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Updated: June 17, 2025
A few more remarks were made by the conversational Kondrat; but the forest hush had its influence even on him; he became silent. Only rarely exchanging a word or two, looking straight ahead, and listening to the puffing and snorting of the horses, we got at last to 'Moshnoy. That is the name given to the older pine-forest, overgrown in places by fir saplings.
'Good morning, Efrem, Yegor responded deliberately. I looked with curiosity at this Efrem. It was long since I had seen such a queer face. He had a long, sharp nose, thick lips, and a scanty beard. His little blue eyes positively danced, like little imps. He stood in a free-and-easy pose, his arms akimbo, and did not touch his cap. 'Going home for a visit, eh? Kondrat questioned him.
He told the story himself afterwards. He put them to shame, he did, the chaps.... He did really! Kondrat laughed again. And Yegor smiled. 'So the fences creaked and that was all? he commented. 'There was nothing more seen of them, Kondrat assented. 'They were simply gone in a flash. We were all silent again. Suddenly Kondrat started and sat up.
'Eh, mercy upon us! he ejaculated; 'surely it's never a fire! 'Where, where? we asked. 'Yonder, see, in front, where we 're going.... A fire it is! Efrem there, Efrem why, he foretold it! If it's not his doing, the damned fellow!... I glanced in the direction Kondrat was pointing.
Won't I drink it! he added, shrugging his shoulder up to his ear, and grating his teeth. I could not help smiling, gave him a copper, and told Kondrat to drive on. 'Much obliged, your honour, Efrem shouted after us in soldierly fashion. 'And you'll know, Kondrat, for the future from whom to learn manners. Faint heart never wins; 'tis boldness gains the day.
The nearer we moved to it, the more indefinite became its outlines; soon all the air was clouded over, there was a strong smell of burning, and here and there between the trees, with a strange, weird quivering in the sunshine, gleamed the first pale red tongues of flame. 'Well, thank God, observed Kondrat, 'it seems it's an overground fire. 'What's that? 'Overground?
'Overground fire, repeated Kondrat. However, overground as it was, the fire, none the less, produced its effect: hares raced up and down with a sort of disorder, running back with no sort of necessity into the neighbourhood of the fire; birds fell down in the smoke and whirled round and round; horses looked back and neighed, the forest itself fairly hummed and man felt discomfort from the heat suddenly beating into his face....
The grand master Kondrat himself went with a great army; they besieged Wilno, and tried from their towers to ruin the castles; they also tried to capture the city by treachery but they did not succeed! While retreating there were so many killed, that even half of them did not escape. Then we attacked Ulrich von Jungingen, the grand master's brother, who is bailiff in Swabja.
The peasant tugged with his elbows, pounded with his heels on the horse's sides.... It galloped off. Kondrat, too, whipped up his pair. We drove straight towards the smoke, which was spreading more and more widely; in places it suddenly grew black and rose up high.
In this 'Charred Wood, which is reckoned to be about nine miles from Svyatoe, there are all sorts of berries growing in great profusion, and it is a favourite haunt of grouse, who are very fond of strawberries and bilberries. We were driving along in silence, when suddenly Kondrat raised his head. 'Ah! he exclaimed: 'why, that's never Efrem standing yonder!
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