Pavel died a few days after he unburdened
his mind to Mr. Shimerda, and was buried
in the Norwegian graveyard. Peter sold off
everything, and left the country -- went to
be cook in a railway construction camp where
gangs of Russians were employed.

At his sale we bought Peter's wheelbarrow
and some of his harness. During the auc-
tion he went about with his head down, and
never lifted his eyes. He seemed not to care
about anything. The Black Hawk money-
lender who held mortgages on Peter's live-
stock was there, and he bought in the sale
notes at about fifty cents on the dollar. Every
one said Peter kissed the cow before she was
led away by her new owner. I did not see
him do it, but this I know: after all his furni-
ture and his cook-stove and pots and pans
had been hauled off by the purchasers, when
his house was stripped and bare, he sat down
on the floor with his clasp-knife and ate all
the melons that he had put away for winter.
When Mr. Shimerda and Krajiek drove up in
their wagon to take Peter to the train, they
found him with a dripping beard, surrounded
by heaps of melon rinds.

The loss of his two friends had a depressing

[[68]]

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v?