'You devil!' shouted the old man. 'What are you asking? One must
not talk so. It is a serious thing to destroy a human being ...
Ah, a very serious thing! Good-bye, my dear fellow. I've eaten my
fill and am drunk,' he said rising. 'Shall I come to-morrow to go
shooting?'

'Yes, come!'

'Mind, get up early; if you oversleep you will be fined!'

'Never fear, I'll be up before you,' answered Olenin.

The old man left. The song ceased, but one could hear footsteps
and merry talk. A little later the singing broke out again but
farther away, and Eroshka's loud voice chimed in with the other.
'What people, what a life!' thought Olenin with a sigh as he
returned alone to his hut.




Chapter XVI


Daddy Eroshka was a superannuated and solitary Cossack: twenty
years ago his wife had gone over to the Orthodox Church and run
away from him and married a Russian sergeant-major, and he had no
children. He was not bragging when he spoke of himself as having
been the boldest dare-devil in the village when he was young.
Everybody in the regiment knew of his old-time prowess. The death