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〃I keep thinking； Sanka； about that writing that was shown to
that soldier at Ivanovka。 I didn't tell Panteley God be with
him but you know in that writing the place was marked out so
that even a woman could find it。 Do you know where it is？ At
Bogata Bylotchka at the spot； you know； where the ravine parts
like a goose's foot into three little ravines； it is the middle
one。〃
〃Well； will you dig？〃
〃I will try my luck。 。 。〃
〃And； grandfather； what will you do with the treasure when you
find it？〃
〃Do with it？〃 laughed the old man。 〃H'm！ 。 。 。 If only I could
find it then。 。 。 。 I would show them all。 。 。 。 H'm！ 。 。 。 I
should know what to do。 。 。 。〃
And the old man could not answer what he would do with the
treasure if he found it。 That question had presented itself to
him that morning probably for the first time in his life； and
judging from the expression of his face； indifferent and
uncritical； it did not seem to him important and deserving of
consideration。 In Sanka's brain another puzzled question was
stirring： why was it only old men searched for hidden treasure；
and what was the use of earthly happiness to people who might die
any day of old age？ But Sanka could not put this perplexity into
words； and the old man could scarcely have found an answer to it。
An immense crimson sun came into view surrounded by a faint haze。
Broad streaks of light； still cold； bathing in the dewy grass；
lengthening out with a joyous air as though to prove they were
not weary of their task； began spreading over the earth。 The
silvery wormwood； the blue flowers of the pig's onion； the yellow
mustard； the corn…flowers all burst into gay colours； taking
the sunlight for their own smile。
The old shepherd and Sanka parted and stood at the further sides
of the flock。 Both stood like posts； without moving； staring at
the ground and thinking。 The former was haunted by thoughts of
fortune； the latter was pondering on what had been said in the
night； what interested him was not the fortune itself； which he
did not want and could not imagine； but the fantastic； fairy…tale
character of human happiness。
A hundred sheep started and； in some inexplicable panic as at a
signal； dashed away from the flock； and as though the thoughts of
the sheep tedious and oppressive had for a moment infected
Sanka also； he； too； dashed aside in the same inexplicable animal
panic； but at once he recovered himself and shouted：
〃You crazy creatures！ You've gone mad； plague take you！〃
When the sun； promising long hours of overwhelming heat； began to
bake the earth； all living things that in the night had moved and
uttered sounds were sunk in drowsiness。 The old shepherd and
Sanka stood with their crooks on opposite sides of the flock；
stood without stirring； like fakirs at their prayers； absorbed in
thought。 They did not heed each other； each of them was living in
his own life。 The sheep were pondering； too。
A MALEFACTOR
AN exceedingly lean little peasant； in a striped hempen shirt and
patched drawers； stands facing the investigating magistrate。 His
face overgrown with hair and pitted with smallpox； and his eyes
scarcely visible under thick； overhanging eyebrows have an
expression of sullen moroseness。 On his head there is a perfect
mop of tangled； unkempt hair； which gives him an even more
spider…like air of moroseness。 He is barefooted。
〃Denis Grigoryev！〃 the magistrate begins。 〃Come nearer； and
answer my questions。 On the seventh of this July the railway
watchman； Ivan Semyonovitch Akinfov； going along the line in the
morning； found you at the hundred…and…forty…first mile engaged in
unscrewing a nut by which the rails are made fast to the
sleepers。 Here it is； the nut！ 。 。 。 With the aforesaid nut he
detained you。 Was that so？〃
〃Wha…at？〃
〃Was this all as Akinfov states？〃
〃To be sure； it was。〃
〃Very good； well； what were you unscrewing the nut for？〃
〃Wha…at？〃
〃Drop that 'wha…at' and answer the question； what were you
unscrewing the nut for？〃
〃If I hadn't wanted it I shouldn't have unscrewed it；〃 croaks
Denis； looking at the ceiling。
〃What did you want that nut for？〃
〃The nut？ We make weights out of those nuts for our lines。〃
〃Who is 'we'？〃
〃We； people。 。 。 。 The Klimovo peasants； that is。〃
〃Listen； my man； don't play the idiot to me； but speak sensibly。
It's no use telling lies here about weights！〃
〃I've never been a liar from a child； and now I'm telling lies 。
。 。〃 mutters Denis； blinking。 〃But can you do without a weight；
your honour？ If you put live bait or maggots on a hook； would it
go to the bottom without a w eight？ 。 。 。 I am telling lies；〃
grins Denis。 。 。 。 〃What the devil is the use of the worm if it
swims on the surface！ The perch and the pike and the eel…pout
always go to the bottom； and a bait on the surface is only taken
by a shillisper； not very often then； and there are no
shillispers in our river。 。 。 。 That fish likes plenty of room。〃
〃Why are you telling me about shillispers？〃
〃Wha…at？ Why； you asked me yourself！ The gentry catch fish that
way too in our parts。 The silliest little boy would not try to
catch a fish without a weight。 Of course anyone who did not
understand might go to fish without a weight。 There is no rule
for a fool。〃
〃So you say you unscrewed this nut to make a weight for your
fishing line out of it？〃
〃What else for？ It wasn't to play knuckle…bones with！〃
〃But you might have taken lead； a bullet 。 。 。 a nail of some
sort。 。 。 。〃
〃You don't pick up lead in the road； you have to buy it； and a
nail's no good。 You can't find anything better than a nut。 。 。 。
It's heavy； and there's a hole in it。〃
〃He keeps pretending to be a fool！ as though he'd been born
yesterday or dropped from heaven！ Don't you understand； you
blockhead； what unscrewing these nuts leads to？ If the watchman
had not noticed it the train might have run off the rails； people
would have been killed you would have killed people。〃
〃God forbid； your honour！ What should I kill them for？ Are we
heathens or wicked people？ Thank God； good gentlemen； we have
lived all our lives without ever dreaming of such a thing。 。 。 。
Save； and have mercy on us； Queen of Heaven！ 。 。 。 What are you
saying？〃
〃And what do you suppose railway accidents do come from？ Unscrew
two or three nuts and you have an accident。〃
Denis grins； and screws up his eye at the magistrate
incredulously。
〃Why！ how many years have we all in the village been unscrewing
nuts； and the Lord has been merciful； and you talk of accidents；
killing people。 If I had carried away a rail or put a log across
the line； say； then maybe it might have upset the train； but。 。 。
pouf！ a nut！〃
〃But you must understand that the nut holds the rail fast to the
sleepers！〃
〃We understand that。 。 。 。 We don't unscrew them all 。 。 。 we
leave some。 。 。 。 We don't do it thoughtlessly 。 。 。 we
understand。 。 。 。〃
Denis yawns and makes the sign of the cross over his mouth。
〃Last year the train went off the rails here；〃 says the
magistrate。 〃Now I see why！〃
〃What do you say； your honour？〃
〃I am telling you that now I see why the train we