He bent over and took the old man gently by the arm, saying:
"Wake up! . . . It's I!"
There was no answer. The man did not wake up.
The man moved on his bed of stones, mumbled a few words and went to sleep again.
Vorski, growing a little impatient, renewed his attempts, but more vigorously, and raised his voice:
"I say, what about it? We can't hang about all day, you know. Come on!"
He shook the old man more roughly. The man made a movement of irritation, pushed away his importunate visitor, clung to sleep a few seconds longer and, in the end, turned round wearily and, in an angry voice, growled:
"Oh, rats!"