Page 69 - DENG104_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_I

Elective English–I

Notes hoarse voice: ‘What the devil is he good for?’ Gabriel was saying. ‘He’s only fit to be killed!’
At these words all Ivan’s former bitterness towards his neighbour re-awoke. He stood listening
while Gabriel scolded, and, when he stopped, Iván went into the hut.
There was a light inside; his daughter-in-law sat spinning, his wife was getting supper ready,
his eldest son was making straps for bark shoes, his second sat near the table with a book, and
Tarás was getting ready to go out to pasture the horses for the night. Everything in the hut
would have been pleasant and bright, but for that plague—a bad neighbour!
Iván entered, sullen and cross; threw the cat down from the bench, and scolded the women
for putting the slop-pail in the wrong place. He felt despondent, and sat down, frowning, to
mend the horse-collar. Gabriel’s words kept ringing in his ears: his threat at the law court, and
what he had just been shouting in a hoarse voice about some one who was ‘only fit to be killed.’
His wife gave Tarás his supper, and, having eaten it, Tarás put on an old sheepskin and
another coat, tied a sash round his waist, took some bread with him, and went out to the
horses. His eldest brother was going to see him off, but Iván himself rose instead, and went
out into the porch. It had grown quite dark outside, clouds had gathered, and the wind had
risen. Iván went down the steps, helped his boy to mount, started the foal after him, and stood
listening while Tarás rode down the village and was there joined by other lads with their
horses. Iván waited until they were all out of hearing. As he stood there by the gate he could
not get Gabriel’s words out of his head: ‘Mind that something of yours does not burn worse!’
‘He is desperate,’ thought Iván. ‘Everything is dry, and it’s windy weather besides. He’ll come
up at the back somewhere, set fire to something, and be off. He’ll burn the place and escape
scot free, the villain! ... There now, if one could but catch him in the act, he’d not get off then!’
And the thought fixed itself so firmly in his mind that he did not go up the steps but went
out into the street and round the corner. I’ll just walk round the buildings; who can tell what
he’s after?’ And Iván, stepping softly, passed out of the gate. As soon as he reached the corner,
he looked round along the fence, and seemed to see something suddenly move at the opposite
corner, as if some one had come out and disappeared again. Iván stopped, and stood quietly,
listening and looking. Everything was still; only the leaves of the willows fluttered in the
wind, and the straws of the thatch rustled. At first it seemed pitch dark, but, when his eyes
had grown used to the darkness, he could see the far corner, and a plough that lay there, and
the eaves. He looked a while, but saw no one.
‘I suppose it was a mistake,’ thought Iván; ‘but still I will go round,’ and Iván went stealthily
along by the shed. Iván stepped so softly in his bark shoes that he did not hear his own
footsteps. As he reached the far corner, something seemed to flare up for a moment near the
plough and to vanish again. Iván felt as if struck to the heart; and he stopped. Hardly had he
stopped, when something flared up more brightly in the same place, and he clearly saw a man
with a cap on his head, crouching down, with his back towards him, lighting a bunch of straw
he held in his hand. Iván’s heart fluttered within him like a bird. Straining every nerve, he
approached with great strides, hardly feeling his legs under him. ‘Ah,’ thought Iván, ‘now he
won’t escape! I’ll catch him in the act!’
Iván was still some distance off, when suddenly he saw a bright light, but not in the same
place as before, and not a small flame. The thatch had flared up at the eaves, the flames were
reaching up to the roof, and, standing beneath it, Gabriel’s whole figure was clearly visible.

Like a hawk swooping down on a lark, Iván rushed at Limping Gabriel. ‘Now I’ll have him;
he shan’t escape me!’ thought Iván. But Gabriel must have heard his steps, and (however he
managed it) glancing round, he scuttled away past the barn like a hare.
‘You shan’t escape!’ shouted Iván, darting after him.

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