you're getting on. Are your wife and children well?"

Accompanying his words with a terrible glance, and showing his teeth in
a mocking grin, he added:

"I'm always intending to make you a visit, but I never have the time:
I'm always drunk--"

"That'll do, that'll do, drop that--Stop joking, bony devil! If you
don't, comrade, I--Or do you really intend to rob houses and streets?"

"Why? There's enough here for both of us. My God, yes!--Semenitch!
You've stolen two boxes of goods again?--Look out, Semenitch, be
careful! Or you'll be caught one of these days!"

Semenitch trembled with anger at the impudence of Tchelkache; he spat
upon the ground in a vain effort to speak. Tchelkache let go his hand
and turned back quietly and deliberately at the entrance to the wharf.
The officer, swearing like a trooper, followed him.

Tchelkache had recovered his spirits; he whistled softly between his
teeth, and, thrusting his hands in his trousers' pockets, walked
slowly, like a man who has nothing to do, throwing to the right and
left scathing remarks and jests. He received replies in kind.

"Happy Grichka, what good care the authorities take of him!" cried
someone in a group of 'longshoremen who had eaten their dinner and were
lying, stretched out on the ground.

"I have no shoes; Semenitch is afraid that I may hurt my feet," replied
Tchelkache.

They reached the gate. Two soldiers searched Tchelkache and pushed him
gently aside.

"Don't let him come back again!" cried Semenitch, who had remained
inside.

Tchelkache crossed the road and seated himself on a stepping-block in
front of the inn door. From the wharf emerged an interminable stream
of loaded wagons. From the opposite direction arrived empty wagons at
full speed, the drivers jolting up and down on the seats. The quay
emitted a rumbling as of thunder; accompanied by an acrid dust. The
ground seemed to shake.

Accustomed to this mad turmoil, stimulated by his scene with Semenitch,
Tchelkache felt at peace with all the world. The future promised him
substantial gain without great outlay of energy or skill on his part.
He was sure that neither the one nor the other would fail him; screwing
up his eyes, he thought of the next day's merry-making when, his work
accomplished, he should have a roll of bills in his pocket. Then his
thoughts reverted to his friend Michka, who would have been of so much
use to him that night, if he had not broken his leg. T