him, and lo! he turns into a bird in his hands and flies away and away. And as to killing him, no manner of means of doing it.”

“You’re a sturdy liar, Kiselov, by the look of you!”

“Liar, indeed! It’s the holy truth.”

“Well, if you ask me, I’d bury him in the earth, if I caught him. Yes, with a good aspen cudgel. The number of folk he has destroyed!”

“Any way, we shall soon make an end of him; he won’t come again,” said the old soldier, yawning.

The conversation died away; the soldiers began making themselves comfortable for the night.

“I say, what a lot of stars; how they shine! One would say the women had been laying out their linen!” said a soldier admiring the Milky Way.

“That’s a sign of a good harvest, lads!”

“We shall want a little more wood.”

“One warms one’s back, and one’s belly freezes. That’s queer.”

“O Lord!”

“What are you shoving for—is the fire only for you, eh? See … there he sprawls.”

In the silence that reigned snoring could be heard from a few who had gone to sleep. The rest turned themselves to get warm by the fire, exchanging occasional remarks. From a fire a hundred paces away came a chorus of merry laughter.

“They are guffawing in the fifth company,” said a soldier. “And what a lot of them there!”

A soldier got up and went off to the fifth company.

“There’s a bit of fun!” he said, coming back. “Two Frenchies have come. One’s quite frozen, but the other’s a fine plucky fellow! He’s singing songs.”

“O-O! must go and look …” Several soldiers went across to the fifth company.