New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-24
THE CRACK SHOT.
ADAPTED FROM THE RUSSIAN of
POUCHKlNE.
IN COUNTRY QUARTERS.

Of Suwalki, is a dull hole. We lay there,
monotonous life of il we led-about as iuil Oh
emotion as that of tortoise ID state OF hyDer-
nation. This was the daily routine: morning,
drill and the riding school midday, dinner at
the commentaries OF the jewish restaurant;
evening. punch and card-playlng: !hcfe was
not house in the place worth vIsitlhe, nol q
Girl worth falling in love with. We passed our
abundant leisure in going from Peter 10 faul,
and from Paul to Peter and back agaln-tne
same perpetual Iound-and IN crluclZIh2 Tile
buttons on each others uniforms. ,.,-
Nevertheless there was just one ID our liVGle
society who was not military man tie might
he about five and thirty years old. consequently
we young fellows looked upon MN Win
something akin to veneraton. Ills experience
paye him an ascendency over us; and his taci-
turnity. his naughty bearing, and the sarcastic
manner in which he spoke, added 10 1he I'M
preston and strengthened the superiority OF
age. 1t was often puzzle 70 me what hiS sue
riOus destiny Oyershadowed MN. re ap
neared to be Russian, but he had foreign
name. He had formerly served IN Hussar
regiment and had even built himself up SOME
reputation in it but he handed In ms papers
abruptly one mOrning-nObody could TELL Why
and he established himself III this miserable
village, where ne lived very roughly but man
aged all the same to spend great deal OF
money. He took his alrings on 1907; wrapped
in a seedy black paletot and; 1or al tna., ne
kent open house for every officer In our regi-
ment. To tell the truth. his dinners were not
luxurious nor was the cook Gordon 6teu. we
usually had two or three PLAIN dishes served up
by a discharged soldier. But MS champagne
was Of a frst-rate brand, and was sent rOund
in bucketfuls. | have no pity for the man VINO
cannot wash down bad meal with good VINE.
Nobody knew what was his fortune, or Whether
he was married or single, aud NOBODY careu 10
ask him. He looked too stern to stand interloR-
atory of that type He had tolerably large
library, particularly strong Ill military books
and in romances, which he freely lent anu
never asked back. On the other hand, ne never
thought or returning book once lent 10 hin.
His absorbing OccupatiOn-lt was more IMAM
pastime-was pistOl-practice. The walls or his
dinIng-room, r1ddled with bulet-dents, looked
like a hOney-comb. splendid colltctioh Oh
pistols, of every age and make, was the ono
vanity of the wretched gaZeb0 be called MS
mansion. The dexterIty he had acquired by his
practice was something incredible: II ne lad
n bet that he would knock the Tut on tofag
ing-cap with a shot, | do not THINK there was u
fellow In the regiment who would have nesl-
tated to put tn fOraging-cap on his head;
Sometimes amongst us, the conversation turned
upon dnelling. SllviO with your PERMISSION
that is how mean to call him. never. TOOK part
III il. If he were asked, had ne ever 1een our,
he dryly answered Yes put entered into no
details and it WAS easy to perceive that the
question did not crafty him. We came 10 the
conclusion that some victim OF ms teITD.e Skill
had left a burden on his conscience. None OF
us for moment had the slightest suspicion
that there was any element of feebleness in his
composition. There are men whose EXTERIOR Is
enough TO scout supposiU0ns OF inc kinu. ne
was one of them. Notwithstanding, an event
which Unexpectedly turned up snSuIdIly ts-
tOnished all of us.
One day dUzen of ne, officers, dlned at
SilviO's We drank as 1t was tile custom tnat
is TO say, TOO much. AS soon as dinner was
over we askel the master OF the mouse 10 make
a bank at faro. After refusing for long time,
for he very seldom played, he called for the
cards placed fifty duCats before HIM on the
table, and sat down to cut, We made a ring
abound him. and the play began. when ne
payed, il was SlViOs habit To preserve an
absolute silence; he never made any objections
and never gave any explanations. III punter
won or lOsr, he paid HIM exactly what was
coming 10 him, or marked down to bis own
credit what he had gained We all knew his
DecnlIaritv. and we let him arrange the matter
after his own fashion but there was Win US
on that occasion an officer newly joined WHO,
in a moment of distraction, made false
double SivlO took up the chalk and made his
mark in his usual manner The officer, per
suaded that there was mistake, eXpostUlateu.
SiiviO, never breaking silence, continued 10 cut:
The officer losing patience, took the crush ana
rubbed out what he thought 10 be the wrong
mark Sllvio quietly TOOK the chalk and made
the mark again. Upon this, the Otncer-heated
BY the wine, the pay, and the laughter OF his
cOmIades-tOok serious offence, ana selzlDg a
copper chan eler IN his fIy hurled IL at the
head % SivlO who, By rapid duck just con-
trvcd 10 avoid being struck. There was feaT-
ful row SiviO started up pale with anger,
and. with fire in his eyes, he said:
NV good sir, have the kindness To leave the
room , and thank your God kat this has passed
Vof one of US had the slightest doubt as to
what would be the sequel OF the affair we
already looked upon our new ccmrtde AS Il
dead man. The officer left, saying ne was rcauy
10 give satisfaction TO the banker as soon as IL
shifted his convenience. Tue gambling con-
tinued for few minutes more; but as we saw
that the master of the house pa no further
interest to the play, We left one 10y one, and rs
we strolied back te our quarters We chatted on
the vacancy We were about 70 nave IN TIE resi-
ment
The following day, in the riding school, we
were asking if the poor lieutenant were dead or
merely wounded, when who should walk III Dut
himself We piled him with questions. lie
simplv answered that he had not heard from
Sllvi0 We were astOnished. We went 10 visit
SilyIo: We came upon him IN his courtyard.
sendIng bullet after bullet INTO an ace OF hearts
mai ed 10 door. He received Us III his usual
,yay. and never said word about The transac-
ZION OF the night before. Three days passed,
and the lieutenant still lived. \ message had
come We began to ask one another IN amaze
mept: il il possible that SIivio won't tight
silvio did not fight. He was satisfied with
very lame explanation, and all was over.
his magnanimty did him lot OF harm
amongst us young follows. Want OF hardwood
is the fault that youth pardons the leasi.
Courage is the greatest of ali merits, the excuse
for every blemlsh Nevertheless, by little and
little all was forgotten, and oilvio reassamed
his ion mer influence in our circle.
| alone found it hard TO reconcile myself TO
him. Thanks 10 a romantic imagination mad
Orown more attached than any of my friends To
Ills man, whose life was such an enigma.
had made of him the hero of mysterious
drama. lie had a preference for meat Least,
j " as the only one with whom ne aDahaoheu us
barshness of tone and cynicism of language,
and conversed on different subjects with ease,
and sometimes with a very happy grace. Since
that unfortunate evening the Thought that MS
honor was sOiled-that there was blot on us
scutche0n-and.that, of his own tree VIII. he
had decli1ed to wipe il out tormented me with
out ceasing. and drove away my self-possessIon