"Why did they drown him?" he asked of Yump, the cook.
"He was collecting taxes," said Yump, and she threw a handful of cups into the cupboard.
Then one day there was great excitement in the town, and men in uniform went to and fro and all the people stood at the doors talking.
"What has happened?" asked Serge.
"It is Popoff, inspector of police," answered Itch. "They have found him beside the river."
"Is he dead?" questioned Serge.
Itch pointed reverently to the ground—"He is there!" he said.
All that day Serge asked questions. But no one would tell him anything. "Popoff is dead," they said. "They have found him beside the river with his ribs driven in on his heart."
"Why did they kill him?" asked Serge.
But no one would say.