第60章

AsIdidso，therearosefromtheground-levelananimatedclodofearthintheshapeofasturdyindividual。Unwashedandunshaven，hehadhangingonhisframeanopencanvasshirt，greywithdust，andbaggybluebreeches。

“Goodevening，“Isaidtothefellow。

“Iwishyouthesame，“hereplied。“Whitherareyoubound？“

“Firstofall，whatisthenameofthisriver？“

“Whatisitsname？Why，itistheSagaidak，ofcourse。“

Ontheman’slarge，roundheadtherewasashockofbristling，grizzledcurls，whilependenttothemoustachebelowitwereendslikethoseofthemoustacheofaChinaman。Also，ashissmalleyesscannedmewithanairofimpudentdistrust，Icoulddetectthattheywereengagedincountingtheholesanddamsinmyraiment。Onlyafteralongintervaldidhedrawadeepbreathasfromhispocketheproducedaclaypipewithacanemouthpiece，and，knittinghisbrowsattentively，felltopeeringintothepipe’sblackbowl。Thenhesaid:

“Haveyoumatches？“

Irepliedintheaffirmative。

“Andsometobacco？“

Forawhilehecontinuedtocontemplatethesunwherethatluminaryhungsuspendedaboveacloud-bankbeforefinallydeclining。Thenheremarked:

“Givemeapinchofthetobacco。Asformatches，Ihavesome。“

Sobothofuslitup；afterwhichherestedhiselbowsuponthebalustradeofthebridge，leantbackagainstthecentralstanchions，andforsometimecontinuedmerelytoemitandinhalebluecoilsofsmoke。Thenhisnosewrinkled，andheexpectorated。

“Muscovitetobaccoisit？“heinquired。

“No——Roman，Italian。“

“Oh！“Andasthewrinklesofhisnosestraightenedthemselvesagainheadded:“Thenofcourseitisgoodtobacco。“

Toenteradwellinginadvanceofone’shostisabreachofdecorum；wherefore，IfoundmyselfforcedtoremainstandingwhereIwasuntilmyinterlocutor’staleofquestionsastomypreciseidentity，myexactplaceoforigin，mytruedestination，andmyrealreasonsfortravellingshouldtardilywinitswaytoafinish。Greatlytheprocessvexedme，forIwaseager，rather，tolearnwhatthesteppesettlementmighthaveinstoreformydelectation。

“Work？“thefellowdrawledthroughhisteeth。“Ohno，thereisnoworktobegothere。Howcouldtherebeatthisseasonoftheyear？“

Turningaside，hespatintotherivulet。

Onthefurtherbankofthelatter，agoosewasstruttingimportantlyattheheadofastringofround，fluffy，yellowgoslings，whilstdrivingthebroodweretwolittlegirls——theoneachildbutlittlelargerthanthegooseitself，dressedinaredfrock，andarmedwithaswitch；andtheotheroneayoungsterabsolutelyofasizewiththebird，paleoffeature，plumpofbody，bowedo

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