creatures that once were men-第28章

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something　there。　　Once　more　our　diet　was　reduced　to　fruit；　and

to　hopes　for　the　future。



Poor　future！　　Such　a　load　of　hopes　is　cast　on　it　by　men；　that　

it　loses　almost　all　its　charms　by　the　time　it　becomes　the　

present！



When　within　some　twenty　versts　of　Aloushta　we　stopped；　as　

usual；　for　our　night's　rest。　　I　had　persuaded　Shakro　to　keep　

to　the　sea　coast；　it　was　a　longer　way　round；　but　I　longed　to　

breathe　the　fresh　sea　breezes。　　We　made　a　fire；　and　lay　down　

beside　it。　　The　night　was　a　glorious　one。　　The　dark　green　sea　

splashed　against　the　rocks　below；　above　us　spread　the　majestic　

calm　of　the　blue　heavens；　and　around　us　sweet…scented　trees　

and　bushes　rustled　softly。　　The　moon　was　rising；　and　the

delicate　tracery　of　the　shadows；　thrown　by　the　tall；　green　

plane　trees；　crept　over　the　stones。　　Somewhere　near　a　bird　

sang；　its　note　was　clear　and　bold。　　Its　silvery　trill　seemed　

to　melt　into　the　air　that　was　full　of　the　soft；　caressing　

splash　of　the　waves。　　The　silence　that　followed　was　broken　by　

the　nervous　chirp　of　a　cricket





193　　MY　FELLOW…TRAVELLER





The　fire　burned　bright；　and　its　flames　looked　like　a　large

bunch　of　red　and　yellow　flowers。　　Flickering　shadows　danced　

gaily　around　us；　as　if　exulting　in　their　power　of　movement；　

in　contrast　with　the　creeping　advance　of　the　moon　shadows。　

From　time　to　time　strange　sounds　floated　through　the　air。　

The　broad　expanse　of　sea　horizon　seemed　lost　in　immensity。　In　

the　sky　overhead　not　a　cloud　was　visible。　　I　felt　as　if　I　were　

lying　on　the　earth's　extreme　edge；　gazing　into　infinite　space；

that　riddle　that　haunts　the　soul。　　The　majestic　beauty　of　the　

night　intoxicated　me；　while　my　whole　being　seemed　absorbed　in　

the　harmony　of　its　colors；　its　sounds；　and　its　scents。



A　feeling　of　awe　filled　my　soul；　a　feeling　as　if　something　

great　were　very　near　to　me。　　My　heart　throbbed　with　the　joy　

of　life。



Suddenly；　Shakro　burst　into　loud　laughter；　〃Ha！　ha！　ha！　　How　

stupid　your　face　does　look！　　You've　a　regular　sheep's　head！　

Ha！　ha！　ha！〃



I　started　as　though　it　were　a　sudden　clap　of　thunder。　　But　it　

was　worse。　　It　was　laughable；　yes；　but　oh；　how　mortifying　it　

was！



He；　Shakro；　laughed　till　the　tears　came。　　I　was　ready　to　cry；　

too；　but　from　quite　a　different　reason。　　A　lump　rose　in　my　

throat；　and　I　could　not　speak。　　I　gazed　at　him　with　wild　eyes；　

and　this　only　increased　his　mirth。　　He　rolled　on　the　ground；　

holding　his　sides。　　As　for　me；　I　could　not　get　over　the　insult

for　a　bitter　insult　it　was。　　Thosefew；　I　hopewho　will　

understand　it；　from　having　had　a　similar　experience　in　their　

lives；　will　recall　all　the　bitterness　it　left　in　their　souls。





194　　MY　FELLOW…TRAVELLER





〃Leave　off！〃　I　shouted；　furiously。



He　was　startled　and　frightened；　but　he　could　not　at　once　

restrain　his　laughter。　　His　eyes　rolled；　and　his　cheeks　swelled　

as　if　about　to　burst。　　All　at　once　he　went　off　into　a　guffaw　

again。　　Then　I　rose　and　left　him。



For　some　time　I　wandered　about；　heedless　and　almost　unconscious　

of　all　that　surrounded　me；　my　whole　soul　consumed　with　the　

bitter　pang　of　loneliness　and　of　humiliation。　　Mentally；　I　had　

been　embracing　all　nature。　　Silently；　with　the　passionate　love　

any　man　must　feel　if　he　has　a　little　of　the　poet　in　him；　I　was　

loving　and　adoring　her。　　And　now　it　was　nature　that；　under　the

form　of　Shakro；　was　mocking　me　for　my　passion。　　I　might　have　

gone　still　further　in　my　accusations　against　nature；　against　

Shakro；　and　against　the　whole　of　life；　had　I　not　been　stopped　

