They fell upon Sitanov from all sides, and abused him. He kept silence for a long time, but at length he said to the important personage: "Am I to stand by and see murder done?" The important personage at once guessed the truth, and actually taking off his cap said: "Then our gratitude is due to you!" "Only don't go and spread it abroad, uncle!" "Why should I? Kapendiukhin is hardly ever the victor, and ill-success embitters a man. We understand! But in future we will have his gloves examined before the contest." "That is your affair!" When the important personage had gone away, our side began to abuse Kapendiukhin: "You have made a nice mess of it. He would have killed his man, our Cossack would, and now we have to stay on the losing side!" They abused him at length, captiously, to their hearts' content. Sitanov sighed and said: "Oh, you guttersnipes!" And to the surprise of everyone he challenged the Mordovan to a single contest. The latter squared up and flourishing his fists said jokingly: "We will kill each other." A good number of persons, taking hands, formed a wide, spacious circle. The boxers, looking at each other keenly, changed over, the right hand held out, the left on their breasts. The experienced people noticed at once that Sitanov's arms were longer than those of the Mordovan. It was very quiet; the snow crunched under the feet of the boxers. Some one, unable to restrain his impatience, muttered complainingly and eagerly: "They ought to have begun by now." Sitanov flourished his right hand, the Mordovan raised his left for defense, and received a straight blow under the right arm from Sitanov's left hand. He gasped, retired, and exclaimed in a tone of satisfaction: "He is young, but he is no fool!" They began to leap upon one another, striking each other's breasts with blows from their mighty fists. In a few minutes not only our own people, but strangers began to cry excitedly: "Get your blows in quicker, image-painter! Fix him up, embosser." The Mordovan was a little stronger than Sitanov, but as he was considerably the heavier, he could not deal such swift blows, and received two or three to every one he gave. But his seasoned body apparently did not suffer much, and he was laughing and exclaiming all the time, when, suddenly, with a heavy upward blow he put Sitanov's right arm out of joint from the shoulder. "Part them; it is a draw!" cried several voices, and, breaking the circle, the crowd gathered round the pugilists. "He is not very strong but he is skilful, the image-painter," said the Mordovan good-naturedly. "He will make a good boxer, and that I say before the whole world!" The elder persons began a general wrestling match, and I took Sitanov to the Feldsher bone-setter. His deed had raised him still higher in my esteem, had increased my sympathy with him, and his importance in my eyes.