Aksénov wondered why they asked him about all that; he told them everything as it was, and said:
"Why do you ask me this? I am not a thief, nor a robber. I am travelling on business of my own, and you have nothing to ask me about."
Then the officer called the soldiers, and said:
"I am the chief of the rural police, and I ask you this, because the merchant with whom you passed last night has been found with his throat cut. Show me your things, and you look through them!"
They entered the house, took his valise and bag, and opened them and began to look through them. Suddenly the chief took a knife out of the bag, and cried out:
"Whose knife is this?"
Aksénov looked, and saw that they had taken out a blood-stained knife from his bag, and he was frightened "How did the blood get on the knife?"
Aksénov wanted to answer, but could not pronounce a word.
"I—I do not know—I—the knife—is not mine!"
Then the chief said: