Master and Man | Page 6

and into the workmen's
hut.
'Arinushka! Get my coat down from the stove. I'm going with the
master,' he said, as he ran into the hut and took down his girdle from
the nail on which it hung.
The workmen's cook, who had had a sleep after dinner and was now
getting the samovar ready for her husband, turned cheerfully to Nikita,
and infected by his hurry began to move as quickly as he did, got down
his miserable worn-out cloth coat from the stove where it was drying,
and began hurriedly shaking it out and smoothing it down.
'There now, you'll have a chance of a holiday with your good man,' said
Nikita, who from kindhearted politeness always said something to
anyone he was alone with.
Then, drawing his worn narrow girdle round him, he drew in his breath,
pulling in his lean stomach still more, and girdled himself as tightly as
he could over his sheepskin.
'There now,' he said addressing himself no longer to the cook but the
girdle, as he tucked the ends in at the waist, 'now you won't come
undone!' And working his shoulders up and down to free his arms, he
put the coat over his sheepskin, arched his back more strongly to ease
his arms, poked himself under the armpits, and took down his
leather-covered mittens from the shelf. 'Now we're all right!'
'You ought to wrap your feet up, Nikita. Your boots are very bad.'
Nikita stopped as if he had suddenly realized this.
'Yes, I ought to. . . . But they'll do like this. It isn't far!' and he ran out
into the yard.
'Won't you be cold, Nikita?' said the mistress as he came up to the
sledge.
'Cold? No, I'm quite warm,' answered Nikita as he pushed some straw
up to the forepart of the sledge so that it should cover his feet, and
stowed away the whip, which the good horse would not need, at the
bottom of the sledge.
Vasili Andreevich, who was wearing two fur-lined coats one over the
other, was already in the sledge, his broad back filling nearly its whole
rounded width, and taking the reins he immediately touched the horse.

Nikita jumped in just as the sledge started, and seated himself in front
on the left side, with one leg hanging over the edge.

II
The good stallion took the sledge along at a brisk pace over the
smooth-frozen road through the village, the runners squeaking slightly
as they went.
'Look at him hanging on there! Hand me the whip, Nikita!' shouted
Vasili Andreevich, evidently enjoying the sight of his 'heir,' who
standing on the runners was hanging on at the back of the sledge. 'I'll
give it you! Be off to mamma, you dog!'
The boy jumped down. The horse increased his amble and, suddenly
changing foot, broke into a fast trot.
The Crosses, the village where Vasili Andreevich lived, consisted of
six houses. As soon as they had passed the blacksmith's hut, the last in
the village, they realized that the wind was much stronger than they had
thought. The road could hardly be seen. The tracks left by the
sledge-runners were immediately covered by snow and the road was
only distinguished by the fact that it was higher than the rest of the
ground. There was a swirl of snow over the fields and the line where
sky and earth met could not be seen. The Telyatin forest, usually
clearly visible, now only loomed up occasionally and dimly through the
driving snowy dust. The wind came from the left, insistently blowing
over to one side the mane on Mukhorty's sleek neck and carrying aside
even his fluffy tail, which was tied in a simple knot. Nikita's wide
coat-collar, as he sat on the windy side, pressed close to his cheek and
nose.
'This road doesn't give him a chance--it's too snowy,' said Vasili
Andreevich, who prided himself on his good horse. 'I once drove to
Pashutino with him in half an hour.'
'What?' asked Nikita, who could not hear on account of his collar.
'I say I once went to Pashutino in half an hour,' shouted Vasili
Andreevich.
'It goes without saying that he's a good horse,' replied Nikita.
They were silent for a while. But Vasili Andreevich wished to talk.
'Well, did you tell your wife not to give the cooper any vodka?' he
began in the same loud tone, quite convinced that Nikita must feel

flattered to be talking with so clever and important a person as himself,
and he was so pleased with his jest that it did not enter his head that the
remark might be unpleasant to Nikita.
The wind again prevented Nikita's hearing his master's words.
Vasili Andreevich repeated the jest about the