Chapter 13

Meanwhile the tattoo had sounded in the village square. The people
had returned from their work. The herd lowed as in clouds of
golden dust it crowded at the village gate. The girls and the
women hurried through the streets and yards, turning in their
cattle. The sun had quite hidden itself behind the distant snowy
peaks. One pale bluish shadow spread over land and sky. Above the
darkened gardens stars just discernible were kindling, and the
sounds were gradually hushed in the village. The cattle having
been attended to and left for the night, the women came out and
gathered at the corners of the streets and, cracking sunflower
seeds with their teeth, settled down on the earthen embankments of
the houses. Later on Maryanka, having finished milking the buffalo
and the other two cows, also joined one of these groups.

The group consisted of several women and girls and one old Cossack
man.

They were talking about the abrek who had been killed.

The Cossack was narrating and the women questioning him.

'I expect he'll get a handsome reward,' said one of the women.

'Of course. It's said that they'll send him a cross.'

'Mosev did try to wrong him. Took the gun away from him, but the
authorities at Kizlyar heard of it.'

'A mean creature that Mosev is!'

'They say Lukashka has come home,' remarked one of the girls.

'He and Nazarka are merry-making at Yamka's.' (Yamka was an
unmarried, disreputable Cossack woman who kept an illicit pot-
house.) 'I heard say they had drunk half a pailful.'

'What luck that Snatcher has,' somebody remarked. 'A real
snatcher. But there's no denying he's a fine lad, smart enough for
anything, a right-minded lad! His father was just such another.
Daddy Kiryak was: he takes after his father. When he was killed
the whole village howled. Look, there they are,' added the
speaker, pointing to the Cossacks who were coming down the street
towards them.

'And Ergushov has managed to come along with them too! The
drunkard!'

Lukashka, Nazarka, and Ergushov, having emptied half a pail of
vodka, were coming towards the girls. The faces of all three, but
especially that of the old Cossack, were redder than usual.
Ergushov was reeling and kept laughing and nudging Nazarka in the
ribs.

'Why are you not singing?' he shouted to the girls. 'Sing to our
merry-making, I tell you!'

They were welcomed with the words, 'Had a good day? Had a good
day?'

'Why sing? It's not a holiday,' said one of the women. 'You're
tight, so you go and sing.'

Ergushov roared with laughter and nudged Nazarka. 'You'd better
sing. And I'll begin too. I'm clever, I tell you.'

'Are you asleep, fair ones?' said