THE CONVICT TRAIN.
When Nekhludoff came to the station, the prisoners were all seated in railway carriages with grated windows. Several persons, come to see them off, stood on the platform, but were not allowed to come up to the carriages.
The convoy was much troubled that day. On the way from the prison to the station, besides the two Nekhludoff had seen, three other prisoners had fallen and died of sunstroke. One was taken to the nearest police station like the first two, and the other two died at the railway station. [In Moscow, in the beginning of the eighth decade of this century, five convicts died of sunstroke in one day on their way from the Boutyrki prison to the Nijni railway station.] The convoy men were not troubled because five men who might have been alive died while in their charge. This did not trouble them, but they were concerned lest anything that the law required in such cases should be omitted. To convey the bodies to the places appointed, to deliver up their papers, to take them off the lists of those to be conveyed to Nijni--all this was very troublesome, especially on so hot a day.
It was this that occupied the convoy men, and before it could all be accomplished Nekhludoff and the others who asked for leave to go up to the carriages were not allowed to do so. Nekhludoff, however, was soon allowed to go up, because he tipped the convoy sergeant. The sergeant let Nekhludoff pass, but asked him to be quick and get his talk over before any of the authorities noticed. There were 15 carriages in all, and except one carriage for the officials, they were full of prisoners. As Nekhludoff passed the carriages he listened to what was going on in them. In all the carriages was heard the clanging of chains, the sound of bustle, mixed with loud and senseless language, but not a word was being said about their dead fellow-prisoners. The talk was all about sacks, drinking water, and the choice of seats.
Looking into one of the carriages, Nekhludoff saw convoy soldiers taking the manacles off the hands of the prisoners. The prisoners held out their arms, and one of the soldiers unlocked the manacles with a key and took them off; the other collected them.
After he had passed all the other carriages, Nekhludoff came up to the women's carriages. From the second of these he heard a woman's groans: "Oh, oh, oh! O God! Oh, oh! O God!"
Nekhludoff passed this carriage and went up to a window of the third carriage, which a soldier pointed out to him. When he approached his face to the window, he felt the hot air, filled with the smell of perspiration, coming out of it, and heard distinctly the shrill sound of women's voices. All the seats were filled with red, perspiring, loudly-talking women, dressed in prison cloaks and white jackets. Nekhludoff's face at the window attracted their attention. Those nearest ceased talking and drew closer. Maslova, in her white jacket and her head uncovered, sat by the opposite window. The white-skinned, smiling Theodosia sat a little nearer. When she recognised Nekhludoff, she nudged Maslova and pointed to the window. Maslova rose hurriedly, threw her kerchief over her black hair, and with a smile on her hot, red face came up to the window and took hold of one of the bars.
"Well, it is hot," she said, with a glad smile.
"Did you get the things?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Is there anything more you want?" asked Nekhludoff, while the air came out of the hot carriage as out of an oven.
"I want nothing, thank you."
"If we could get a drink?" said Theodosia.
"Yes, if we could get a drink," repeated Maslova.
"Why, have you not got any water?"
"They put some in, but it is all gone."
"Directly, I will ask one of the convoy men. Now we shall not see each other till we get to Nijni."
"Why? Are you going?" said Maslova, as if she did not know it, and looked joyfully at Nekhludoff.
"I am going by the next train."
Maslova said nothing, but only sighed deeply.
"Is it true, sir, that 12 convicts have been done to death?" said a severe-looking old prisoner with a deep voice like a man's.
It was Korableva.
"I did not hear of 12; I have seen two," said Nekhludoff.
"They say there were 12 they killed. And will nothing be done to them? Only think! The fiends!"
"And have none of the women fallen ill?" Nekhludoff asked.
"Women are stronger," said another of the prisoners--a short little woman, and laughed; "only there's one that has taken it into her head to be delivered. There she goes," she said, pointing to the next carriage, whence proceeded the groans.
"You ask if we want anything," said Maslova, trying to keep the smile of joy from her lips; "could not this woman be left behind. suffering as she is? There, now, if you would tell the authorities."
"Yes, I will."
