Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com person to get at once into confidential relations with a child,
or still more with a group of children. One must begin in
a serious, businesslike way so as to be on a perfectly equal
footing. Alyosha understood it by instinct.
‘But he is left-handed,’ another, a fine healthy-looking
boy of eleven, answered promptly. All the others stared at
Alyosha.
‘He even throws stones with his left hand,’ observed a
third.
At that instant a stone flew into the group, but only just
grazed the left-handed boy, though it was well and vigor-
ously thrown by the boy standing on the other side of the
ditch.
‘Give it him, hit him back, Smurov,’ they all shouted. But
Smurov, the left-handed boy, needed no telling, and at once
revenged himself; he threw a stone, but it missed the boy
and hit the ground. The boy on the other side of the ditch,
the pocket of whose coat was visibly bulging with stones,
flung another stone at the group; this time it flew straight at
Alyosha and hit him painfully on the shoulder.
‘He aimed it at you, he meant it for you. You are Karam-
azov, Karamazov!’ the boys shouted laughing, ‘Come, all
throw at him at once!’ and six stones flew at the boy. One
struck the boy on the head and he fell down, but at once
leapt up and began ferociously returning their fire. Both
sides threw stones incessantly. Many of the group had their
pockets full too.
‘What are you about! Aren’t you ashamed? Six against
one! Why, you’ll kill him,’ cried Alyosha.