We sat together in a close group and cast sidelong glances in the direction where sat our benefactor with his revolver. Not a sound, not a sign of life now proceeded from that quarter.
Night had assembled her dark forces all around us. Mortally still it was in the steppe there—we could hear each other's breath. Now and then from somewhither resounded the melancholy whistle of the suslik[3].... The stars, the bright flowers of heaven, shone down upon us ... We wanted more to eat.
[3] The earless marmot of the steppe.
With pride I say it—I was neither better nor worse than my casual comrades on this somewhat strange night. I persuaded them to get up and go towards this man. We need not touch him, but we would eat everything we found upon him. He would fire—let him! Out of three of us only one could fall, even if one fell at all, and even if one of us did fall, a mere revolver bullet would scarcely be the death of him.
"Let us go," said the soldier, leaping to his feet.
"The student" rose to his feet more slowly than the soldier.
And we went, we almost ran. "The student" kept well behind us.
"Comrade!" cried the soldier reproachfully.
There met us a dull report and the sharp sound of a snapping trigger. There was a flash and the dry report of a firearm.
"It is over!" yelled the soldier joyfully, and with a single bound he was level with the man. "Now, you devil, I am going to have it out with you."