“And I’ve also heard say that the girls will have to make the soldiers’ beds and offer them _chikhir_ and honey,” said Nazárka, putting one foot forward and tilting his cap like Lukáshka. Ergushóv burst into a roar of laughter, and seizing the girl nearest to him, he embraced her. “I tell you true.” “Now then, you black pitch!” squealed the girl, “I’ll tell your old woman.” “Tell her,” shouted he. “That’s quite right what Nazárka says; a circular has been sent round. He can read, you know. Quite true!” And he began embracing the next girl. “What are you up to, you beast?” squealed the rosy, round-faced Ústenka, laughing and lifting her arm to hit him. The Cossack stepped aside and nearly fell. “There, they say girls have no strength, and you nearly killed me.” “Get away, you black pitch, what devil has brought you from the cordon?” said Ústenka, and turning away from him she again burst out laughing. “You were asleep and missed the _abrek_, didn’t you? Suppose he had done for you it would have been all the better.” “You’d have howled, I expect,” said Nazárka, laughing. “Howled! A likely thing.” “Just look, she doesn’t care. She’d howl, Nazárka, eh? Would she?” said Ergushóv. Lukáshka all this time had stood silently looking at Maryánka. His gaze evidently confused the girl. “Well, Maryánka! I hear they’ve quartered one of the chiefs on you?” he said, drawing nearer. Maryánka, as was her wont, waited before she replied, and slowly raising her eyes looked at the Cossack. Lukáshka’s eyes were laughing as if something special, apart from what was said, was taking place between himself and the girl. “Yes, it’s all right for them as they have two huts,” replied an old woman on Maryánka’s behalf, “but at Fómushkin’s now they also have one of the chiefs quartered on them and they say one whole corner is packed full with his things, and the family have no room left. Was such a thing ever heard of as that they should turn a whole horde loose in the village?” she said. “And what the plague are they going to do here?” “I’ve heard say they’ll build a bridge across the Térek,” said one of the girls. “And I’ve been told that they will dig a pit to put the girls in because they don’t love the lads,” said Nazárka, approaching Ústenka; and he again made a whimsical gesture which set everybody laughing, and Ergushóv, passing by Maryánka, who was next in turn, began to embrace an old woman. “Why don’t you hug Maryánka? You should do it to each in turn,” said Nazárka. “No, my old one is sweeter,” shouted the Cossack, kissing the struggling old woman. “You’ll throttle me,” she screamed, laughing. The tramp of regular footsteps at the other end of the street interrupted their laughter. Three soldiers in their cloaks, with their muskets on their shoulders, were marching in step to relieve guard by the ammunition wagon.