a manner," observed a young officer.

"What?" said the general, who always made an officer under the rank of
captain repeat his remarks twice over.

"I wondered, your excellency, how any one could do such a thing."

"Quite so; if anything has happened he ought to have let us know."

"There is nothing to be done, your excellency, we had better go back
home," said the colonel.

"Certainly, there is nothing to be done. However, we can see the calash
without him; probably he has not taken it with him. Come here, my man."

"What does your excellency want?"

"Show us your master's new calash."

"Have the kindness to step this way to the coach-house."

The general entered the coach-house followed by his officers.

"Let me pull it a little forward, your excellency," said the servant,
"it is rather dark here."

"That will do."

The general and his officers walked around the calash, carefully
inspecting the wheels and springs.

"There is nothing remarkable about it," said the general; "it is a very
ordinary calash."

"Nothing to look at," added the colonel; "there is absolutely nothing
good about it."

"It seems to me, your excellency, that it is not worth four thousand
rubles," remarked a young officer.

"What?"

"I said, your excellency, that I do not think that it is worth four
thousand rubles."

"Four thousand! It is not worth two. Perhaps, however, the inside is
well fitted. Unbutton the apron."

And Tchertokoutski appeared before the officers' eyes, clad in his
dressing-gown and doubled up in a singular fashion.

"Hullo, there you are," said the astonished general.

Then he covered Tchertokoutski up again and went off with his officers.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Taras Bulba and Other Tales, by
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol

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