creatures that once were men-第39章

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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。　　My　travelling　companion　hated　these　irrepressible　

rivals　for　charity。





199　　MY　FELLOW…TRAVELLER





In　spite　of　all　the　difficulties　of　the　journey；　and　the

scantiness　of　our　food；　Shakro；　with　his　rich　vitality；　could　

not　acquire　the　lean；　hungry　look；　of　which　the　starving　

peasants　could　boast　in　its　fullest　perfection。　　Whenever　he　

caught　sight；　in　the　distance；　of　these　latter；　he　would　

exclaim：　〃Pouh！　pouh！　pouh。　　Here　they　are　again！　　What　are　

they　roaming　about　for？　　They　seem　to　be　always　on　the　move！　

Is　Russia　too　small　for　them？　　I　can't　understand　what　they　

want！　　Russians　are　a　stupid　sort　of　people！〃



When　I　had　explained　to　him　the　reason　of　the　〃stupid〃　Russians　

coming　to　the　Crimea；　he　shook　his　head　incredulously；　and　

remarked：　　〃I　don't　understand！　　It's　nonsense！　　We　never　have　

such　'stupid'　things　happening　in　Georgia！〃



We　arrived　in　Kertch；　as　I　have　said；　exhausted　and　hungry。　

It　was　late。　　We　had　to　spend　the　night　under　a　bridge；　which　

joined　the　harbor　to　the　mainland。　　We　thought　it　better　to　

conceal　ourselves；　as　we　had　been　told　that　just　before　our　

arrival　all　the　tramps　had　been　driven　out　of　the　town。　　This　

made　us　feel　anxious；　lest　we　might　fall　into　the　hands　of　

the　police；　besides　Shakro　had　only　a　false　passport；　and　if　

that　fact　became　known；　it　might　lead　to　serious　complications　

in　our　future。



All　night　long　the　spray　from　the　sea　splashed　over　us。　　At　

dawn　we　left　our　hiding　place；　wet　to　the　skin　and　bitterly　

cold。　　All　day　we　wandered　about　the　shore。　　All　we　succeeded　

in　earning　was　a　silver　piece　of　the　value　of　ten　kopecks；　

which　was　given　me　by　the　wife　of　a　priest；　in　return　for　

helping　her　to　carry　home　a　bag　of　melons　from　the　bazaar。





200　MY　FELLOW…TRAVELLER





A　narrow　belt　of　water　divided　us　from　Taman；　where　we　meant　

to　go；　but　not　one　boatman　would　consent　to　carry　us　over　in　

his　boat；　in　spite　of　my　pleadings。　　Everyone　here　was　up　in　

arms　against　the　tramps；　who；　shortly　before　our　arrival；　had　

performed　a　series　of　heroic　exploits；　and　we　were　looked　upon；

with　good　reason；　as　belonging　to　their　set。



Evening　came　on。　　I　felt　angry　with　the　whole　world；　for　my　

lack　of　success；　and　I　planned　a　somewhat　risky　scheme；　which　

I　put　into　execution　as　soon　as　night　came　on。



CHAPTER　VI。



Toward　evening；　Shakro　and　I　stole　quietly　up　toward　the　boats　

of　the　custom　house　guardship。　　There　were　three　of　them；　

chained　to　iron　rings；　which　rings　were　firmly　screwed　into　the　

stone　wall　of　the　quay。　　It　was　pitch　dark。　　A　strong　wind　

dashed　the　boats　one　against　the　other。　　The　iron　chains　

clanked　noisily。　　In　the　darkness　and　the　noise；　it　was　easy　

for　me　to　unscrew　the　ring　from　the　stone　wall。



Just　above　our　heads　the　sentinel　walked　to　and　fro；　whistling　

through　his　teeth　a　tune。　　Whenever　he　approached　I　stopped　my　

work；　though；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　this　was　a　useless　

precaution；　he　could　not　even　have　suspected　that　a　person　

would　sit　up　to　his　neck　in　the　water；　at　a　spot　where　the　

backwash　of　a　wave　might　at　any　moment　carry　him　off　his　feet。　

Besides；　the　chains　never　ceased　clanking；　as　the　wind　swung

them　backward　and　forward。　





201　　MY　FELLOW…TRAVELLER





Shakro　was　already　lying　full　length　along　the　bottom　of　the　

boat；　muttering　something；　which　the　noise　of　the　waves　

prevented　me　from　hearing。　　At　last　the　ring　was　in　my　hand。　　

At　the　same　moment　a　wave　caught　our　boat；　and　dashed　it　

suddenly　some　ten　yards　away　from　the　side　of　the　quay。　　I　

bad　to　swim　for　a　few　seconds　by　the　side　of　the　boat；　

holding　the　chain　in　my　hand。　　At　last　I　managed　to　scramble　

in。　　We　tore　up　two　boards　from　the　bottom；　and　using　these　

as　oars；　I　paddled　away　as　fast　as　I　could。



Clouds　sailed　rapidly　over　our　heads；　around；　and　underneath　

the　boat；　waves　splashed　furiously。　　Shakro　sa