merchant to the Inspector, seizing
him by the elbow. The Doctor and the Coroner jumped aside. The
Inspector shouted:

"Sideroff, come here!"

"The creatures that once were men" stood along the wall, looking and
listening with an interest, which put new life into their broken-down
bodies.

Kuvalda, shaking his fist at Petunikoff's head, roared and rolled his
eyes like a wild beast.

"Scoundrel and thief! Take back your money! Dirty worm! Take it
back, I say ... or else I shall cram it down your throat.... Take your
five-kopeck pieces!"

Petunikoff put out his trembling hand towards his mite, and protecting
his head from Kuvalda's fist with the other hand, said:

"You are my witnesses, Sir Inspector, and you good people!"

"We are not good people, merchant!" said the voice of Abyedok,
trembling with anger.

The Inspector whistled impatiently, with his other hand protecting
Petunikoff, who was stooping in front of him as if trying to enter his
belly.

"You dirty toad! I shall compel you to kiss the feet of the dead man.
How would you like that?" And catching Petunikoff by the neck, Kuvalda
hurled him against the door, as if he had been a cat.

The "creatures that once were men" sprang aside quickly to let the
merchant fall. And down he fell at their feet, crying wildly:

"Murder! Help! Murder!"

Martyanoff slowly raised his foot, and brought it down heavily on the
merchant's head. Abyedok spat in his face with a grin. The merchant,
creeping on all-fours, threw himself into the courtyard, at which
everyone laughed. But by this time the two policemen had arrived, and
pointing to Kuvalda, the Inspector said, pompously:

"Arrest him, and bind him hand and foot!"

"You dare not! ... I shall not run away... I will go wherever you
wish, .." said Kuvalda, freeing himself from the policemen at his side.

The "creatures that once were men" disappeared one after the other. A
cart entered the yard. Some ragged wretches brought out the dead man's
body.

"I'll teach you! You just wait!" thundered the Inspector at Kuvalda.

"How now, attaman?" asked Petunikoff, maliciously, excited and pleased
at the sight of his enemy in bonds. "What, you fell into the trap?
Eh? You just wait ..."

But Kuvalda was quiet now. He stood strangely straight and silent
between the two policemen, watching the teacher's body being placed in
the cart. The man who was holding the head of the corpse was very
short, an