Chapter 23 23 Chameleon

Police officer Ochumelov, wearing a new military overcoat and carrying a small leather bag, walked across the market square.Behind him followed a reddish-haired policeman, carrying a thick basket full of confiscated gooseberries.There was silence all around, and the squares were deserted, with the doors of little shops and hotels open, listlessly facing the world God had made, like gaping hungry mouths.Not a single beggar was near the shop door. How dare you bite, you damn beast!Ochumelov suddenly heard voices, boys, don't let it go!Biting is out of the question now!grab it!Ouch ouch! A dog screamed.Ochumelov looked over there and saw a dog running out of the woodyard of the merchant Pichugin, running on three legs and looking back.Behind it, a man in a starched calico shirt and an unbuttoned waistcoat chased out.He ran after the dog, leaned forward, threw himself on the ground, and grabbed the dog by its hind legs.Immediately afterwards, there were dogs barking and people shouting: Don't let it go!Sleepy faces poked out from the small shop one after another, and soon a group of people gathered at the gate of the firewood yard, as if they had come out of the ground.

Looks like there's going to be trouble, sir!said the police. Ochumelov turned slightly to the left and walked towards the crowd.At the gate of the woodyard, he saw the above-mentioned man standing there in the unbuttoned waistcoat, holding up his right hand and showing a bloody finger to the crowd.There was this look on his half-drunk face: I'll rip you off, you wretch!And that finger itself was like a victory banner.Ochumelov recognized the man as the jeweler Khryukin.The culprit of the disturbance, a white terrier with a pointed face and a yellow spot on its back, sat on the ground in the center of the crowd, its front legs spread out, and its whole body trembling.There was sorrow and fear in its tearful eyes.

What's going on here?Ochumelov pushed his way into the crowd and asked, what are you doing here?Why are you pointing your finger up?Who is shouting? I was going my way, sir, and I didn't mess with anyone. Kryukin coughed into the empty fist and said, I was talking to Mitly.Mitlich was talking about firewood, and all of a sudden this wretch bit my finger for no reason, please forgive me, I'm a workman and my work is delicate.It's gonna cost me a fortune, because I may not be able to lift this finger for a week, sir, there's no such thing as a man who suffers from a beast and whoever suffers from a dog Bite, it's better not to live in this world

Um!Good Ochumelov said sternly, coughing and wrinkling his eyebrows, well whose dog is this?I can't let this kind of thing go.I'm going to show some color to show those who let dogs out to cause trouble!Now it's time to take care of the gentlemen who don't want to obey the law!When the fine is paid, he, the bastard, will understand what is the end of letting the dog and other animals out!I want to show him some seriousness. Look at Yeldylin, the policeman said to the policeman, go and find out whose dog it is, and make a report!This dog needs to be killed.No delay!This is probably a mad dog. Let me ask you: Whose dog is this?

This dog looks like it belonged to General Sigalov's family!Someone in the crowd said. From General Sigalov's?Um!You, Yeldylin, take off my coat, it's hot!Probably it's going to rain. There's just one thing I don't understand: how could it bite you?Ochumelov said to Khryukin, can it reach your fingers?It's small, but you, you know, are so big!Most of your finger was pricked by a small nail, but later you got a whimsical idea and asked someone to pay you money.Anyone like you knows what kind of way it is!I know you bastards! Sir, he pokes his cigar in its face and makes fun of it.That dog wasn't stupid at all, just bit him and he's a bullshit man, sir!

You nonsense, Cyclops!You can't see, why are you talking nonsense?The officer is a sensible person, who can see who is talking nonsense, and whoever speaks with conscience as if in front of God, I want to talk nonsense, let the civil judge judge me.It's written in his legal book that everyone is equal now, to tell you the truth, my brother is a military police Stop talking nonsense! No, this dog is not like the general's policeman said thoughtfully that there is no such dog in the general's family.Most of the dogs in his house are big hunting dogs Are you sure? sure sir I already knew.The dogs in the general's family are very expensive, and they are all good breeds. What about this dog, who knows what it is!The color of the coat is not good, and the appearance is not good. It is a scumbag. Would the old man keep such a dog? !Where is your brain?Do you know what would happen if such a dog were to be met in Petersburg or Moscow?It doesn't care what law or not there is, it dies in the blink of an eye!You, Khryukin, have suffered, and you must teach them a lesson in this matter!it's time

But it could also be that the dog policeman of the general’s house spoke his mind, and it didn’t say that I saw such a dog in his yard a few days ago on his face. That's right, it belongs to the General's family!someone in the crowd said. Um!You, brother Yeldylin, put on my coat, it seems to be windy and cold, take this dog to the general's house, ask there, and tell me that I found the dog, send You sent it and you said not to put it on the street in the future.Perhaps he was a noble dog, and if every swine poked him in the face with a cigar it would soon be trampled to death.Dogs are delicate animals, you idiot, put your hands down!No need to show that stupid finger of yours!It's all your own fault!

Here comes the general's cook, let's ask him, Prohor!you come here, dear!Do you see that this dog belongs to your family? Guess!We never had a dog like that there! Then there is no need to ask too much trouble, said Ochumelov, it is a stray dog!Needless to say, since he said it was a wild dog, then let the wild dog kill it. This dog is not ours, Prohor went on, but it is the general's brother's dog, who came to us the other day.Our general doesn't like this kind of dog.His elder brother likes Could it be that his elder brother is here?Vladimir.Ivanitch here?asked Ochumelov, with an emotional smile all over his face, and it's amazing, my lord!I do not know yet!Is he coming to live for a while?

stay for a while It's amazing, Lord!He is thinking about his younger brother, but I don't know yet!So this is his old man's dog?I'm glad you took him with you. The puppy is so cute and smart. He bit this guy's finger!Ha ha ha ha!Hey, why are you shaking?woof woof woof it's angry, the little villain is such a puppy Prohor called the dog and led it away from the woodyard. The crowd laughed at Khryukin. I will clean you up sooner or later!Ochumelov threatened him, wrapped himself in his overcoat, and walked across the market square.