An obscene word still hung on his lips when I responded, at the lightning speed, with my fist on his nose and lips. Gorkov howled and darted to me. In one leap I reached the scraper, grabbed a small crowbar from the gearbox and aimed a blow. Gorkov moved back.
«Pavel Vasilievich! You are not only a scoundrel but also a coward. Scoundrels are usually beaten, cowards - despised!» I said just like Athos throwing the crowbar away. Then I turned and went out of the mine.
«An accident?» Somebody called me at the haulage tunnel.
«No! I slapped overman Gorkov who insulted me.»
«Ouch! How come?»
I explained, they brought us, women, when the men were already in the mine. We ascended, the gals went to their cable hoists while I went to the face and tossed all the coal from there. After discharging my task I went to look for the overman to get extra work from him.
«I reported you for absenteeism and they will put you in the PIC,» he said.
«I waited for you to come to the face. It is an overman's responsibility. And I worked. You should inform the executive...»
«I am not going to listen to every whore's excuses!» he said.
So I pinched his face.
The other pondered,
«I'm the deputy chief. Go to the bath house, have a wash, and at eight o'clock when the chief of the mine Major Kovalenko comes I will tell him. He will give an ear to you both. Now go and have a rest!»