The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-01


tered when finally they rose to their
feet.
The tables were thrown out doors.
Sasha with his two ballalleka assistants
was dragged in and the dancing began.
They danced the peasant quadrile. the
Nulga skating step, the Yamshchik
mazurka: there were solo exhibitions
Of the Trcpak and the Cossack whirls
and reels. Finally the Kama rnsky
Moujik was begun The men. thumbs in
their belts. heads back. boots flying,
carccrcd about the flushed and laughing
maidens regular steps evoved into gro
tesquc movements.
After each dance keg OF beer in
a corner Of the kitchen was besieged
by the young men. Cheap papirossie
were smoked, The lamps hckered low
against tie walls The great stones OF
the oven IN the kitchen, MOI yet cooled
from the days baking. made the log
house like a steam bath faces streamed
with pCrspiration: not window or door
was opened old babas tainted The
men rudcly leased the maidens until
the latter sq iealed with terror and en-
ioymcrt; some of them. cnfceblcd ny
eNhausting labor in the fields. gave way
and sank to ;he floor along the wall.
by turns gaApirg and laughing idiOtl-
Cdlly. Ivan drank more, danced more,
sang more than all the rest. and though
NaSov attempted several times to dance
with Naryar' his dwarfsh rival tore
her from hi u. swearing loudly.
And SO the night wore on ill dawn
brought the village gendarmcs to break
rtt. .
the doors with their sword scabhards.
shouting open. culprits; ho. there"
some Of the men were already stretched
on, open mouthed on the floor and sew
eral OF the maidcns were claspinR each
other for supper.
y hush and n terror seemed to have
fallen upon jHc dazed brains ~ those
who were Siill ON their feet Ivan had
mounted small table by the oven.
and while hi,ariously waving the scar
let embroidered apron snatched from
his bride rccled and broke into the
opening lines Of Russian folk song.
the pathetic Last Day
tn, eleven fattd mouiiks listened
soldering im,ncdi al,'y. Their heads
dropped forward they rubbed great,
nurd fists In their eyes and without
word staggered. some of them sob
h.ng. througl tho rear door into the
chill gray mist flied air Of early dawn
rs they disappeared and the gem
darmes entered the kitchen the Wizard
threw up mis- fat arms In cxu.tdnt laugh
ter slipped IN tho beer spashed edge
of the lettering table fell To the floor
and struck h" top Of his head against
III" corner Of the stone oven. Where
upon he lay still. Naryarn sank down
beside him. laid her hands over his
face and cried mournfully. He has
struck hi, head, mis- head Help, Bozhe
moi. someb, dy help"
Tho shrill. rolling bugle woke the
sleeping jewellers the same day at noon
and the peasants who had be. sum-
moned To appear al the post office kon-
tora To pass the mobilization tests pulled
on their boots and caps and stumbled
thith"r. Ivan, his hair still wet from
additions # cold water and his head
throbbiGE from the wound on his sea Up.
was among them; his eyes still twinkled
and his mouth stretched over his pro-
trudiug teeth in the same complacent
smirk Of Contentment and triumph.
Nh. that blessed half inch He re-
IN INBRED that,
The red. blue and white flag now
lluttcrcd hrisl;'v in the clear sunlight.
hit mono Of the Young peasants raised
ms eyes 20 behold IT, Not a thrill of
patriotism, The bright flag ard tho
officers shining with god braid and
clauknG silver spurs spelled for them
slavery.
x.ft in,
jurrd head that the rough treatment Of
tn" officers angcred him. They showed
him into a corner. stripped him. meas
urcd him and qui2zed him. and To his
uuspcakahle amazcmcnt ordered him
into tho back room with tho other
eleven recruits. who. il was now an
nounced. were to leave AT once for the
front.
Ivan reused himself with difficulty
He couldn't think The others were
too depressed even to notice that he was
among them. Then tn" Wizard began
10 cry, t. protest. to call out, to heat
on tho door into the kontora. The door
was icrked open with an oath by tho
sergeant, who demanded to know what
swine was squcaling.
"Thcres mistake. your Honor
pleaded Ivan. "a mistake! You can't
take me I'm too"
The door was slammed in his face.
Th Wizard foil to the floor and
kicked and screamed until oncc more
tn, door was opened and he was dragged
by tho collar into the kontora and asked
to ell his trouble.
"D!d you get him right" the officer
Whispered to tho sergeant
81 did, your t.Xcellency," replied the
scrgCan:, saluting.
Better examine tho dog again said
the officer. tapping tho big. soiled book
before him abs Mt mlndedly. He might
go crazy. Apparently he never expected
to go. That's the way it always is with
the cursed cattle"
The Wizard. his eyes hloodsho. and
his fat cheeks smcared with pcrspira-
ton, tears end dirt, whimpered Tin
too short, your Exec lien"
wen soon See" The sergeant scizcd
the crnGng peasan; by tho Shoulders
slammed him up against the scale and
dropped the sliding arm on the top OF
his head Ivan cri,d out with pain and
raised his hand involuntarily to hi,
scalp
"Thrtv-four vershkie exactly. you
fool Get back into the pen where you
belonEi"
As the Wizard was being showed
toward the door his fingers, cropping in
The matted hair on the top pf his head
discovered mn ugly bump half an inch