Through Russia by Maksim Gorky
page 25 of 445 (05%)
page 25 of 445 (05%)
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Presently he turned his attention to myself, and smiled insinuatingly. "Inspector," he said, "what are you trying to poke out of the sky with that squat nose of yours? And why are you here at all? You come from the contractor, you say? -- from Vasili Sergeitch? Well, well! Then your job is to hurry us up, to keep barking out,' Mind what you are doing, such-and-such gang! ' Yet there you stand-blinking over your task like an object dried stiff! It's not to blink that you're here, but to play the watchdog upon us, and to keep an eye open, and your tongue on the wag. So issue your commands, young cockerel." Then he shouted to the workmen: "Now, then! No shirking! Is the job going to be finished tonight, or is it not? " As a matter of fact, he himself was the worst shirker in the artel [Workman's union]. True, he was also a first-rate hand at his trade, and a man who could work quickly and well and with skill and concentration; but, unfortunately, he hated putting himself out, and preferred to spend his time spinning arresting yarns. For instance, on the present occasion he chose the moment when work was proceeding with a swing, when everyone was busily and silently and wholeheartedly labouring with the object of running the job through to the end, to begin in his musical voice: |
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