A Hero of Our Time [75]
us is wounded will be certain to fall down and be dashed to pieces; the doctor will extract the bullet, and, then, it will be possible very easily to account for that sudden death by saying it was the result of a fall. Let us cast lots to decide who shall fire first. In conclusion, I declare that I will not fight on any other terms."
"Be it so!" said the captain after an expres- sive glance at Grushnitski, who nodded his head in token of assent. Every moment he was changing countenance. I had placed him in an embarrassing position. Had the duel been fought upon the usual conditions, he could have aimed at my leg, wounded me slightly, and in such wise gratified his vengeance without overburdening his conscience. But now he was obliged to fire in the air, or to make himself an assassin, or, finally, to abandon his base plan and to expose himself to equal danger with me. I should not have liked to be in his place at that moment. He took the captain aside and said something to him with great warmth. His lips were blue, and I saw them trembling; but the captain turned away from him with a contemptuous smile.
"You are a fool," he said to Grushnitski rather loudly. "You can't understand a thing! . . . Let us be off, then, gentlemen!"
The precipice was approached by a narrow path between bushes, and fragments of rock formed the precarious steps of that natural stair- case. Clinging to the bushes we proceeded to clamber up. Grushnitski went in front, his seconds behind him, and then the doctor and I.
"I am surprised at you," said the doctor, pressing my hand vigorously. "Let me feel your pulse! . . . Oho! Feverish! . . . But nothing noticeable on your countenance . . . only your eyes are gleaming more brightly than usual."
Suddenly small stones rolled noisily right under our feet. What was it? Grushnitski had stumbled; the branch to which he was clinging had broken off, and he would have rolled down on his back if his seconds had not held him up.
"Take care!" I cried. "Do not fall pre- maturely: that is a bad sign. Remember Julius Caesar!"
CHAPTER XX
AND now we had climbed to the summit of the projecting cliff. The ledge was covered with fine sand, as if on purpose for a duel. All around, like an innumerable herd, crowded the mountains, their summits lost to view in the golden mist of the morning; and towards the south rose the white mass of Elbruz, closing the chain of icy peaks, among which fibrous clouds, which had rushed in from the east, were already roaming. I walked to the extremity of the ledge and gazed down. My head nearly swam. At the foot of the precipice all seemed dark and cold as in a tomb; the moss-grown jags of the rocks, hurled down by storm and time, were awaiting their prey.
The ledge on which we were to fight formed an almost regular triangle. Six paces were mea- sured from the projecting corner, and it was de- cided that whichever had first to meet the fire of his opponent should stand in the very corner with his back to the precipice; if he was not killed the adversaries would change places.
I determined to relinquish every advantage to Grushnitski; I wanted to test him. A spark of magnanimity might awake in his soul -- and then all would have been settled for the best. But his vanity and weakness of character had perforce to triumph! . . . I wished to give myself the full right to refrain from sparing him if destiny were to favour me. Who would not have concluded such an agreement with his conscience?
"Cast the lot, doctor!" said the captain.
The doctor drew a silver coin from his pocket and held it up.
"Tail!" cried Grushnitski hurriedly, like a man suddenly aroused by a friendly nudge.
"Head," I said.
The coin spun in the air and fell, jingling. We all rushed towards it.
"You are lucky," I said to Grushnitski. "You are to fire first! But remember that if you do not kill me I shall not miss -- I give you my word of honour."
He flushed up; he was ashamed to kill an un- armed man. I looked at him fixedly; for a moment it
"Be it so!" said the captain after an expres- sive glance at Grushnitski, who nodded his head in token of assent. Every moment he was changing countenance. I had placed him in an embarrassing position. Had the duel been fought upon the usual conditions, he could have aimed at my leg, wounded me slightly, and in such wise gratified his vengeance without overburdening his conscience. But now he was obliged to fire in the air, or to make himself an assassin, or, finally, to abandon his base plan and to expose himself to equal danger with me. I should not have liked to be in his place at that moment. He took the captain aside and said something to him with great warmth. His lips were blue, and I saw them trembling; but the captain turned away from him with a contemptuous smile.
"You are a fool," he said to Grushnitski rather loudly. "You can't understand a thing! . . . Let us be off, then, gentlemen!"
The precipice was approached by a narrow path between bushes, and fragments of rock formed the precarious steps of that natural stair- case. Clinging to the bushes we proceeded to clamber up. Grushnitski went in front, his seconds behind him, and then the doctor and I.
"I am surprised at you," said the doctor, pressing my hand vigorously. "Let me feel your pulse! . . . Oho! Feverish! . . . But nothing noticeable on your countenance . . . only your eyes are gleaming more brightly than usual."
Suddenly small stones rolled noisily right under our feet. What was it? Grushnitski had stumbled; the branch to which he was clinging had broken off, and he would have rolled down on his back if his seconds had not held him up.
"Take care!" I cried. "Do not fall pre- maturely: that is a bad sign. Remember Julius Caesar!"
CHAPTER XX
AND now we had climbed to the summit of the projecting cliff. The ledge was covered with fine sand, as if on purpose for a duel. All around, like an innumerable herd, crowded the mountains, their summits lost to view in the golden mist of the morning; and towards the south rose the white mass of Elbruz, closing the chain of icy peaks, among which fibrous clouds, which had rushed in from the east, were already roaming. I walked to the extremity of the ledge and gazed down. My head nearly swam. At the foot of the precipice all seemed dark and cold as in a tomb; the moss-grown jags of the rocks, hurled down by storm and time, were awaiting their prey.
The ledge on which we were to fight formed an almost regular triangle. Six paces were mea- sured from the projecting corner, and it was de- cided that whichever had first to meet the fire of his opponent should stand in the very corner with his back to the precipice; if he was not killed the adversaries would change places.
I determined to relinquish every advantage to Grushnitski; I wanted to test him. A spark of magnanimity might awake in his soul -- and then all would have been settled for the best. But his vanity and weakness of character had perforce to triumph! . . . I wished to give myself the full right to refrain from sparing him if destiny were to favour me. Who would not have concluded such an agreement with his conscience?
"Cast the lot, doctor!" said the captain.
The doctor drew a silver coin from his pocket and held it up.
"Tail!" cried Grushnitski hurriedly, like a man suddenly aroused by a friendly nudge.
"Head," I said.
The coin spun in the air and fell, jingling. We all rushed towards it.
"You are lucky," I said to Grushnitski. "You are to fire first! But remember that if you do not kill me I shall not miss -- I give you my word of honour."
He flushed up; he was ashamed to kill an un- armed man. I looked at him fixedly; for a moment it