waiting for the first word or rather for the first shout of the major.
It followed promptly; at his second word the major bawled at the top of his voice, almost squealed in fact; he was in a violent fury. From the windows we could see him running along the front rank, rushing up to the men, questioning them. But it was too far off for us to hear his questions or the convict’s replies. We could only hear him shouting shrilly:
“Mutineers! . . . Beating! . . . Ringleaders! You are a ringleader? You are a ringleader?” he shouted, pouncing on somebody.
No answer was audible. But a minute later we saw a convict leave the general body and walk towards the guard-house. A minute later another followed him in the same direction, then a third.
“All under arrest! I’ll teach you! Whom have you got there in the kitchen?” he squealed seeing us at the open windows. “All come here! Drive them here at once!”
The clerk Dyatlov came to us in the kitchen. In the kitchen he was told that we had no complaint to make. He returned at once and reported to the major.
“Ah, they haven’t!” he repeated two notes lower, obviously relieved. “No matter, send them all here!”
We went out. I felt rather ashamed of coming out. And indeed we all walked with hanging heads.
“Ah, Prokofyev! Yolkin, too. Is that you, Almazov? Stand here, stand here all together,” the major said to us in a soft but hurried voice, looking at us amicably. “M., you are here, too . . . Make a list of them, Dyatlov! Dyatlov, make a list at once of those who are satisfied and those who are dissatisfied; every one of them and bring the list to me. I’ll put you all . . . under arrest. I’ll teach you, you rascals!”
The list had an effect.
“We are satisfied!” a grating voice said suddenly from the crowd of the dissatisfied, but he spoke rather hesitatingly.
“Ah, you are satisfied! Who’s satisfied? Those who are satisfied, come forward.”
“We are satisfied, we are satisfied,” several voices chimed in.
“Satisfied? Men, you’ve been led astray. So there have been agitators working upon you. So much the worse for them!”
“Good God, what’s happening!" said a voice in the crowd.
