第9章

’Thereisnothingelseforit，’thoughthe。’ImustdragonaslongasIhaveanystrengthleft。IfIsitdown，Ishan’tbeabletoriseagain。Ican’treachthefortress；butwhendaybreaksI’llliedownintheforest，remainthereallday，andgoonagainatnight。’

Hewentonallnight。TwoTartarsonhorsebackpassedhim；butheheardthemalongwayoff，andhidbehindatree。

Themoonbegantogrowpaler，thedewtofall。Itwasgettingneardawn，andZhí；linhadnotreachedtheendoftheforest。

’Well，’thoughthe，’I’llwalkanotherthirtysteps，andthenturninamongthetreesandsitdown。’

Hewalkedanotherthirtysteps，andsawthathewasattheendoftheforest。Hewenttotheedge；itwasnowquitelight，andstraightbeforehimwastheplainandthefortress。Totheleft，quitecloseatthefootoftheslope，afirewasdyingout，andthesmokefromitspreadround。Thereweremengatheredaboutthefire。

Helookedintently，andsawgunsglistening。Theyweresoldiers——Cossacks！

Zhí；linwasfilledwithjoy。Hecollectedhisremainingstrengthandsetoffdownthehill，sayingtohimself:’GodforbidthatanymountedTartarshouldseemenow，intheopenfield！NearasIam，Icouldnotgetthereintime。’

Hardlyhadhesaidthiswhen，acoupleofhundredyardsoff，onahillocktotheleft，hesawthreeTartars。

Theysawhimalsoandmadearush。Hisheartsank。Hewavedhishands，andshoutedwithallhismight，’Brothers，brothers！

Help！’

TheCossacksheardhim，andapartyofthemonhorsebackdartedtocutacrosstheTartars’path。TheCossackswerefarandtheTartarswerenear；butZhí；lin，too，madealasteffort。

Liftingtheshackleswithhishand，herantowardstheCossacks，hardlyknowingwhathewasdoing，crossinghimselfandshouting，’Brothers！

Brothers！Brothers！’

ThereweresomefifteenCossacks。TheTartarswerefrightened，andstoppedbeforereachinghim。ZhilinstaggereduptotheCossacks。

Theysurroundedhimandbeganquestioninghim。’Whoareyou？Whatareyou？Wherefrom？

ButZhí；linwasquitebesidehimself，andcouldonlyweepandrepeat，’Brothers！Brothers！’

ThenthesoldierscamerunningupandcrowdedroundZhí；lin——

onegivinghimbread，anotherbuckwheat，athirdvó；dka:onewrappingacloakroundhim，anotherbreakinghisshackles。

Theofficersrecognizedhim，androdewithhimtothefortress。Thesoldiersweregladtoseehimback，andhiscomradesallgatheredroundhim。

Zhí；lintoldthemallthathadhappenedtohim。

’That’sthewayIwenthomeandgotmarried！’saidhe。’No。Itseemsplainthatfatewasagainstit！’

SohewentonservingintheCaucasus。AmonthpassedbeforeKostí；linwasreleased，afterpayingfivethousandroublesransom。Hewasalmostdeadwhentheybroughthimback。

[TheadventureherenarratedisonethathappenedtoTolstoyhimselfin1858。Morethantwentyyearslaterhegaveuphunting，onhumanitariangrounds。]

WEwereoutonabear-huntingexpedition。Mycomradehadshotatabear，butonlygavehimaflesh-wound。Thereweretracesofbloodonthesnow，butthebearhadgotaway。

Weallcollectedinagroupintheforest，todecidewhetherweoughttogoafterthebearatonce，orwaittwoorthreedaystillheshouldsettledownagain。Weaskedthepeasantbear-driverswhetheritwouldbepossibletogetroundthebearthatday。

’No。It’simpossible，’saidanoldbear-driver。’Youmustletthebearquietdown。Infivedays’timeitwillbepossibletosurroundhim；butifyoufollowedhimnow，youwouldonlyfrightenhimaway，andhewouldnotsettledown。’

Butayoungbear-driverbegandisputingwiththeoldman，sayingthatitwasquitepossibletogetroundthebearnow。

’Onsuchsnowasthis，’saidhe，’hewon’tgofar，forheisafatbear。

Hewillsettledownbeforeevening；or，ifnot，Icanovertakehimonsnowshoes。’

ThecomradeIwaswithwasagainstfollowingupthebear，andadvisedwaiting。ButIsaid:

’Weneednotargue。Youdoasyoulike，butIwillfollowupthetrackwithDamian。Ifwegetroundthebear，allright。Ifnot，welosenothing。Itisstillearly，andthereisnothingelseforustodoto-day。’

Soitwasarranged。

Theotherswentbacktothesledges，andreturnedtothevillage。DamianandItooksomebread，andremainedbehindintheforest。

Whentheyhadallleftus，DamianandIexaminedourguns，andaftertuckingtheskirtsofourwarmcoatsintoourbelts，westartedoff，followingthebear’stracks。

