The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-17
TRANSLATED from the Russian of G. Ustinov
By VERA and VIOLET MITKOVSKY)

we stand, just INSIDE the room, Cne warden III the
doorway. We stand ten minutes, fifteen The
governor keeps on sorting his papers and doesn't
raise his head.
l clear my throat. 1t is tiresome to stand still.
The governor starts on a new packet of papers. l
clear my throat again The governor pretends he
has time to spend on bagatelles while important
work remains unfinished, stand there Tor
another fifteen minutes. l clear my throat cough,
blow my five times, but the governor is
absorbed in his papers
Then he raised his eyes to
"Well," he said reproachfully what have you
done you numbskull?"
He shrugged his shoulders helplessy and sank
back into his work
81 can't save you" he said without taking his
eyes off his papers.
81 haven't asked you to do So sir"
Silence. In about five minutes the governor made
a gesture with his hands if he wanted the guard
to leave. The guard went out and we keep still
again. by the door and the governor at his papers
well" he repeated, "do you know that if the
matter should come to trial that" and he passed
his fingers across his neck very expressively.
ooh well" said first he calls a scoundrel and
you want to hang me-"
The governor covered his face with paper,
if reading it very carefully. Then he suddenly
threw it down on the table and said,
"Storky will never forgive you and I can't make
him. l will punish you myself and he as my sub
ordinate, may consent"
stand still the door and the governor stares
out the window and chews his pencil. Suddenly he
turns to me.
"Do you want to go to the fourth tower for six
months? If not IT'S the trial"
The fourth tower 1t hangs as q curse over the
whole prison. the prison which is curse in itself
ALLOW me to think, sir" l answer, 81 will give
you my answer in hour"
"All right"
1t not in vain them that had decorated his
house for nothing. | see he is sticking up for me,
wants to repay Well, l think life is good
enough pay, may accept it, but 1 had better con-
suit my comrades first.
I returned to my cell and told everything. The
whole cell darkened and fell into silence as if there
were not forty men there but dark night in a still
forest
Who the condemned locked in the fatal fourth
tower? What murderers and cut-throats? Can a
peaceful man in trouble live with them?
At last someone said firmly and decisivey
"Go!'
And the whole cell, which had almost stopped
breathing for few minutes, drew in it's breath
just firmly and decisvey as the one who as
signed me to the accursed tower
And so, my young people, l got ready and went.
| am not so easily frightened, but while l walked
through the endless gloomy corridors, smelling Of
dampness and, perhaps, of blood, l thought many
things. And when the locks rang and the bolt
scraped, felt though it the scraping of
my skin as it was torn off my back. Then the door
squeaked like knife across my heart, l and my
baggage that is my bedding, pushed into a
half-ighted cell, large, smelling of dinginess and
emptiness. | sat down bare bunk threw my
doomed to the agony of waiting for death? Sud-
denly from dark corner 1 hear deep voice.
Hello, there, friend! Can't say we are well
met What for ?"
short strongy-built man, in a convctss smocb
and woman's stockings red striped with blue, came
up to the bunk and gave me his hand. He was red
and hairy and judging by their strength his hands
were those of either peasant or a laborer No
one else can have such hands
Hello" answer and press his hand.
At the same time little figure comes from an
other corner tall thin sort of figure, stretches
out his hand and says in thin voice like a girls
Hello comrade"
Here, | remember, could not help smiling Such
youngster with fair hair smoothly combed, such
thin girlish face and-the convict's clothes which
hang on him like woman's smock on a scare
crow.
Hello comrade," I say to him and, of course
squeeze his hand gently. A gentle man must have
corresponding treatment
| press the little hand and wonder, "Now, who
will out of the third corner ?" But no one