When it was
remarked that the summons to return was expected on the morrow, and that
there might be an engagement, he lifted himself on his knees, and,
addressing Captain B. only, said that he had been at the adjutant's, and
had himself written the order for the return on the next day. We all
said nothing while he was speaking; and notwithstanding the fact that he
was so bashful, we begged him to repeat this most interesting piece of
news. He repeated what he had said, adding only that he had been
staying at the adjutant's (since he made it his home there) when the
order came.
"Look here, old fellow, if you are not telling us false, I shall have to
go to my company and give some orders for to-morrow," said Captain S.
"No . . . why . . . it may be, I am sure," . . . stammered the stranger,
but suddenly stopped, and, apparently feeling himself affronted, contracted
his brows, and, muttering something between his teeth, again began to
roll a cigarette. But the fine-cut tobacco in his chintz pouch began to
show signs of giving out, and he asked S. to lend him a little
cigarette. [Footnote: PAPIROSTCHKA, diminished diminutive of PAPIROSKA,
from PAPIROS.]
We kept on for a considerable time with that monotonous military chatter
which every one who has ever been on an expedition will appreciate; all
of us, with one and the same expression, complaining of the dullness and
length of the expedition, in one and the same fashion sitting in
judgment on our superiors, and all of us likewise, as we had done many
times before, praising one comrade, pitying another, wondering how much
this one had gained, how much that one had lost, and so on, and so on.
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