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been hired to row; and you'd better row。  But if you can't 

keep your tongue from wagging; it will be a bad lookout for 

you。  D'ye see?〃



For a minute the boat quivered and stopped。  The oars rested 

in the water; setting it foaming; and Gavrilo moved uneasily 

on his seat。



〃Row!〃



A sharp oath rang out in the air。  Gavrilo swung the oars。 

The boat moved with rapid; irregular jerks; noisily cutting 

the water。



〃Steady!〃



Chelkash got up from the stern; still holding the oars in his 

hands; and peering with his cold eyes into the pale and 

twitching face of Gavrilo。  Crouching forward Chelkash was 

like a cat on the point of springing。  There was the sound of 

angry gnashing of teeth。





147  CHELKASH





〃Who's calling?〃 rang out a surly shout from the sea。



〃Now; you devil; row! quietly with the oars!  I'll kill you; 

you cur。  Come; row!  One; two!  There! you only make a sound! 

I'll cut your throat!〃 hissed Chelkash。



〃Mother of GodHoly Virgin〃 muttered Gavrilo; shaking and 

numb with terror and exertion。



The boat turned smoothly and went back toward the harbor; where 

the lights gathered more closely into a group of many colors 

and the straight stems of masts could be seen。



〃Hi!  Who's shouting?〃 floated across again。  The voice was 

farther off this time。  Chelkash grew calm again。



〃It's yourself; friend; that's shouting!〃 he said in the 

direction of the shouts; and then he turned to Gavrilo; who 

was muttering a prayer。



〃Well; mate; you're in luck!  If those devils had overtaken us; 

it would have been all over with you。  D'you see?  I'd have you 

over in a triceto the fishes!〃



Now; when Chelkash was speaking quietly and even good…humoredly; 

Gavrilo; still shaking with terror; besought him!



〃Listen; forgive me!  For Christ's sake; I beg you; let me go! 

Put me on shore somewhere!  Aie…aie…aie!  I'm done for 

entirely!  Come; think of God; let me go!  What am I to you? 

I can't do it!  I've never been used to such things。  It's the 

first time。  Lord!  Why; I shall be lost!  How did you get 

round me; mate? eh?  It's a shame of you!  Why; you're ruining 

a man's life!  Such doings。〃





148 CHELKASH





〃What doings?〃 Chelkash asked grimly。 〃Eh?  Well; what doings?〃



He was amused by the youth's terror; and he enjoyed it and the 

sense that he; Chelkash; was a terrible person。



〃Shady doings; mate。  Let me go; for God's sake!  What am I to 

you? eh?  Gooddear!〃



〃Hold your tongue; do!  If you weren't wanted; I shouldn't have 

taken you。  Do you understand?  So; shut up!〃



〃Lord!〃 Gavrilo sighed; sobbing。



〃Come; come! you'd better mind!〃  Chelkash cut him short。



But Gavrilo by now could not restrain himself; and quietly 

sobbing; he wept; sniffed; and writhed in his seat; yet rowed 

vigorously; desperately。  The boat shot on like an arrow。 

Again dark hulks of ships rose up on their way and the boat 

was again lost among them; winding like a wolf in the narrow 

lanes of water between them。



〃Here; you listen!  If anyone asks you anything; hold your 

tongue; if you want to get off alive!  Do you see?〃



〃Ohoh!〃 Gavrilo sighed hopelessly in answer to the grim

advice; and bitterly he added:  〃I'm a lost man!〃



〃Don't howl!〃 Chelkash whispered impressively。



This whisper deprived Gavrilo of all power of grasping 

anything and transformed him into a senseless automaton; 

wholly absorbed in a chill presentiment of calamity。  





149  CHELKASH





Mechanically he lowered the oars into the water; threw himself 

back; drew them out and dropped them in again; all the while 

staring blankly at his plaited shoes。  The waves splashed 

against the vessels with a sort of menace; a sort of warning 

in their drowsy sound that terrified him。  The dock was reached。 

From its granite wall came the sound of men's voices; the splash 

of water; singing; and shrill whistles。



〃Stop!〃 whispered Chelkash。  〃Give over rowing!  Push along with 

your hands on the wall!  Quietly; you devil!〃



Gavrilo; clutching at the slippery stone; pushed the boat 

alongside the wall。  The boat moved without a sound; sliding 

alongside the green; shiny stone。



〃Stop!  Give me the oars!  Give them here。  Where's your 

passport?  In the bag?  Give me the bag!  Come; give it here 

quickly!  That; my dear fellow; is so you shouldn't run off。 

You won't run away now。  Without oars you might have got off 

somehow; but without a passport you'll be afraid to。   Wait 

here!  But mindif you squeakto the bottom of the sea you 

go!〃



And; all at once; clinging on to something with his hands; 

