creatures that once were men-第5节

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Deacon；　who　told　them　shameless　tales　of　lewd；　fantastic

adventures；　with　blinking　eyes　and　a　passionless　expression　of　

countenance。　





27　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





The　imagination　of　this　man　was　powerful　and　inexhaustible；　he　

could　go　on　relating　and　composing　all　day；　from　morning　to　

night；　without　once　repeating　what　he　had　said　before。　　In　his　

expression　you　sometimes　saw　the　poet　gone　astray；　sometimes　

the　romancer；　and　he　always　succeeded　in　making　his　tales

realistic　by　the　effective　and　powerful　words　in　which　he　told　

them。



There　was　also　a　foolish　young　man　called　Kuvalda　Meteor。　　One　

night　he　came　to　sleep　in　the　dosshouse；　and　had　remained　ever　

since　among　these　men；　much　to　their　astonishment。　　At　first　

they　did　not　take　much　notice　of　him。　　In　the　daytime；　like　all　

the　others；　he　went　away　to　find　something　to　eat；　but　at　

nights　he　always　loitered　around　this　friendly　company　till　at　

last　the　Captain　took　notice　of　him。

　　　　　

〃Boy！　What　business　have　you　here　on　this　earth？〃



The　boy　answered　boldly　and　stoutly：　　



〃I　am　a　barefooted　tramp。　。　。　。〃



The　Captain　looked　critically　at　him。　　This　youngster　had　long　

hair　and　a　weak　face；　with　prominent　cheekbones　and　a　turned…up　

nose。　　He　was　dressed　in　a　blue　blouse　without　a　waistband；　and　

on　his　head　he　wore　the　remains　of　a　straw　hat；　while　his　feet　

were　bare。



〃You　are　a　fool！〃　decided　Aristid　Kuvalda。　〃what　are　you　

knocking　about　here　for？　You　are　of　absolutely　no　use　to　us　。　。　。　

Do　you　drink　vodki？　。　。　。　No？　。　。　。　Well；　then；　can　you　steal？〃　

Again；　〃No。〃　〃Go　away；　learn；　and　come　back　again　when　you　know　

something；　and　are　a　man。　。　。　。〃





28　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





The　youngster　smiled。　　〃No。　I　shall　live　with　you。〃



〃Why？〃



〃Just　because。　。　。　。〃



〃Oh；　you　。　。　。　Meteor！〃　said　the　Captain。



〃I　will　break　his　teeth　for　him；〃　said　Martyanoff。



〃And　why？〃　asked　the　youngster。



〃Just　because。　。　。　。〃



〃And　I　will　take　a　stone　and　hit　you　on　the　head；〃　the　young　

man　answered　respectfully。



Martyanoff　would　have　broken　his　bones；　had　not　Kuvalda　

interrupted　with：　　〃Leave　him　alone。　。　。Is　this　a　home　to　

you　or　even　to　us？　　You　have　no　sufficient　reason　to　break　his

teeth　for　him。　　You　have　no　better　reason　than　he　for　living　

with　us。〃



〃Well；　then；　Devil　take　him！　。　。　。　We　all　live　in　the　world　

without　sufficient　reason　。　。　。　We　live；　and　why？　Because！　

He　also　because　。　。　。　let　him　alone。　。　。　。〃



〃But　it　is　better　for　you；　young　man；　to　go　away　from　us；〃　

the　teacher　advised　him；　looking　him　up　and　down　with　his　sad　

eyes。　　He　made　no　answer；　but　remained。　　And　they　soon　became　

accustomed　to　his　presence；　and　ceased　to　take　any　notice　of　

him。　But　he　lived　among　them；　and　observed　everything。



The　above　were　the　chief　members　of　the　Captain's　company；　and　

he　called　them　with　kind…hearted　sarcasm　〃Creatures　that　once　

were　Men。〃　　For　though　there　were　men　who　had　experienced　as　

much　of　the　bitter　irony　of　fate　as　these　men；　yet　they　were　

not　fallen　so　low。　





29　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





Not　infrequently；　respectable　men　belonging　to　the　cultured　

classes　are　inferior　to　those　belonging　to　the　peasantry；　and　

it　is　always　a　fact　that　the　depraved　man　from　the　city　is　

immeasurably　worse　than　the　depraved　man　from　the　village。　

This　fact　was　strikingly　illustrated　by　the　contrast　between　

the　formerly　well…educated　men　and　the　mujiks　who　were　living　

in　Kuvalda's　shelter。

　　　　　

