698 THE DON FLOWS HOME
by his responsibilities, and was delighted when Koshevoi-
told him he was to be relieved.
"Here are the papers, my eagle; here's the village
stamp; take them, for Christ's sake! " he said with
unfeigned pleasure, crossing himself and rubbing his hands.
" I'm in my seventies now, and never in all my life have I
held any office, but it fell to me in my declining years____
It's just the right sort of work for a young man like you,
but what use am I ? I can't see properly, and I can't hear
properly. . . . It's time I was saying my prayers, but they
went and appointed me chairman. ..."
Mishka hurriedly scanned the instructions and orders sent
by the district Revolutionary Committee, and asked.
" Where's the secretary ? "
" Eh ? "
" Damn it, I said where's the secretary ? "
" The secretary ? He's sowing rye. He only comes here
once a week, may he be struck by lightning ! Sometimes a
paper comes from the district, and it's got to be read, but
you couldn't find him with bloodhounds. And so an
important paper has to lie for several days unread. For
I'm bad at my letters, very bad ! I can only just manage
to sign my name, and I can't read at all; all I can c|o is
use the stamp. . . ."
Raising his eyebrows, Koshevoi examined the scratched
and dingy walls of the Revolutionary Committee's room,
which was decorated with a single old and flyblown placard.
Old Mikheev was so delighted at his unexpected dismissal
that he even ventured to jest: as he handed Koshevoi the
stamp wrapped in a piece of rag, he said:
t( That's the entire village property; there's no money
to be handed over, and under the Soviet regime the ataman's
insignia aren't regarded with favour. If you like I can give
you my old stick." Smiling a toothless smile, he held out
his ash stick, its handle well polished by much use.
But Koshevoi did not feel in the mood for joking. Once
more he looked around the miserable, neglected room,
frowned and said with a sigh :
" We'll reckon that I've taken everything over from you,
daddy. Now hop off out of here to the devil! " With his
eyes he expressively indicated the door.
Then he seated himself at the table, sprawling his elbows.