"And one thing more; could she not see her husband, Taras?" she added, pointing with her eyes to the smiling Theodosia.
"He is going with you, is he not?"
"Sir, you must not talk," said a convoy sergeant, not the one who had let Nekhludoff come up. Nekhludoff left the carriage and went in search of an official to whom he might speak for the woman in travail and about Taras, but could not find him, nor get an answer from any of the convoy for a long time. They were all in a bustle; some were leading a prisoner somewhere or other, others running to get themselves provisions, some were placing their things in the carriages or attending on a lady who was going to accompany the convoy officer, and they answered Nekhludoff's questions unwillingly. Nekhludoff found the convoy officer only after the second bell had been rung. The officer with his short arm was wiping the moustaches that covered his mouth and shrugging his shoulders, reproving the corporal for something or other.
"What is it you want?" he asked Nekhludoff.
"You've got a woman there who is being confined, so I thought best--"
"Well, let her be confined; we shall see later on," and briskly swinging his short arms, he ran up to his carriage. At the moment the guard passed with a whistle in his hand, and from the people on the platform and from the women's carriages there arose a sound of weeping and words of prayer.
Nekhludoff stood on the platform by the side of Taras, and looked how, one after the other, the carriages glided past him, with the shaved heads of the men at the grated windows. Then the first of the women's carriages came up, with women's heads at the windows, some covered with kerchiefs and some uncovered, then the second, whence proceeded the same groans, then the carriage where Maslova was. She stood with the others at the window, and looked at Nekhludoff with a pathetic smile.
聂赫留朵夫来到火车站,犯人们都已坐到装有铁窗的车厢里.站台上有几个送行的人,但押解兵不准他们接近车厢.押解兵今天特别一操一心.从监狱到车站的一路上,除了聂赫留朵夫看到的两名犯人,还有三个中暑死亡:其中一名也象前两名那样被送到就近的警察分局,还有两名都是在车站上倒下的.①押解人员一操一心的,倒不是在他们的押解下死了五个本来可以不死的人.这事根本不在他们心上.他们一操一心的只是依法办理必要的手续:把死人和他们的文件,杂物送到该送的地方,把他们的名字从押送到下城的犯人名册中勾销.办这些事很麻烦,特别是在这样的大热天.
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①八十年代初,有一批犯人从布狄斯基监狱押送到下城火车站,一天里就有五名犯人中暑死亡.--托尔斯泰注.
押解兵此刻正忙于处理这些事,因此在这些事没有办完以前,不准聂赫留朵夫和其他人接近车厢.不过聂赫留朵夫还是获得许可走近车厢,因为他给了押解的军士一点钱.这个军士就放聂赫留朵夫过去,但要他谈得快一点,谈完就走开,免得被长官看见.车厢总共十八节,除了长官坐的那一节以外,节节车厢都被犯人挤得满满的.聂赫留朵夫走过那些车厢窗口,留神听听里面在干什么.每节车厢里都是一片镣铐声,忙乱声,说话声,其中还夹一着毫无意思的下流话,但出乎聂赫留朵夫的意料,没有一个地方在谈论路上死去的同伴.他们谈的多半是他们的袋子,饮用水和挑座位问题.聂赫留朵夫从一节车厢的窗口往里张望,看见押解兵在过道上给犯人卸手铐.犯人们伸出双手,一个押解兵打开手铐上的锁,把手铐脱掉.另一个押解兵把手铐收集在一起.聂赫留朵夫走过所有男犯的车厢,来到女犯车厢旁边.第二节车厢里传出一个女人均匀的呻一吟声:"喔唷,喔唷,喔唷,老天爷!
喔唷,喔唷,喔唷,老天爷!"
