by Ivo Andrić
Passers-bybecamefewerandfewer.ThenontheroadfromOsojnicatheTurkish
girlappeared,wrappedinhershawl,itscoloursdimmedbythetwilight.Beside
her walked an old, bowed Turkish woman bundled up in a thick
black feridjah. She walked almost on all fours, supporting herself by a staff in herrighthandandholdingontothegirlwithherleft.
TheypassedbyFedun.Thegirlwalkedslowly,accommodatingherpacetothe
slowwalkoftheoldcronewhomshewasleading.Hereyes,madelargerbythe
shadowsofearlydusk,nowgazedboldlyandopenlyintotheyoungman'sasif
they could not look away from him. When they disappeared into the
marketplace,ashiverpassedthroughtheyouthandhebegantopacewithmore
rapidstepsfromoneterracetotheotherasifhewantedtomakeupforwhathe
hadlost.Withanexcitementthatwasalmostfearhewaitedforthegirl'sreturn.
Stevanwasdozing.
'Whatwillshesaytomewhenshepasses?'thoughttheyouth.WhatshallIsay
toher?Willsheperhapssuggestmeetingsomewhereatnightinaquietspot?'He
quiveredwithdelightandtheexcitementofdangerlayinthatthought.
Awholehourpassedthus,waiting,andthehalfofanother,andstillthegirldid
not return. But even in that waiting there was delight. His eagerness rose with
thefallingdarkness.Atlast,insteadofthegirl,hisreliefcame.Butthistimenot
only the two streifkorps men who were to remain there on guard but also the sergeant-majorDraženovićinperson.Astrictmanwithashortblackbeard,he
orderedFedunandStevaninasharpandstridentvoicetogotothedormitoryas
soonastheyreachedbarracksandnottoleaveituntilfurtherorders.Theblood
rushedtoFedun'sfaceattheideathathewasinsomewaytoblame.
Thehugechilldormitorywithtwelveregularlyspacedoutbedswasempty.The
men were all at supper or in the town. Fedun and Stevan waited, troubled and
impatient,thinkingthingsoverandmakingvainguesseswhythesergeant-major
hadbeensosternandhadsounexpectedlyconfinedthemtobarracks.Afteran
hour,whenthefirstofthesoldiersbegantocomeintosleep,acorporalburstin
andorderedthemloudlyandharshlytofollowhim.Fromeverythingabouthim,
the two felt that the severity against them was increasing and that all this
presaged no good. As soon as they left the dormitory they were separated and
questioned.
The night wore on. Even the last lights in the town were extinguished, but the
windows of the barracks still blazed with light. From time to time there was a
ringatthemaingates,theclinkofkeysandthethudofheavydoors.Orderlies
came and went, hurrying through the dark and sleeping town between the
barracksandthe konak, where lamps also burned on the first floor. It could be seenfromallthesesignsthatsomethingunusualwasafoot.
When, about eleven o'clock at night, they brought Fedun into the sergeant-
major's office, it seemed to him that days and weeks had passed from those
moments on the kapia. On the table burned a metal oil-lamp with a shade of greenporcelain.Byitwasseatedthemajor,Krčmar.Thelightfellonhisarms
uptotheelbows,buttheupperhalfofhisbodyandhisheadwereinshadowcast
bythegreenshade.Theyoungmanknewthatpale,full,almostwomanlyface,
clean-shaven,withfinemoustachesanddarkringsaroundtheeyes.Thesoldiers
fearedtheslowheavywordsofthisbigplacidofficer.Therewerefewofthem
who could endure for long the gaze of those large grey eyes, and who did not
stammer when replying to his questions, in which each word was softly yet
separately,distinctlyandclearlyenunciatedfromthefirsttothelastsyllableas
atschoolorinthetheatre.Alittleawayfromthetablestoodthesergeant-major
Draženovic.Thewholeupperpartofhisbodyalsowasinshadowandonlyhis
hands were strongly illuminated, hanging limply at his side; on one finger
glistenedaheavygoldring.
Draženovićopenedtheinterrogation:
'Tellushowyoupassedthetimebetweenfiveandseveno'clockwhileyouwere
withassistant streifkorps privateStevanKalacanonguarddutyonthe kapia?'
ThebloodrushedtoFedun'shead.Everymanpassedhistimeasbesthecould,
but no one had ever thought that he would later have to answer for it before
some strict judge and give account of everything that had taken place, to the
minutestdetail,tothemosthiddenthoughtsandthelastminute.Noone,leastof
all when one is twenty-three years old and that time has been spent on
the kapia in spring. What was he to answer? Those two hours on guard had passed as they had always done, as they had done the day before and the day
before that. But at that moment he could not remember anything everyday and
usual which he could report. Only incidental, forbidden things rose in his memory, things that happen to everyone but which are not told to one's
superiors;thatStevanhaddozedasusual;thathe,Fedun,hadexchangedafew
wordswithanunknownTurkishgirl,thatthen,asduskwasfalling,hehadsung
softly and fervently all the songs of his own country awaiting the girl's return
andwithitsomethingexcitingandunusual.Howharditwastoreply,impossible
totelleverythingbutembarrassingtoremainsilent.Andhemusthurry,fortime
waspassingandthatonlyincreasedhisconfusionandembarrassment.Howlong
hadhissilencelastedalready?