by　approaching　footsteps。



〃Do　not　be　angry；〃　said　Shakro　in　a　contrite　voice；　touching　my　

shoulder　lightly。　　〃Were　you　praying？'　　I　didn't　know　it；　for　

I　never　pray　myself。〃



He　spoke　timidly；　like　a　naughty　child。　　In　spite　of　my　

excitement；　I　could　not　help　noticing　his　pitiful　face　

ludicrously　distorted　by　embarrassment　and　alarm。



〃I　will　never　interfere　with　you　again。　　Truly！　　Never！〃　He　

shook　his　head　emphatically。　　〃I　know　you　are　a　quiet　fellow。　

You　work　hard；　and　do　not　force　me　to　do　the　same。　　I　used　to　

wonder　why；　but；　of　course；　it's　because　you　are　foolish　as　

a　sheep！〃



That　was　his　way　of　consoling　me！　　That　was　his　idea　of　asking　

for　forgiveness！　　After　such　consolation；　and　such　excuses；　

what　was　there　left　for　me　to　do　but　forgive；　not　only　for　the　

past；　but　for　the　future！





195　　MY　FELLOW…TRAVELLER





Half　an　hour　later　he　was　sound　asleep；　while　I　sat　beside　him；　

watching　him。　　During　sleep；　every　one；　be　he　ever　so　strong；　

looks　helpless　and　weak；　but　Shakro　looked　a　pitiful　creature。　

His　thick；　half…parted　lips；　and　his　arched　eyebrows；　gave　to　

his　face　a　childish　look　of　timidity　and　of　wonder。　　His　

breathing　was　quiet　and　regular；　though　at　times　he　moved　

restlessly；　and　muttered　rapidly　in　the　Georgian　language；　the　

words　seemed　those　of　entreaty。　　All　around　us　reigned　that

intense　calm　which　always　makes　one　somehow　expectant；　and　

which；　were　it　to　last　long；　might　drive　one　mad　by　its　

absolute　stillness　and　the　absence　of　soundthe　vivid　shadow　

of　motion；　for　sound　and　motion　seem　ever　allied。



The　soft　splash　of　the　waves　did　not　reach　us。　　We　were　resting　

in　a　hollow　gorge　that　was　overgrown　with　bushes；　and　looked　

like　the　shaggy　mouth　of　some　petrified　monster。　　I　still　

watched　Shakro；　and　thought：　　〃This　is　my　fellow　traveler。　

I　might　leave　him　here；　but　I　could　never　get　away　from　him；　

or　the　like　of　him；　their　name　is　legion。　　This　is　my　life　

companion。　　He　will　leave　me　only　at　death's　door。〃











CHAPTER　V。











At　Feodosia　we　were　sorely　disappointed。　　All　work　there　was　

already　apportioned　among　Turks；　Greeks；　Georgians；　tramps；　

and　Russian　peasants　from　Poltava　and　Smolensk；　who　had　all　

arrived　before　us。　　Already；　more　than　four　hundred　men　had；　

like　ourselves；　come　in　the　hopes　of　finding　employment；　and

were　also；　like　ourselves；　destined　to　remain　silent　spectators　

of　the　busy　work　going　on　in　the　port。　





196　MY　FELLOW…TRAVELLER





In　the　town；　and　outside　also；　we　met　groups　of　famished　

peasants；　gray　and　careworn；　wandering　miserably　about。　　Of　

tramps　there　were　also　plenty；　roving　around　like　hungry　wolves。



At　first　these　tramps　took　us　for　famished　peasants；　and　tried　

to　make　what　they　could　out　of　us。　　They　tore　from　Shakro's　

back　the　overcoat　which　I　had　bought　him；　and　they　snatched　my　

knapsack　from　my　shoulders。　　After　several　discussions；　they　

recognized　our　intellectual　and　social　kinship　with　them；　and　

they　returned　all　our　belongings。　Tramps　are　men　of　honor；　

though　they　may　be　great　rogues。



Seeing　that　there　was　no　work　for　us；　and　that　the　construction　

of　the　harbor　was　going　on　very　well　without　our　help；　we　moved　

on　resentfully　toward　Kertch。



My　friend　kept　his　word；　and　never　again　molested　me；　but　he　

was　terribly　famished；　his　countenance　was　as　black　as　thunder。　

He　ground　his　teeth　together；　as　does　a　wolf；　whenever　he　saw　

someone　else　eating；　and　he　terrified　me　by　the　marvellous　

accounts　of　the　quantity　of　food　he　was　prepared　to　consume。　

Of　late　he　had　begun　to　talk　about　women；　at　first　only　

