many, and they eat men and women." We
slid closer together along the bench.

I could not take my eyes off the man in the
bed. His shirt was hanging open, and his
emaciated chest, covered with yellow bristle,
rose and fell horribly. He began to cough.
Peter shuffled to his feet, caught up the tea-
kettle and mixed him some hot water and
whiskey. The sharp smell of spirits went
through the room.

Pavel snatched the cup and drank, then
made Peter give him the bottle and slipped
it under his pillow, grinning disagreeably,
as if he had outwitted some one. His eyes fol-
lowed Peter about the room with a contempt-
uous, unfriendly expression. It seemed to
me that he despised him for being so simple
and docile.

Presently Pavel began to talk to Mr. Shi-
merda, scarcely above a whisper. He was
telling a long story, and as he went on, An-
tonia took my hand under the table and held
it tight. She leaned forward and strained her
ears to hear him. He grew more and more ex-
cited, and kept pointing all around his bed,
as if there were things there and he wanted
Mr. Shimerda to see them.

[[61]]

p060 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p061w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p062

v?