Why he came, and whence, no one knew.

He prowled about, got drunk, and suddenly disappeared as if into the air, leaving no trace of his existence.

Then, behold, he seemed to have dropped from the sky again, and went flying about the street of the village, of which no trace now remains, and which was not more than a hundred paces from Dikanka.

He would collect together all the Cossacks he met; then there were songs, laughter, and cash in plenty, and vodka flowed like water....

He would address the pretty girls, and give them ribbons, earrings, strings of beads--more than they knew what to do with.