casually；　with　sighs　of　regret。　　But　by　degrees　he　came　to　

talk　more　and　more　often　on　the　subject；　with　the　lascivious

smile　of　〃an　Oriental。〃　　At　length　his　state　became　such；　that　

he　could　not　see　any　person　of　the　other　sex；　whatever　her　age　

or　appearance；　without　letting　fall　some　obscene　remark　about　

her　looks　or　her　figure。　　





197　　MY　FELLOW…TRAVELLER





He　spoke　of　women　so　freely；　with　so　wide　a　knowledge　of　the　

sex；　and　his　point　of　view；　when　discussing　women；　was　so　

astoundingly　direct；　that　his　conversation　filled　me　with　

disgust。　　Once　I　tried　to　prove　to　him　that　a　woman　was　a　

being　in　no　way　inferior　to　him。　　I　saw　that　he　was　not　merely　

mortified　by　my　words；　but　was　on　the　point　of　violently　

resenting　them　as　a　personal　insult。　　So　I　postponed　my　

arguments　till　such　time　as　Shakro　should　be　well　fed　once　

more。



In　order　to　shorten　our　road　to　Kertch　we　left　the　coast；　and　

tramped　across　the　steppes。　　There　was　nothing　in　my　knapsack　

but　a　three…pound　loaf　of　barley　bread；　which　we　had　bought　

of　a　Tartar　with　our　last　five…kopeck　piece。　　Owing　to　this　

painful　circumstance；　when；　at　last　we　reached　Kertch；　we　

could　hardly　move　our　legs；　so　seeking　therefore　work　was　out　

of　the　question。　　Shakro's　attempts　to　beg　by　the　way　had　proved

unsuccessful；　everywhere　he　had　received　the　curt　refusal：　　

〃There　are　so　many　of　you。〃



This　was　only　too　true；　for　the　number　of　people；　who；　during　

that　bitter　year；　were　in　want　of　bread；　was　appalling。　　The　

famished　peasants　roamed　about　the　country　in　groups；　from　

three　to　twenty　or　more　together。　　Some　carried　babies　in　their　

arms；　some　had　young　children　dragging　by　the　hand。　　The　

children　looked　almost　transparent；　with　a　bluish　skin；　under

which　flowed；　instead　of　pure　blood；　some　sort　of　thick　

unwholesome　fluid。　　The　way　their　small　sharp　bones　projected　

from　under　the　wasted　flesh　spoke　more　eloquently　than　could　

any　words。　　The　sight　of　them　made　one's　heart　ache；　while　a　

constant　intolerable　pain　seemed　to　gnaw　one's　very　soul。





198　MY　FELLOW…TRAVELLER





These　hungry；　naked；　worn…out　children　did　not　even　cry。　　But　

they　looked　about　them　with　sharp　eyes　that　flashed　greedily　

whenever　they　saw　a　garden；　or　a　field；　from　which　the　corn　

had　not　yet　been　carried。　　Then　they　would　glance　sadly　at　

their　elders；　as　if　asking　〃Why　was　I　brought　into　this　world？〃



Sometimes　they　had　a　cart　driven　by　a　dried…up　skeleton　of　an　

old　woman；　and　full　of　children；　whose　little　heads　peeped　out；　

gazing　with　mournful　eyes　in　expressive　silence　at　the　new　land　

into　which　they　had　been　brought。　　The　rough；　bony　horse　

dragged　itself　along；　shaking　its　head　and　its　tumbled　mane　

wearily　from　side　to　side。



Following　the　cart；　or　clustering　round　it；　came　the　grown…up　

people；　with　heads　sunk　low　on　their　breasts；　and　arms　hanging　

helplessly　at　their　sides。　　Their　dim；　vacant　eyes　had　not　even　

the　feverish　glitter　of　hunger；　but　were　full　of　an　

indescribable；　impressive　mournfulness。　　Cast　out　of　their　

homes　by　misfortune；　these　processions　of　peasants　moved　

silently；　slowly；　stealthily　through　the　strange　land；　as　if　

afraid　that　their　presence　might　disturb　the　peace　of　the　more　

fortunate　inhabitants。　　Many　and　many　a　time　we　came　across　

these　processions；　and　every　time　they　reminded　me　of　a　funeral　

without　the　corpse。



Sometimes；　when　they　overtook　us；　or　when　we　passed　them；　they　

would　timidly　and　quietly　ask　us：　　〃Is　it　much　farther　to　the　

village？〃　　And　when　we　answered；　they　would　sigh；　and　gaze　

dumbly　at　us。