He stooped still lower towards me, shaking his finger meaningly, and kept repeating the words as if they expressed a completed idea,-- "I will tell you--I will tell you. Tell them...." And still looking at me in the same severe way, he shook his finger once more, then took out his revolver and shot himself in the temple. And this did not surprise or terrify me in the least. Putting my cigarette into the left hand, I felt his wound with my fingers, and went back to the train. "The student has shot himself. I believe he is still alive," said I to the doctor. The latter caught hold of his head and groaned. "D--n him!... There is no room. There, that one will go and shoot himself too, soon. And I give you my word of honour," cried he, angrily and menacingly, "I will do the same! Yes! And let me beg you--just walk back. There is no room. You can lodge a complaint against me if you like." And he turned away, still shouting, while I went up to the other who was about to commit suicide. He was an ambulance man, and also, I believe, a student. He stood, pressing his forehead against the wall of the carriage, and his shoulders shook with sobs. "Stop!" said I, touching his quivering shoulder. But he did not turn round or answer, and continued crying. And the back of his head was youthful, like the other student's, and as terrifying, and he stood in an absurd manner with his legs spread out like a person drunk, who is sick; and his neck was covered with blood; probably he had clutched it with his own hands. "Well?" said I, impatiently. He pushed himself away from the carriage and, stooping like an old man, with his head bent down, he went away into the darkness, away from all of us. I do not know why, but I followed him, and we walked along for a long time away from the carriages. I believe he was crying, and a feeling of distress stole over me, and I wanted to cry too. "Stop!" I cried, standing still. But he walked on, moving his feet ponderously, bent down, looking like an old man with his narrow shoulders and shuffling gait. And soon he disappeared in the reddish haze, that resembled light and yet lit nothing. And I remained alone. To the left of me a row of dim lights floated past--it was the train. I was alone--amidst the dead and dying. How many more remained? Near me all was still and dead, but farther on the field was stirring, as if it were alive--or so it seemed to me in my loneliness. But the moan did not grow less. It spread along the earth--high-pitched, hopeless, like the cry of a child or the yelping of thousands of cast-away puppies, starving and cold. Like a sharp, endless, icy needle it pierced your brain and slowly moved backwards and forwards--backwards and forwards.... FRAGMENT VI