creatures that once were men- 第18部分

〃Scoundrel　and　thief！　　Take　back　your　money！　　Dirty　worm！　Take　

it　back；　I　say　。　。　。　or　else　I　shall　cram　it　down　your　throat。

　。　。　。　Take　your　five…kopeck　pieces！〃



Petunikoff　put　out　his　trembling　hand　toward　his　mite；　and　

protecting　his　head　from　Kuvalda's　fist　with　the　other　hand；　

said：





　101　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN　





〃You　are　my　witnesses；　Sir　Inspector；　and　you　good　people！〃



〃We　are　not　good　people；　merchant！〃　said　the　voice　of　Abyedok；　

trembling　with　anger。



The　Inspector　whistled　impatiently；　with　his　other　hand　

protecting　Petunikoff；　who　was　stooping　in　front　of　him　as　if　

trying　to　enter　his　belly。



〃You　dirty　toad！　　I　shall　compel　you　to　kiss　the　feet　of　the　

dead　man。　　How　would　you　like　that？〃　　And　catching　Petunikoff　

by　the　neck；　Kuvalda　hurled　him　against　the　door；　as　if　he　

bad　been　a　cat。



The　〃creatures　that　once　were　men〃　sprang　aside　quickly　to　let　

the　merchant　fall。　　And　down　he　fell　at　their　feet；　crying　

wildly：



〃Murder！　　Help！　　Murder！〃



Martyanoff　slowly　raised　his　foot；　and　brought　it　down　heavily　

on　the　merchant's　head。　　Abyedok　spat　in　his　face　with　a　grin。　

The　merchant；　creeping　on　all…fours；　threw　himself　into　the　

courtyard；　at　which　everyone　laughed。　　But　by　this　time　the　

two　policemen　had　arrived；　and　pointing　to　Kuvalda；　the　

Inspector　said；　pompously：



〃Arrest　him；　and　bind　him　hand　and　foot！〃



〃You　dare　not！　。　。　。　I　shall　not　run　away　。　。　。　I　will　go　

wherever　you　wish；　。　。　。〃　said　Kuvalda；　freeing　himself　from　

the　policemen　at　his　side。



The　〃creatures　that　once　were　men〃　disappeared　one　after　the　

other。　　A　cart　entered　the　yard。　　Some　ragged　wretches　brought　

out　the　dead　man's　body。







102　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃I'll　teach　you！　　You　just　wait！〃　　thundered　the　Inspector　at　

