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he kept constantly repeating to himself: "I should have taken away the
bunch of burning straw, and have stamped out the fire with my feet."
But when he saw his home fall in a smouldering heap, in spite of the
terrible heat he sprang into the midst of it and carried out a charred
log. The women seeing him, and fearing that he would lose his life,
called to him to come back, but he would not pay any attention to them
and went a second time to get a log. Still weak from the terrible blow
which Gavryl had given him, he was overcome by the heat, and fell into
the midst of the burning mass. Fortunately, his eldest son saw him fall,
and rushing into the fire succeeded in getting hold of him and carrying
him out of it. Ivan's hair, beard, and clothing were burned entirely
off. His hands were also frightfully injured, but he seemed indifferent
to pain.
"
Grief drove him crazy," the people said.
The fire was growing less, but Ivan still stood where he could see it,
and kept repeating to himself, "I should have taken," etc.
The morning after the fire the starosta (village elder) sent his son to
Ivan to tell him that the old man, his father, was dying, and wanted to
see him to bid him good-bye.
In his grief Ivan had forgotten all about his father, and could not
understand what was being said to him. In a dazed way he asked: "What
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