“Well,” said the latter, “if he refuses, there is no great harm done. To tell the truth, there is seldom need of a horse here. I will undertake to ask him to-day even.”
“You don’t know him,” said Dedenko. “He would refuse anything else, but he wouldn’t refuse his horse to this gentleman. Would you like to bet on it?”
“Oh, I know you are ripe for contradiction, you—”
“I contradict when I know a thing! He isn’t generous usually, but he will lend his horse, because he has no interest in refusing it.”
“How no interest? When oats cost eight rubles here it is evidently in his interest. He will have one horse the less to keep.”
“Vladimir Semenovitch!” cried Vlang, coming back with Kraut’s pipe. “Ask for the spotted one; it is a charming horse.”
“That’s the one you fell into the ditch with, eh, Vlang?” observed the second-captain.
“But you are mistaken in saying that oats are eight rubles,” maintained Dedenko, in the mean time, continuing the discussion. “According to the latest news they are ten-fifty. It is evident that there is no profit in—”
“You would like to leave him nothing, then? If you were in his place you would not lend your horse to go into town either. When I am commander of the battery my horses, brother, will have four full measures to eat every day! I sha’n’t think of making an income, rest assured!”
“He who lives will see,” replied the second-captain. “You will do the same when you have a battery, and he also,” pointing to Volodia.