Theweatherwasfine，frostyandcalm；butitwashardworksnow-shoeing。

Thesnowwasdeepandsoft:ithadnotcakedtogetheratallintheforest，andfreshsnowhadfallenthedaybefore，sothatoursnow-shoessanksixinchesdeepinthesnow，andsometimesmore。

Thebear’strackswerevisiblefromadistance，andwecouldseehowhehadbeengoing；sometimessinkinginuptohisbellyandploughingupthesnowashewent。Atfirst，whileunderlargetrees，wekeptinsightofhistrack；butwhenitturnedintoathicketofsmallfirs，Damianstopped。

’Wemustleavethetrailnow，’saidhe。’Hehasprobablysettledsomewherehere。Youcanseebythesnowthathehasbeensquattingdown。Letusleavethetrackandgoround；butwemustgoquietly。Don’tshoutorcough，orweshallfrightenhimaway。’

Leavingthetrack，therefore，weturnedofftotheleft。Butwhenwehadgoneaboutfivehundredyards，therewerethebear’stracesagainrightbeforeus。Wefollowedthem，andtheybroughtusoutontotheroad。Therewestopped，examiningtheroadtoseewhichwaythebearhadgone。Hereandthereinthesnowwereprintsofthebear’spaw，clawsandall，andhereandtherethemarksofapeasant’sbarkshoes。Thebearhadevidentlygonetowardsthevillage。

Aswefollowedtheroad，Damiansaid:

’It’snousewatchingtheroadnow。Weshallseewherehehasturnedoff，torightorleft，bythemarksinthesoftsnowattheside。Hemusthaveturnedoffsomewhere；forhewon’thavegoneontothevillage。’

Wewentalongtheroadfornearlyamile，andthensaw，aheadofus，thebear’strackturningofftheroad。Weexaminedit。

Howstrange！Itwasabear’strackrightenough，onlynotgoingfromtheroadintotheforest，butfromtheforestontotheroad！

Thetoeswerepointingtowardstheroad。

’Thismustbeanotherbear，’Isaid。

Damianlookedatit，andconsideredawhile。

’No，’saidhe。’It’sthesameone。He’sbeenplayingtricks，andwalkedbackwardswhenhelefttheroad。’

Wefollowedthetrack，andfounditreallywasso！Thebearhadgonesometenstepsbackwards，andthen，behindafirtree，hadturnedroundandgonestraightahead。Damianstoppedandsaid:

’Now，wearesuretogetroundhim。Thereisamarshaheadofus，andhemusthavesettleddownthere。Letusgoroundit。’

Webegantomakeourwayround，throughafirthicket。Iwastiredoutbythistime，andithadbecomestillmoredifficulttogetalong。NowIglidedontojuniperbushesandcaughtmysnow-shoesinthem，nowatinyfirtreeappearedbetweenmyfeet，or，fromwantofpractise，mysnow-shoesslippedoff；andnowIcameuponastumporaloghiddenbythesnow。Iwasgettingverytired，andwasdrenchedwithperspiration；andItookoffmyfurcloak。AndtherewasDamianallthetime，glidingalongasifinaboat，hissnowshoesmovingasifoftheirownaccord，nevercatchingagainstanything，norslippingoff。Heeventookmyfurandslungitoverhisshoulder，andstillkepturgingmeon。

Wewentonfortwomoremiles，andcameoutontheothersideofthemarsh。Iwaslaggingbehind。Mysnow-shoeskeptslippingoff，andmyfeetstumbled。SuddenlyDamian，whowasaheadofme，stoppedandwavedhisarm。WhenIcameuptohim，hebentdown，pointingwithhishand，andwhispered:

’Doyouseethemagpiechatteringabovethatundergrowth？Itscentsthebearfromafar。Thatiswherehemustbe。’

Weturnedoffandwentonformorethananotherhalf-mile，andpresentlywecameontotheoldtrackagain。Wehad，therefore，beenrightroundthebearwhowasnowwithinthetrackwehadleft。Westopped，andItookoffmycapandloosenedallmyclothes。Iwasashotasinasteambath，andaswetasadrownedrat。Damiantoowasflushed，andwipedhisfacewithhissleeve。

’Well，sir，’hesaid，’wehavedoneourjob，andnowwemusthavearest。’

Theeveningglowalreadyshowedredthroughtheforest。Wetookoffoursnow-shoesandsatdownonthem，andgotsomebreadandsaltoutofourbags。FirstIatesomesnow，andthensomebread；andthebreadtastedsogood，thatIthoughtIhadneverinmylifehadanylikeitbefore。Wesatthererestinguntilitbegantogrowdusk，andthenIaskedDamianifitwasfartothevillage。

’Yes，’hesaid。’Itmustbeabouteightmiles。Wewillgoonthereto-night，butnowwemustrest。Putonyourfurcoat，sir，oryou’llbecatchingcold。’

Damianflatteneddownthesnow，andbreakingoffsomefirbranchesmadeabedofthem。Welaydownsidebyside，restingourheadsonourarms。IdonotrememberhowIfellasleep。TwohourslaterIwokeup，hearingsomethingcrack。