitherself。ThenSimoncalledonanotherpeasant，butthisonesworehehadnomoney，andwouldonlypaytwentykopekswhichheowedforapairofbootsSimonhadmended。Simonthentriedtobuythesheep-skinsoncredit，butthedeaderwouldnottrusthim。

’Bringyourmoney，’saidhe，’thenyoumayhaveyourpickoftheskins。

Weknowwhatdebt-collectingislike。’

Soallthebusinesstheshoemakerdidwastogetthetwentykopeksforbootshehadmended，andtotakeapairoffeltbootsapeasantgavehimtosolewithleather。

Simonfeltdownhearted。Hespentthetwentykopeksonvó；dka，andstartedhomewardswithouthavingboughtanyskins。Inthemorninghehadfeltthefrost；butnow，afterdrinkingthevó；dka，hefeltwarmevenwithoutasheep-skincoat。Hetrudgedalong，strikinghisstickonthefrozenearthwithonehand，swingingthefeltbootswiththeother，andtalkingtohimself。

’I’mquitewarm，’saidhe，’thoughIhavenosheepskincoat。I’vehadadrop，anditrunsthroughallmyveins。Ineednosheepskins。Igoalonganddon’tworryaboutanything。That’sthesortofmanIam！WhatdoIcare？Icanlivewithoutsheepskins。Idon’tneedthem。Mywifewillfret，tobesure。And，trueenough，it’sashame；oneworksalldaylong，andthendoesnotgetpaid。Stopabit！Ifyoudon’tbringthatmoneyalong，sureenoughI’llskinyou，blessedifIdon’t。How’sthat？Hepaystwentykopeksatatime！WhatcanIdowithtwentykopeks:Drinkit——that’sallonecando！Hardup，hesaysheis！Sohemaybe——butwhataboutme？Youhavehouse，andcattle，andeverything；

I’veonlywhatIstandupin！Youhavecornofyourowngrowing；Ihavetobuyeverygrain。DowhatIwill，Imustspendthreeroubleseveryweekforbreadalone。Icomehomeandfindthebreadallusedup，andIhavetoforkoutanotherroubleandahalf。Sojustyoupayupwhatyouowe，andnononsenseaboutit！’

Bythistimehehadnearlyreachedtheshrineatthebendoftheroad。

Lookingup，hesawsomethingwhitishbehindtheshrine。

Thedaylightwasfading，andtheshoemakerpeeredatthethingwithoutbeingabletomakeoutwhatitwas。’Therewasnowhitestoneherebefore。Canitbeanox？It’snotlikeanox。Ithasaheadlikeaman，butit’stoowhite；andwhatcouldamanbedoingthere？’

Hecamecloser，sothatitwasclearlyvisible。Tohissurpriseitreallywasaman，aliveordead，sittingnaked，leaningmotionlessagainsttheshrine。Terrorseizedtheshoemaker，andhethought，’Someonehaskilledhim，strippedhim，andlefthimhere。IfI

meddleIshallsurelygetintotrouble。’

Sotheshoemakerwenton。Hepassedinfrontoftheshrinesothathecouldnotseetheman。Whenhehadgonesomeway，helookedback，andsawthatthemanwasnolongerleaningagainsttheshrine，butwasmovingasiflookingtowardshim。Theshoemakerfeltmorefrightenedthanbefore，andthought，’ShallIgobacktohim，orshallIgoon？IfIgonearhimsomethingdreadfulmayhappen。Whoknowswhothefellowis？Hehasnotcomehereforanygood。IfIgonearhimhemayjumpupandthrottleme，andtherewillbenogettingaway。Orifnot，he’dstillbeaburdenonone’shands。WhatcouldIdowithanakedman？Icouldn’tgivehimmylastclothes。Heavenonlyhelpmetogetaway！’

Sotheshoemakerhurriedon，leavingtheshrinebehindhim——whensuddenlyhisconsciencesmotehimandhestoppedintheroad。

’Whatareyoudoing，Simon？’saidhetohimself。’Themanmaybedyingofwant，andyouslippastafraid。Haveyougrownsorichastobeafraidofrobbers？Ah，Simon，shameonyou！’

Soheturnedbackandwentuptotheman。

Simonapproachedthestranger，lookedathim，andsawthathewasayoungman，fit，withnobruisesonhisbody，onlyevidentlyfreezingandfrightened，andhesatthereleaningbackwithoutlookingupatSimon，asiftoofainttolifthiseyes。Simonwentclosetohim，andthenthemanseemedtowakeup。Turninghishead，heopenedhiseyesandlookedintoSimon’sface。

ThatonelookwasenoughtomakeSimonfondoftheman。Hethrewthefeltbootsonthegroundundidhissash，laiditontheboots，andtookoffhisclothcoat。

’It’snotatimefortalking，’saidhe。’Come，putthiscoatonatonce！’

AndSimontookthemanbytheelbowsandhelpedhimtorise。Ashestoodthere，Simonsawthathisbodywascleanandingoodcondition，hishandsandfeetshapely，andhisfacegoodandkind。Hethrewhiscoatovertheman’sshouldersbutthelattercouldnotfindthesleeves。Simonguidedhisarmsintothem，anddrawingthecoatwellontrappeditcloselyabouthim，tyingthesashroundtheman’swaist。

Simoneventookoffhistorncaptoputitontheman’shead，butthenhisownheadfeltcold，andhethought:’I’mquitebald，whilehehaslongcurlyhair。’Soheputhiscaponhisownheadagain。

’Itwillbebettertogivehimsomethingforhisfeet，’

thoughthe；andhemadethemansitdown，andhelpedhimtoputonthefeltboots，saying，’There，friend，nowmoveaboutandwarmyourself。Othermatterscanbesettledlateron。Canyouwalk？’

ThemanstoodupandlookedkindlyatSimon，butcouldnotsayaword。