'Well?' said the major. Everyone knew that 'well' of his, clear, smooth and
forcefullikethesoundofsomestrong,complexandwelloiledmachine.
Fedunbegantostammerandgetconfusedasthoughhefelthimselfguiltyfrom
theverystart.
Thenightworeon,butthelampswerenotextinguishedeitherinthebarracksor
in the konak. Interrogations, evidence and the confrontation of witnesses
followedoneanother.Otherswhohadmountedguardonthe kapia thatdaywere
also interrogated. But it was clear that the net was closing around Fedun and
Stevanand,intheirinterrogation,abouttheoldTurkishwomanwhomayoung
girlhadtakenacrossthebridge.
Itseemedtotheyoungmanasifallthemagicalandinextricableresponsibilities
thathehadfeltinhisdreamswerefallingonhisshoulders.Beforedawnhewas
confronted with Stevan. The peasant closed his eyes cunningly and spoke in a
forcedvoice,continuallyharkingbacktothefactthathewasanilliterateman,a
peasant,andshelteringhimselffromallresponsibilitybyalwaysreferringto'that
MrFedun'asheinsistedoncallinghiscompaniononguard.
That's the way to answer, the young man thought to himself. His entrails were
crying out from hunger and he himself was trembling all over from emotion
thoughitwasstillnotcleartohimwhatthiswasallaboutandwhereexactlylay
the question of his guilt or innocence. But morning brought
complete
explanation.
All through that night a fantastic round-dance whirled about him; in its centre
wasthemajor,coldandimplacable.Himselfdumbandunmoving,heallowedno
oneelsetobesilentoratpeace.Inbearingandappearancehenolongerseemed
likeaman,butlikedutyembodied,theterribleministrantofjusticeinaccessible
toweaknessorsentiment,giftedwithsupernaturalstrengthandimmunefromthe
ordinaryhumanneedsoffood,restorsleep.Whendawnbroke,
Fedun was once again brought before the major. There was now in the office,
besides the major and Draženović, an armed gendarme and a woman who, at
first sight, seemed unreal to the young man. The lamp had been extinguished.
Theroom,facingnorth,wascoldandinsemi-darkness.Theyoungmanfeltasif
thiswereacontinuationofhisdreamofthenightbeforewhichrefusedtopale
andvanisheveninthelightofday.
'Isthatthemanwhowasonguard?'Draženovićaskedthewoman.
With a great effort which caused him pain Fedun only then looked full at her.
ShewastheMoslemgirlofthedaybefore,onlybareheadedwithouthershawl
and with her heavy chestnut plaits wrapped around her head. She was wearing
brightly coloured Turkish trousers, but the rest of her dress, blouse, sash and
bolero,wasthatoftheSerbiangirlsfromthevillagesonthehighplateauabove
the town. Without her shawl, she seemed older and sturdier. Her face seemed
different,hermouthlargeandbad-tempered,hereyelidsreddenedandhereyes
clearandflashingasiftheshadowsofthedaybeforehadfledfromthem.
'It is,' the woman replied indifferently in a hard voice which was as new and
unusualtoFedunasherpresentappearance.
Draženović went on asking her how many times in all she had crossed the
bridge,whatshehadsaidtoFedunandhetoher.Sherepliedforthemostpart
precisely,butproudlyandindifferently.
'Good,Jelenka,andwhatdidhesaytoyouthelasttimeyoucrpssed?'
'He said something but I don't know exactly what, for I was not listening but
onlythinkinghowIcouldgetJakovacross.'
'Youwerethinkingofthat?'
'Ofthat,'answeredthewomanunwillingly.Shewasclearlywornoutanddidnot
want to say more than she must. But the sergeant-major was inexorable. In a
threatening voice which betrayed his conviction that he must be answered
withoutargumentheforcedthewomantorepeatallthatshehadsaidatherfirst
interrogationatthe konak.
Shedefendedherself,shortenedandskippedvariousbitsofherearlierevidence,
but he always checked her and by sharp and skilful questioning made her go
backoveritallagain.
Littlebylittlethewholetruthwaslaidbare.HernamewasJelenkaandshecame from the village of Tasić in Upper Lijeska. Last autumn the haiduk Jakov
Čekrlijahadcomeintoherdistricttopassthewinterhiddeninastableaboveher
village. They had brought him food and clothing from her house. For the most
partithadbeenshewhohadbroughtit.Theyhadlikedthelookofeachother
andhadbecomelovers.Whenthesnowbegantomeltandthe streifkorps squads
camemorefrequently,JakovhaddecidedtocrossintoSerbiaatallcosts.Atthat
time of year the Drina was hard to cross even if it had not been patrolled and
there had not been a permanent guard on the bridge. She had gone with him,
determinedtohelphimevenattheriskofherlife.Theyhadfirstdescendedto
Lijeska and then to a cave above Okolište. Earlier, on Glasinac, Jakov had
obtained some Turkish women's clothes from some gipsies; a ieridjah, Turkish
trousersandashawl.Thenshe,onhisinstructions,begantocrossthebridgeata
timewhentherewerenotmanyTurksabout,sinceoneofthemmightaskwhose
was that unknown girl, and in order that the guard might grow accustomed to
her. Thus she crossed three days running, and then decided to take Jakov with
her.
