"IT SEEMED TO ALL OF US THAT THEY COULD NEVER REACH THEIR GOAL"
The boat was soon on the river, partly on ice and partly in water, and the struggle to reach the big ice block on which the deer lay, began. We saw the hooks of the young men flying now to the left, now to the right of the boat. Sometimes one end of the boat, sometimes the other, would be raised high into the air. Now and then, as the stream carried them further away, we could distinguish that it had become necessary for the youths to pull or push the boat across some ice barrier. As we strained our eyes watching them, it seemed to all of us that they could never reach their goal.
Noontime came, and I heard my mother's call to dinner. I was so hungry by that time, not having breakfasted, that I answered at once despite my desire to see the end of the adventure.
I had scarcely seated myself at the table when my father and Old Skorin entered.
"You must eat with us, Pavel Ivanovich,"[6] said my father. "You can't go home. It's too far. Besides, it's a long time since we've had a chance to be together."
We all understood father's kind intention of trying to keep the old man's mind from dwelling too anxiously on his son's uncertain fate. Besides, my older sister had just become engaged to Young Skorin and this drew our families closer together.
Old Skorin stepped into the room with dignity, took off his fur cap, and walking to the corner in which hung the ikon,[7] crossed himself. Not until he had done this, did he salute my mother with: "Bread and salt, Anna Feodorovna," this being the customary greeting when any one is invited for a meal.
"You are welcome, dear guest, Pavel Ivanovitch," was my mother's hearty response. "Take this seat," and she pointed to the place of honor under the ikon and to the right of my father.
"Where is Katia?" asked Skorin.
At this question I looked around amazed to find that Katia was not in the room. I had never before known her to be absent at meal time.