Chelkash rose in the air and vanished onto the wall。



Gavrilo shuddered。  It had all happened so quickly。  He felt 

as though the cursed weight and horror that had crushed him 

in the presence of this thin thief with his mustaches was 

loosened and rolling off him。  Now to run!  And breathing 

freely; he looked round him。  On his left rose a black hulk; 

without masts; a sort of huge coffin; mute; untenanted; and 

desolate。  





150 CHELKASH





Every splash of the water on its sides awakened a hollow;

resonant echo within it; like a heavy sigh。



On the right the damp stone wall of the quay trailed its 

length; winding like a heavy; chill serpent。  Behind him; too; 

could be seen black blurs of some sort; while in front; in the 

opening between the wall and the side of that coffin; he could 

see the sea; a silent waste; with the storm…clouds crawling 

above it。  Everything was cold; black; malignant。  Gavrilo 

felt panic…stricken。  This terror was worse than the terror 

inspired in him by Chelkash; it penetrated into Gavrilo's bosom 

with icy keenness; huddled him into a cowering mass; and kept 

him nailed to his seat in the boat。



All around was silent。  Not a sound but the sighs of the sea; 

and it seemed as though this silence would instantly be rent 

by something fearful; furiously loud; something that would 

shake the sea to its depths; tear apart these heavy flocks of 

clouds on the sky; and scatter all these black ships。  The 

clouds were crawling over the sky as dismally as before; more 

of them still rose up out of the sea; and; gazing at the sky; 

one might believe that it; too; was a sea; but a sea in 

agitation; and grown petrified in its agitation; laid over

that other sea beneath; that was so drowsy; serene; and smooth。  

The clouds were like waves; flinging themselves with curly gray 

crests down upon the earth and into the abysses of space; from 

which they were torn again by the wind; and tossed back upon 

the rising billows of cloud; that were not yet hidden under the

greenish foam of their furious agitation。





151  CHELKASH





Gavrilo felt crushed by this gloomy stillness and beauty; and 

felt that he longed to see his master come back quickly。  And 

how was it that he lingered there so long?  The time passed 

slowly; more slowly than those clouds crawled over the sky。  

And the stillness grew more malignant as time went on。  From 

the wall of the quay came the sound of splashing; rustling; 

and something like whispering。  It seemed to Gavrilo that he 

would die that moment。



〃Hi!  Asleep?  Hold it!  Carefully!〃 sounded the hollow voice 

of Chelkash。



From the wall something cubical and heavy was let down。  

Gavrilo took it into the boat。  Something else like it 

followed。  Then across the wall stretched Chelkash's long 

figure; the oars appeared from somewhere; Gavrilo's bag 

dropped at his feet; and Chelkash; breathing heavily; settled 

himself in the stern。



Gavrilo gazed at him with a glad and timid smile。



〃Tired?〃



〃Bound to be that; calf!  Come now; row your best!  Put your 

back into it!  You've earned good wages; mate。  Half the job's 

done。   Now we've only to slip under the devils' noses; and 

then you can take your money and go off to your Mashka。  

You've got a Mashka; I suppose; eh; kiddy?〃



〃Nno!〃 Gavrilo strained himself to the utmost; working his 

chest like a pair of bellows; and his arms like steel springs。 

The water gurgled under the boat; and the blue streak behind 

the stern was broader now。  Gavrilo was soaked through with 

sweat at once; but he still rowed on with all his might。  





152 CHELKASH





After living through such terror twice that night; he dreaded 

now having to go through it a third time; and longed for one 

thing onlyto make an end quickly of this accursed task; to 

get on to land; and to run away from this man; before he 

really did kill him; or get him into prison。  He resolved not 

to speak to him about anything; not to contradict him; to do 

all he told him; and; if he should succeed in getting 

successfully quit of him; to pay for a thanksgiving service 

to be said to…morrow to Nikolai

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