creatures that once were men-第26节
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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