聂赫留朵夫走过这节车厢,听从一个押解兵的指点,走到第○三节车厢窗口.聂赫留朵夫的头刚凑近窗口,就有一股充满汗酸臭的热气扑面袭来,同时清楚地听见女人叽叽喳喳的说话声.所有长凳上都坐着满头大汗,脸色通红,身穿囚袍和短袄的女人,她们在大声谈话.聂赫留朵夫的脸凑近铁窗,引起了她们的注意.靠窗几个女人住了口,向他凑过去.玛丝洛娃只穿一件短袄,没有包头巾,坐在对面窗口.皮肤白净,脸带笑容的费多霞坐在她旁边,离这边窗口近一点.她一认出聂赫留朵夫,就推推玛丝洛娃,给她指指这边窗口.玛丝洛娃慌忙站起来,拿头巾包住乌黑的头发,红一润冒汗的脸上现出活泼的微笑,走到窗口,双手抓住铁栅.
"天气真热呀!"她快乐地笑着说.
"东西收到了吗?"
"收到了,谢谢."
"还需要什么吗?"聂赫留朵夫问,觉得车厢里的热气简直象从蒸汽浴一室里冒出来的一样.
"什么也不需要了,谢谢."
"最好能弄点水喝喝,"费多霞说.
"是啊,最好弄点水喝喝,"玛丝洛娃也跟着说.
"难道你们没有水喝吗?"
"送来过,都喝光了."
"我这就去,"聂赫留朵夫说,"我去问押解兵要点水来.
我们要到下城再能见面了."
"难道您也去吗?"玛丝洛娃仿佛不知道这件事,快乐地瞅了聂赫留朵夫一眼,说.
"我坐下一班车走."
玛丝洛娃一言不发,过了几秒钟才深深地叹了口气,"这是怎么搞的,老爷,说是有十二个犯人被折磨死了,是真的吗?"一个神情严厉的上了年纪的女犯人用男人般的粗嗓子说.
她就是柯拉勃列娃.
"十二个,我没听说.我只看见两个,"聂赫留朵夫说.
"听说有十二个.造这样的孽,他们都没事吗?简直都是魔鬼!"
"妇女中间没有人害病吧?"聂赫留朵夫问.
"一娘一儿们身一子骨硬朗些,"另一个矮小的女犯笑着说,"只是有一个要生孩子了.听,她在那儿嚷嚷呢,"她指着隔壁的车厢说,那儿不断传来同一种呻一吟声.
"您问我们还需要什么,"玛丝洛娃竭力忍住嘴唇上快乐的笑意,说,"那么,能不能把这女人留下来,要不她太受罪了.哎,您最好去跟长官说说."
"好的,我去说."
"哎,还有,能不能让她同她丈夫塔拉斯见一次面?"她瞥了一眼笑盈盈的费多霞,示意聂赫留朵夫说."她丈夫就要跟您一起动身了."
"老爷,不可以同她们说话,"一个押解的军士说.这不是放聂赫留朵夫过来的那个军士.
聂赫留朵夫就去找长官,想为临产的女人和塔拉斯求情,可是找了好半天都没有找到,也不能从押解兵那里打听到长官在哪里.他们都很忙:有些正把犯人带到什么地方去,有些跑去给自己买食物,或者把自己的行李放到车厢里,有些在伺候跟押解官一起动身的太太.他们都不高兴回答聂赫留朵夫的话.
聂赫留朵夫找到押解官的时候,已经响过第二遍铃了.押解官用他那只短手擦擦盖没嘴巴的小一胡一子,耸一起肩膀,为什么事在斥责司务长.
"您究竟有什么事?"他问聂赫留朵夫说."
"你们车上有个女人要生孩子了,我想应该......"
"那就让她生好了.等生出来再说,"押解官说,向他自己那节车厢走去,拚命摆一动两条短胳膊.
这时候,列车长手里拿着哨子走过.紧接着响起了最后一遍铃声和哨子声,从站台上送行的人群中和女犯的车厢里传出一片号叫一声.聂赫留朵夫跟塔拉斯并排站在站台上,眼看一节节带铁窗的车厢和车窗里一个个剃光头发的男人脑袋从面前掠过.接着是第一节女犯车厢,从窗子里可以看见里面的女犯,有的露着头发,有的扎着头巾.然后是第二节车厢,从里面传出那个临产女人的呻一吟.再后面就是玛丝洛娃的那节车厢.玛丝洛娃同另外几个女犯站在窗口,瞧着聂赫留朵夫,对他发出凄苦的微笑.
