king over her
shoulder toward the door while the neighbours were arriving. They came
on horseback, all except the postmaster, who brought his family in a
wagon over the only broken wagon-trail. The Widow Steavens rode up from
her farm eight miles down the Black Hawk road. The cold drove the women
into the cave-house, and it was soon crowded. A fine, sleety snow was
beginning to fall, and everyone was afraid of another storm and anxious
to have the burial over with.

Grandfather and Jelinek came to tell Mrs. Shimerda that it was time
to start. After bundling her mother up in clothes the neighbours had
brought, Antonia put on an old cape from our house and the rabbit-skin
hat her father had made for her. Four men carried Mr. Shimerda's box up
the hill; Krajiek slunk along behind them. The coffin was too wide for
the door, so it was put down on the slope outside. I slipped out from
the cave and looked at Mr. Shimerda. He was lying on his side, with his
knees drawn up. His body was draped in a black shawl, and his head was
bandaged in white muslin, like a mummy's; one of his long, shapely hands
lay out on the black cloth; that was all one could see of him.

Mrs. Shimerda came out and placed an open prayer-book against the body,
making the sign of the cross on the bandaged head with her fingers.
Ambrosch knelt down and made the same gesture, and after him Antonia and
Marek. Yulka hung back. Her mother pushed her forward, and kept saying
something to her over and over. Yulka knelt down, shut her eyes, and put
out her hand a little way, but she drew it back and began to cry wildly.
She was afraid to touch the bandage. Mrs. Shimerda caught her by the
shoulders and pushed her toward the coffin, but grandmother interfered.

'No, Mrs. Shimerda,' she said firmly, 'I won't stand by and see that
child frightened into spasms. She is too little to understand what you
want of her. Let her alone.'

At a look from grandfather, Fuchs and Jelinek placed the lid on the box,
and began to nail it down over Mr. Shimerda. I was afraid to look at
Antonia. She put her arms round Yulka and held the little girl close to
her.

The coffin was put into the wagon. We drove slowly away, against the
fine, icy snow which cut our faces like a sand-blast. When we reached
the grave, it looked a very little spot in that snow-covered waste. The
men took the coffin to the edge of the hole and lowered it with ropes.
We stood about watching them, and the powd