'Andwhydidyoutakehimacrosswhenthisparticularsoldierwasonguard?'
'Becauseheseemedtomethesoftestofthem.'
'So?'
'So'
At the sergeant-major's insistence the woman continued. When everything had
been prepared, Jakov had wrapped himself in the feridjah and just as it was beginningtogetdarkshetookhimdisguisedasheroldgrandmotheracrossthe
bridge past the guard. The guard had noticed nothing, for this young man was
lookingatherandnotattheoldwoman,whiletheother,olderguardwassitting
onthe sola dozing.
When they got to the marketplace, they had taken the precaution of not going
rightacrossit,buthadusedthesidestreets.Itwasthishadprovedtheirundoing.
Theyhadlosttheirwayinthetown,whichneitherofthemknew,andinsteadof
coming out at the bridge across the Rzav and thus joining the road which led
from the town towards both frontiers, they had found themselves in front of a
Turkishcafé,justassomepeoplewerecomingout.OneofthemwasaTurkish
gendarme, born in the town. This closely wrapped up old woman and the girl
whomhehadneverseenbeforeseemedsuspecttohim,andhefollowedthem.
HekepttheminsightasfarastheRzav.Thenhecamenearertoaskthemwho
they were and where they were going. Jakov, who had been watching him
attentively through his face-veil, considered that the moment had come to flee.
Hethrewoffhis feridjah, andpushedJelenkaatthegendarmesoviolentlythat
they both lost their footing ('for he is small and insignificant to look at, but as strongastheearthandcourageousaboveallothermen').She,asshecalmlyand
clearlyconfessed,tangledherselfwiththelegsofthegendarme.Bythetimethat
thegendarmehadfreedhimselfofher,JakovhadalreadyrushedacrosstheRzav
asifithadbeenastream,thoughthewaterwasabovehisknees,andwaslostin
the willow clumps on the farther side. Then they had taken her to
the konak, beatenandthreatenedher,butshehadnothingmoretosayandwould
saynothingmore.
In vain the sergeant-major tried evasive questions, flatteries and threats to get
something more out of the girl, to learn from her about others who helped or
sheltered bandits, or about Jakov's further intentions. All this had not the
slightesteffectonher.Shehadspokenfreelyenoughofwhatshewantedtotell
but despite all Draženović's efforts they could not get a word out of her about
whatshedidnotwanttotell.
'It would be better for you to tell us all you know than for us to question and tortureJakovwhohassurelybynowbeencaughtonthefrontier.'
'Caughtwho?Him?Ha,Ha!'
Thegirllookedatthesergeant-majorwithpity,asatamanwhodoesnotknow
whatheistalkingabout,andtherightcornerofherupperliprosedisdainfully.
In fact the movement of this upper lip, which looked like a writhing leech,
expressedherfeelingsofanger,disdainorpride,wheneverthosefeelingsgrew
more than she could express in words. That writhing movement gave for a
moment to her otherwise beautiful and regular face a troubled and unpleasant
expression.Thenwithsomequitechildlikeandferventexpressioncompletelyin
contrasttothatuglywrithingshelookedoutofthewindowasapeasantlooksat
afieldwhenhewantstogaugetheinfluenceoftheweatherontheharvest.
'God help you! It's dawn now. From last night till now he has had time to get
across all Bosnia, not merely to cross a frontier only an hour or two's march
away.Iknowthatmuch.Youcanbeatmeandkillme,Icamewithhimforthat,
buthimyouwillneverseeagain.Don'tevendreamofit!Ha!'
Herupperlipwrithedandliftedandherwholefaceseemedsuddenlyolder,more
experienced, bold and ugly. And when that lip suddenly ceased to writhe, her faceagaintookonthatchildlikeexpressionofboldandinnocentdaring.
Notknowingwhatmoretodo,Draženovićlookedatthemajor,whogaveasign
tosendthegirlaway.ThenheresumedtheinterrogationofFedun.Thiscouldno
longer be either long or hard. The young man admitted everything and had
nothing to put forward in his own defence, not even what Draženović himself
had hinted at in his questions. Not even the major's words which contained a
merciless and implacable judgment, but in which none the less there was
restrained pain because of their own severity, could wake the youth from his
torpor.
'Ihadalwaysconsideredyou,Fedun,'KrčmarsaidinGerman,'aseriousyoung
man,consciousofyourdutiesandofyouraiminlife,andIhadthoughtthatone
dayyouwouldbecomeaperfectsoldier,acredittoourunit.Butyouhavebeen
blindedbythefirstfemaleanimaltoruninfrontofyournose.Youhavebehaved
likeaweakling,likeonetowhomseriousworkcannotbeentrusted.Iamforced
to hand you over to court-martial. But whatever its sentence may be, your