“A great many,” assented Panteley, and he moved up closer to the fire as though he were frightened.  “A great many,” he went on in a low voice.  “I’ve seen lots and lots of them. . . .  Wicked people! . . .  I have seen a great many holy and just, too. . . .  Queen of Heaven, save us and have mercy on us.  I remember once thirty years ago, or maybe more, I was driving a merchant from Morshansk.  The merchant was a jolly handsome fellow, with money, too . . . the merchant was . . . a nice man, no harm in him. . . .  So we put up for the night at an inn.  And in Russia the inns are not what they are in these parts.  There the yards are roofed in and look like the ground floor, or let us say like barns in good farms.  Only a barn would be a bit higher.  So we put up there and were all right.  My merchant was in a room, while I was with the horses, and everything was as it should be.  So, lads, I said my prayers before going to sleep and began walking about the yard.  And it was a dark night, I couldn’t see anything; it was no good trying.  So I walked about a bit up to the waggons, or nearly, when I saw a light gleaming.  What could it mean?  I thought the people of the inn had gone to bed long ago, and besides the merchant and me there were no other guests in the inn. . . .  Where could the light have come from?  I felt suspicious. . . .  I went closer . . . towards the light. . . .  The Lord have mercy upon me! and save me, Queen of Heaven!  I looked and there was a little window with a grating, . . . close to the ground, in the house. . .  I lay down on the ground and looked in; as soon as I looked in a cold chill ran all down me. . . .”

Kiruha, trying not to make a noise, thrust a handful of twigs into the fire.  After waiting for it to leave off crackling and hissing, the old man went on: 

“I looked in and there was a big cellar, black and dark. . . .  There was a lighted lantern on a tub.  In the middle of the cellar were about a dozen men in red shirts with their sleeves turned up, sharpening long knives. . . .  Ugh!  So we had fallen into a nest of robbers. . . .  What’s to be done?  I ran to the merchant, waked him up quietly, and said:  ‘Don’t be frightened, merchant,’ said I, ’but we are in a bad way.  We have fallen into a nest of robbers,’ I said.  He turned pale and asked:  ’What are we to do now, Panteley?  I have a lot of money that belongs to orphans.  As for my life,’ he said, ’that’s in God’s hands.  I am not afraid to die, but it’s dreadful to lose the orphans’ money,’ said he. . . .  What were we to do?  The gates were locked; there was no getting out.  If there had been a fence one could have climbed over it, but with the yard shut up! . . .  ‘Come, don’t be frightened, merchant,’ said I; ’but pray to God.  Maybe the Lord will not let the orphans suffer.  Stay still.’ said I, ’and make no sign, and meanwhile, maybe, I shall think of something. . . .’  Right! . . .  I prayed to God and the Lord put the thought into my mind.