The Cossacks

supper. Only the old man still stayed under the plane tree watching for the vulture and pulling the string tied to the falcon's leg, but though a vulture was really perching on

s every kind of work, both rough and deli

p voice calling him from the thicket close

his arm, forced his way through the

is song, 'where did you get that cock

ashka and had also only been at th

ne's ears. They were neighbours and comrades. Lukashka was sitt

whose it was-y

e plane tree? Then it is min

e dark burnished head of the bird, which rolled its eyes and stretc

ilau tonight. You go

t ourselves or give

as pl

killing them,'

it h

ave it a swift jerk. The bird fluttered, but before it c

id Lukashka, throwing down the ph

red as he look

he said, taking up the bird. (He was alluding to the corporal.) 'He has sent

whistling al

ing with you,

ka ob

zarka. 'Let's say we won't go; we're tired out and there's an end o

'What bosh! If he made us turn out of the village at night now, that would be annoying: there one can have s

u going to

for the h

s carrying on with Fomushk

, showing his regular white teeth, though he d

hile and then went away, and passing by the window he heard her say, "He's gone, the fiend.... Why don't you eat your

making

e true, b

devil,' said Lukashka, after a pause. 'There's

. 'You should make up to the cornet's girl, Ma

at of Maryanka? They'

you jus

? Are girls so sca

s he went. Suddenly, catching sight of a smooth sapling, he drew the knife from the handle of his dagger an

er room of the hut, when the question of whose turn it was to lie in ambush was raised. 'Who is t

o,' said he, not quite confidently. 'You two had better go, you and Nazarka,' he w

self so why should he?' said

sacks l

unk and asleep near the hut. He had only that

y risen and was get

shut the door, evidently not expecting the Cossack to obey. 'Of course,' thought he, 'if I hadn't been ordered to I

go,' remarked Ergushov

he times are such.

gushov, seemed quite indifferent to what passed and only laughed at them both. Before the Cossacks were ready to go int

-roofed room drowning all the other voices, 'I'm goin