The　representative　of　the　latter　class　was　an　old　mujik

called　Tyapa。　　Tall　and　angular；　he　kept　his　head　in　such　a　

position　that　his　chin　touched　his　breast。　　He　was　the　

Captain's　first　lodger；　and　it　was　said　of　him　that　he　had　a　

great　deal　of　money　hidden　somewhere；　and　for　its　sake　had　

nearly　had　his　throat　cut　some　two　years　ago：　　ever　since　then　

he　carried　his　head　thus。　　Over　his　eyes　hung　grayish　eyebrows；　

and；　looked　at　in　profile；　only　his　crooked　nose　was　to　be　

seen。　　His　shadow　reminded　one　of　a　poker。　　He　denied　that　he

had　money；　and　said　that　they　〃only　tried　to　cut　his　throat　

out　of　malice；〃　and　from　that　day　he　took　to　collecting　rags；　

and　that　is　why　his　head　was　always　bent　as　if　incessantly　

looking　on　the　ground。　　When　he　went　about　shaking　his　head；　

and　minus　a　walking…stick　in　his　hand；　and　a　bag　on　his　

backthe　signs　of　his　professionhe　seemed　to　be　thinking　

almost　to　madness；　and；　at　such　times；　Kuvalda　spoke　thus；　

pointing　to　him　with　his　finger：



〃Look；　there　is　the　conscience　of　Merchant　Judas　Petunikoff。　

See　how　disorderly；　dirty；　and　low　is　the　escaped　conscience。〃





30　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





Tyapa；　as　a　rule；　spoke　in　a　hoarse　and　hardly　audible　voice；　

and　that　is　why　he　spoke　very　little；　and　loved　to　be　alone。　

But　whenever　a　stranger；　compelled　to　leave　the　village；　

appeared　in　the　dosshouse；　Tyapa　seemed　sadder　and　angrier；　

and　followed　the　unfortunate　about　with　biting　jeers　and　a　

wicked　chuckling　in　his　throat。　　He　either　put　some　beggar　

against　him；　or　himself　threatened　to　rob　and　beat　him；　till　

the　frightened　mujik　would　disappear　from　the　dosshouse　and　

never　more　be　seen。　　Then　Tyapa　was　quiet　again；　and　would

sit　in　some　corner　mending　his　rags；　or　else　reading　his　Bible；　

which　was　as　dirty；　worn；　and　old　as　himself。　　Only　when　the　

teacher　brought　a　newspaper　and　began　reading　did　he　come　from　

his　corner　once　more。　　As　a　rule；　Tyapa　listened　to　what　was　

read　silently　and　sighed　often；　without　asking　anything　of　

anyone。　　But　once　when　the　teacher；　having　read　the　paper；　

wanted　to　put　it　away；　Tyapa　stretched　out　his　bony　hand；　and　

said；　〃Give　it　to　me。　。　。　。〃



〃What　do　you　want　it　for？〃



〃Give　it　to　me　。　。　。　Perhaps　there　is　something　in　it　about　

us。　。　。　。〃



〃About　whom？〃



〃About　the　village。〃



They　laughed　at　him；　and　threw　him　the　paper。　　He　took　it；　and　

read　in　it　how　in　the　village　the　hail　had　destroyed　the　

cornfields；　how　in　another　village　fire　destroyed　thirty　houses；　

and　that　in　a　third　a　woman　had　poisoned　her　familyin　fact；　

everything　that　it　is　customary　to　write　ofeverything；　that　

is　to　say；　which　is　bad；　and　which　depicts　only　the　worst　side　

of　the　unfortunate　village。　　





31　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE。　MEN　





Tyapa　read　all　this　silently　and　roared；　perhaps　from　sympathy；　

perhaps　from　delight　at　the　sad　news。



He　passed　the　whole　Sunday　in　reading　his　Bible；　and　never　went　

out　collecting　rags　on　that　day。　　While　reading；　he　groaned　and　

sighed　continually。　　He　kept　the　book　close　to　his　breast；　and　

was　angry　with　any　one　who　interrupted　him　or　who　touched　his　

Bible。



〃Oh；　you　drunken　blackguard；〃　said　Kuvalda　to　him；　〃what　do　you　

understand　of　it？〃



〃Nothing；　wizard！　　I　don't　understand　anything；　and　I　do　not　

read　any　books　。　。　。　But　I　read。　。　。　。〃



〃Therefore　you　are　a　fool　。　。　。〃　said　the　Captain；　decidedly。　

〃When　there　are　insects　in　your　head；　you　know　it　is　

uncomfortable；　but　if　some　thoughts　enter　there　too；　how　will　

you　live　then；　you　old　toad？〃



〃I　have　not　long　to　live；〃　said　Tyapa；　quietly。



Once　the　teacher　asked　how　he　had　learned　to　read。



〃In　prison；〃　answered　Tyapa　shortly。



〃Have　you　been　there？〃



〃I　was　there。　　　　〃



〃For　what？〃



〃Just　so　。　。　。　It　was　a　mistake　。　。　。　But　I　brought　the　Bible　

out　with　me　from　there。　　A　lady　gave　it　to　me　。　。　。　It　is　good　

in　prison；　brother。〃



〃Is　that　so？　And　why？〃



〃It　teaches　one　。　。　。　I　learned　to　read　there　。　。　。　I　also　got　

this　book　。　。　。　And　all　these　you　see；　free。　。　。　。〃



When　the　teacher　appeared　in　the　dosshouse；　Tyapa　had　already　

lived　there　for　some　time。　　He　looked　long　into　the　teacher's　

face；　as　if　to　discover　what　kind　of　a　man　he　was。





32　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





Tyapa　often　listened　to　his　conversation；　and　once；

sitting　down　beside　him；　said：



〃I　see　you　are　very　learned　。　。　。　Have　you　read　the　Bible？〃



〃I　have　read　it。　。　。　。〃



〃I　see；　I　see　。　。　。　Can　you　remember　it？〃



〃Yes　。　。　。　I　remember　it。　。　。　。〃



Then　the　old　man　leaned　to　one　side　and　gazed　at　the　other　

with　a　serious；　suspicious　glance。



〃There　were　the　Amalekites；　do　you　remember？〃



〃Well？〃



〃Where　are　they　now？〃



〃Disappeared　。　。　。　Tyapa　。　。　。　died　out。　。　。　。〃



The　old　man　was　silent；　then　asked　again：　　〃And　where　are　

the　Philistines？〃



〃These　also。　。　。　。〃



〃Have　all　these　died　out？〃



〃Yes　。　。　。　all。　。　。　。〃



〃And　so　。　。　。　we　also　will　die　out？〃



〃There　will　come　a　time　when　we　also　will　die；〃　said　the　

teacher　indifferently。



〃And　to　what　tribe　of　Israel　do　we　belong？〃



The　teacher　looked　at　him；　and　began　telling　him　about　

Scythians　and　Slavs。　。　。　。



The　old　man　became　all