not finish his words, so rapidly did his thoughts run that his tongue
was unable to compass them.

One day the chief warden, accompanied by a soldier, entered his cell.
He looked askance at the floor and said gruffly:

"Look! How dirty he has made it!"

Tsiganok retorted quickly:

"You've made the whole world dirty, you fat-face, and yet I haven't
said anything to you. What brings you here?"

The warden, speaking as gruffly as before, asked him whether he would
act as executioner. Tsiganok burst out laughing, showing his teeth.

"You can't find any one else? That's good! Go ahead, hang! Ha! ha! ha!
The necks are there, the rope is there, but there is nobody to string
it up. By God! that's good!"

"You'll save your neck if you do it."

"Of course-I couldn't hang them if I were dead. Well said, you fool!"

"Well, what do you say? Is it all the same to you?"

"And how do you hang them here? I suppose they're choked on the sly."

"No, with music," snarled the warden.