"What was it I condemned you for, then?"
"It's true you condemned me."
"What was it for, then?"
"Why, your honour, you see, you are put in authority over us; you have a right to condemn us." "Ah! I see you are a cunning rascal! And you do not steal plums from the barges either, when they are detained; do you?"
"I only tried that once, your honour."
"And that once you were caught! Wasn't that so? Ha! Ha! Ha!"
"We are not accustomed to that sort of work. That's why I was caught."
"Well, you had better get a little practice at it; hadn't you? Ha! Ha! Ha!"
"He! He! He!" echoed Mamaieff, laughing also.
The peasants on board the boat pushed away with large iron bars the ice which impeded its course; and, as they drew nearer, we could hear them shouting to each other. Kireelka, putting his hands to his mouth, stood up and shouted back to them, "Steer for the old willow!"