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.