Suddenly, however, he was struck by a voice coming from the shed, and its tone was so sincere that he could not but listen.

“No, friend,” said a pleasant and, as it seemed to Prince Andréy, a familiar voice, “what I say is that if it were possible to know what is beyond death, none of us would be afraid of it. That’s so, friend.”

Another, a younger voice, interrupted him: “Afraid or not, you can’t escape it anyhow.”

“All the same, one is afraid! Oh, you clever people,” said a third manly voice interrupting them both. “Of course you artillery men are very wise, because you can take everything along with you⁠—vodka and snacks.”

And the owner of the manly voice, evidently an infantry officer, laughed.