Kuvalda。



〃How　now；　ataman？〃　asked　Petunikoff　maliciously；　excited　and　

pleased　at　the　sight　of　his　enemy　in　bonds。　　That；　you　fell　

into　the　trap？　　Eh？　　You　just　wait。　。　。　。〃



But　Kuvalda　was　quiet　now。　　He　stood　strangely　straight　and　

silent　between　the　two　policemen；　watching　the　teacher's　body　

being　placed　in　the　cart。　　The　man　who　was　holding　the　head　

of　the　corpse　was　very　short；　and　could　not　manage　to　place　

it　on　the　cart　at　the　same　time　as　the　legs。　　For　a　moment　

the　body　hung　as　if　it　would　fall　to　the　ground；　and　hide　

itself　beneath　the　earth；　away　from　these　foolish　and　wicked

disturbers　of　its　peace。



〃Take　him　away！〃　ordered　the　Inspector；　pointing　to　the　

Captain。



Kuvalda　silently　moved　forward　without　protestation；　passing　

the　cart　on　which　was　the　teacher's　body。　　He　bowed　his　head　

before　it　without　looking。　　Martyanoff；　with　his　strong　face；　

followed　him。　　The　courtyard　of　the　merchant　Petunikoff　

emptied　quickly。



〃Now　then；　go　on！〃　called　the　driver；　striking　the　horses　with　

the　whip。　　The　cart　moved　off　over　the　rough　surface　of　the　

courtyard。　　The　teacher　was　covered　with　a　heap　of　rags；　and　

his　belly　projected　from　beneath　them。　　It　seemed　as　if　he　

were　laughing　quietly　at　the　prospect　of　leaving　the　dosshouse；　

never；　never　to　return。　　Petunikoff；　who　was　following　him　with　

his　eyes；　crossed　himself；　and　then　began　to　shake　the　dust　and　

rubbish　off　his　clothes；　and　the　more　he　shook　himself　the　more　

pleased　and　self…satisfied　did　he　feel。　　He　saw　the　tall　figure　

of　Aristid　Fomich　Kuvalda；　in　a　gray　cap　with　a　red　band；　with

his　arms　bound　behind　his　back；　being　led　away。



103　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN



Petunikoff　smiled　the　smile　of　the　conqueror；　and　went　back　

into　the　dosshouse；　but　suddenly　he　stopped　and　trembled。　At　

the　door　facing　him　stood　an　old　man　with　a　stick　in　his　hand　

and　a　large　bag　on　his　back；　a　horrible　old　man　in　rags　and　

tatters；　which　covered　his　bony　figure。　　He　bent　under　the　

weight　of　his　burden；　and　lowered　his　head　on　his　breast；　as　

if　he　wished　to　attack　the　merchant。



〃What　are　you？　　Who　are　you？〃　shouted　Petunikoff。



〃A　man　。　。　。〃　he　answered　in　a　hoarse　voice。　This　hoarseness　

pleased　and　tranquillized　Petunikoff；　he　even　smiled。



〃A　man！　And　are　there　really　men　like　you？〃　Stepping　aside　he　

let　the　old　man　pass。　　He　went；　saying　slowly：



〃Men　are　of　various　kinds　。　。　。　as　God　wills　。　。　。　There　are　

worse　than　me　。　。　。　still　worse　。　。　。　Yes。　。　。　。〃



The　cloudy　sky　hung　silently　over　the　dirty　yard　and　over　the　

cleanly…dressed　man　with　the　pointed　beard；　who　was　walking　

about　there；　measuring　distances　with　his　steps　and　with　his　

sharp　eyes。　　On　the　roof　of　the　old　house　a　crow　perched　and　

croaked；　thrusting　its　head　now　backward；　now　forward。　　In　the　

lowering　gray　clouds；　which　hid　the　sky；　there　was　something　

hard　and　merciless；　as　if　they　had　gathered　together　to　wash

all　the　dirt　off　the　face　of　this　unfortunate；　suffering；　and　

sorrowful　earth。





104







TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





There　were　six…and…twenty　of　ussix…and…twenty　living　

machines　in　a　damp；　underground　cellar；　where　from　morning　

till　night　we　kneaded　dough　and　rolled　it　into　kringels。　

Opposite　the　underground　window　of　our　cellar　was　a　bricked　

area；　green　and　mouldy　with　moisture。　　The　window　was　

protected　from　outside　with　a　close　iron　grating；　and　the　

light　of　the　sun　could　not　pierce　through　the　window　panes；　

covered　as　they　were　with　flour　dust。



Our　employer　had　bars　placed　in　front　of　the　windows；　so　that　

we　should　not　be　able　to　give　a　bit　of　his　bread　to　passing　

beggars；　or　to　any　of　our　fellows　who　were　out　of　work　and　

hungry。　　Our　employer　called　us　rogues；　and　gave　us　half…

rotten　tripe　to　eat　for　our　mid…day　meal；　instead　of　meat。　

It　was　swelteringly　close　for　us　cooped　up　in　that　stone　

underground　chamber；　under　the　low；　heavy；　soot…blackened；　

cobwebby　ceiling。　　Dreary　and　sickening　was　our　life　between　

its　thick；　dirty；　mouldy　walls。



Unrefreshed；　and　with　a　feeling　of　not　having　had　our　sleep　

out；　we　used　to　get　up　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　

before　six；　we　were　already　seated；　worn　out　and　apathetic；　

at　the　table；　rolling　out　the　dough　which　our　mates　had　already　

prepared　while　we　slept。　





105　　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





The　whole　day；　from　ten　in　the　early　morning　until　ten　at　night；　

some　of　us　sat　round　that　table；　working　up　in　our　hands　the　

yielding　paste；　rolling　it　to　and　fro　so　that　it　should　not　get　

stiff；　while　the　others　kneaded　the　swelling　mass　of　dough。　　And　

the　whole　day　the　simmering　water　in　the　kettle；　where　the　

kringels　were　being　cooked；　sang　low　and　sadly；　and　the　baker's　

shovel　scraped　harshly　over　the　oven　floor；　as　he　threw　the

slippery　bits　of　dough　out　of　the　kettle　on　the　heated　bricks。



From　morning　till　evening　wood　was　burning　in　the　oven；　and　the　

red　glow　of　the　fire　gleamed　and　flickered　over　the　walls　of　the　

bake…shop；　as　if　silently　mocking　us。　　The　giant　oven　was　like　

the　misshapen　head　of　a　monster　in　a　fairy　tale；　it　thrust　

itself　up　out　of　the　floor；　opened　wide　jaws；　full　of　glowing　

fire；　and　blew　hot　breath　upon　us；　it　seemed　to　be　ever　watching　

out　of　its　black　air…holes　our　interminable　work。　　Those　two　

deep　holes　were　like　eye~the　cold；　pitiless　eyes　of　a　monster。　　

They　watched　us　always　with　the　same　darkened　glance；　as　if　they　

were　weary　of　seeing　before　them　such　eternal　slaves；　from　whom

they　could　expect　nothing　human；　and　therefore　scorned　them　with　

the　cold　scorn　of　wisdom。



In　meal　dust；　in　the　mud　which　we　brought　in　from　the　yard　on　

our　boots；　in　the　hot；　sticky　atmosphere；　day　in；　day　out；　we　

rolled　the　dough　into　kringels；　which　we　moistened　with　our　own　

sweat。　　And　we　hated　our　work　with　a　glowing　hatred；　we　never　

ate　what　had　passed　through　our　hands；　and　preferred　black　bread　

to　kringels。　　





106　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





Sitting　opposite　each　other；　at　a　long　tablenine　facing　nine

we　moved　our　hands　and　fingers　mechanically　during　endlessly　

long　hours；　till　we　were　so　accustomed　to　our　monotonous　work　

that　we　ceased　to　pay　any　attention　to　it。



We　had　all　studied　each　other　so　constantly；　that　each　of　us　

knew　every　wrinkle　of　his　mates'　faces。　　It　was　not　long　also　

before　we　had　exhausted　almost　every　topic　of　conversation；　

that　is　why　we　were　most　of　the　time　silent；　unless　we　were　

chaffing　each　other；　but　one　cannot　always　find　something　

about　which　to　chaff　another　man；　especially　when　that　man　is　

one's　mate。　　Neither　were　we　much　given　to　finding　fault　with　

one　another；　how；　indeed；　could　one　of　us　poor　devils　be　in　a　

position　to　find　fault　with　another；　when　we　were　all　of　us　

half　dead　and；　as　it　were；　turned　to　stone？　　For　the　heavy　

drudgery　seemed　to　crush　all　feeling　out　of　us。　But　silence　

is　only　terrible　and　fearful　for　those　who　have　said　everything　

and　have　nothing　more　to　say　t