第10章

IhadsleptsosoundlythatIdidnotknowwhereIwas。Ilookedaroundme。Howwonderful！Iwasinsomesortofahall，allglitteringandwhitewithgleamingpillars，andwhenIlookedupI

saw，throughdelicatewhitetracery，avault，ravenblackandstuddedwithcolouredlights。Afteragoodlook，Irememberedthatwewereintheforest，andthatwhatItookforahallandpillars，weretreescoveredwithsnowandhoar-frost，andthecolouredlightswerestarstwinklingbetweenthebranches。

Hoar-frosthadsettledinthenight；allthetwigswerethickwithit，Damianwascoveredwithit，itwasonmyfurcoat，anditdroppeddownfromthetrees。IwokeDamian，andweputonoursnowshoesandstarted。Itwasveryquietintheforest。Nosoundwasheardbutthatofoursnow-shoespushingthroughthesoftsnow；exceptwhennowandthenatree，crackedbythefrost，madetheforestresound。Onlyonceweheardthesoundofalivingcreature。Somethingrustledclosetous，andthenrushedaway。Ifeltsureitwasthebear，butwhenwewenttothespotwhencethesoundhadcome，wefoundthefootmarksofhares，andsawseveralyoungaspentreeswiththeirbarkgnawed。Wehadstartledsomehareswhiletheywerefeeding。

Wecameoutontheroad，andfollowedit，draggingoursnow-shoesbehindus。Itwaseasywalkingnow。Oursnow-shoesclatteredastheyslidbehindusfromsidetosideofthehard-troddenroad。Thesnowcreakedunderourboots，andthecoldhoar-frostsettledonourfaceslikedown。Seenthroughthebranches，thestarsseemedtoberunningtomeetus，nowtwinkling，nowvanishing，asifthewholeskywereonthemove。

Ifoundmycomradesleeping，butwokehimup，andrelatedhowwehadgotroundthebear。Aftertellingourpeasanthosttocollectbeatersforthemorning，wehadsupperandlaydowntosleep。

IwassotiredthatIcouldhavesleptontillmidday，ifmycomradehadnotrousedme。Ijumpedup，andsawthathewasalreadydressed，andbusydoingsomethingtohisgun。

’WhereisDamian？’saidI。

’Intheforest，longago。Hehasalreadybeenoverthetracksyoumade，andbeenbackhere，andnowhehasgonetolookafterthebeaters。’

Iwashedanddressed，andloadedmyguns；andthenwegotintoasledge，andstarted。

Thesharpfroststillcontinued。Itwasquiet，andthesuncouldnotbeseen。Therewasathickmistaboveus，andhoar-froststillcoveredeverything。

Afterdrivingabouttwomilesalongtheroad，aswecameneartheforest，wesawacloudofsmokerisingfromahollow，andpresentlyreachedagroupofpeasants，bothmenandwomen，armedwithcudgels。

Wegotoutandwentuptothem。Themensatroastingpotatoes，andlaughingandtalkingwiththewomen。

Damianwastheretoo；andwhenwearrivedthepeoplegotup，andDamianledthemawaytoplacetheminthecirclewehadmadethedaybefore。Theywentalonginsinglefile，menandwomen，thirtyinall。Thesnowwassodeepthatwecouldonlyseethemfromtheirwaistsupwards。Theyturnedintotheforest，andmyfriendandIfollowedintheirtrack。

Thoughtheyhadtroddenapath，walkingwasdifficult，but，ontheotherhand，itwasimpossibletofall:itwaslikewalkingbetweentwowallsofsnow。

Wewentoninthiswayfornearlyhalfamile，whenallatoncewesawDamiancomingfromanotherdirection——runningtowardsusonhissnowshoes，andbeckoningustojoinhim。Wewenttowardshim，andheshoweduswheretostand。Itookmyplace，andlookedroundme。

Tomyleftweretallfirtrees，betweenthetrunksofwhichIcouldseeagoodway，and，likeablackpatchjustvisiblebehindthetrees，Icouldseeabeater。Infrontofmewasathicketofyoungfirs，aboutashighasaman，theirbranchesweigheddownandstucktogetherwithsnow。Throughthiscopseranapaththicklycoveredwithsnow，andleadingstraightuptowhereIstood。

Thethicketstretchedawaytotherightofme，andendedinasmallglade，whereIcouldseeDamianplacingmycomrade。

Iexaminedbothmyguns，andconsideredwhereIhadbetterstand。Threestepsbehindmewasatallfir。

’That’swhereI’llstand，’thoughtI，’andthenIcanleanmysecondgunagainstthetree’；andImovedtowardsthetree，sinkinguptomykneesinthesnowateachstep。Itrodthesnowdown，andmadeaclearanceaboutayardsquare，tostandon。OnegunIkeptinmyhand；theother，readycocked，Iplacedleaningupagainstthetree。ThenIunsheathedandreplacedmydagger，tomakesurethatIcoulddrawiteasilyincaseofneed。

JustasIhadfinishedthesepreparations，IheardDamianshoutingintheforest:

’He’sup！He’sup！’

AndassoonasDamianshouted，thepeasantsroundthecircleallrepliedintheirdifferentvoices。

’Up，up，up！Ou！Ou！Ou！’shoutedthemen。

’Ay！Ay！Ay！’screamedthewomeninhigh。pitchedtones。

Thebearwasinsidethecircle，andasDamiandrovehimon，thepeopleallroundkeptshouting。OnlymyfriendandIstoodsilentandmotionless，waitingforthebeartocometowardsus。AsIstoodgazingandlistening，myheartbeatviolently。I

trembled，holdingmygunfast。

’Nownow，’Ithought。’Hewillcomesuddenly。Ishallaim，fire，andhewilldrop——’

Suddenly，tomyleft，butatadistance，Iheardsomethingfallingonthesnow。Ilookedbetweenthetallfirtrees，and，somefiftypacesoff，behindthetrunks，sawsomethingbigandblack。Itookaimandwaited，thinking:

’Won’thecomeanynearer？’

AsIwaitedIsawhimmovehisears，turn，andgoback；andthenIcaughtaglimpseofthewholeofhiminprofile。Hewasanimmensebrute。Inmyexcitement，Ifired，andheardmybulletgo’flop’

againstatree。Peeringthroughthesmoke，Isawmybearscamperingbackintothecircle，anddisappearingamongthetrees。

’Well，’thoughtI。’Mychanceislost。Hewon’tcomebacktome。Eithermycomradewillshoothim，orhewillescapethroughthelineofbeaters。Inanycasehewon’tgivemeanotherchance。’

Ireloadedmygun，however，andagainstoodlistening。Thepeasantswereshoutingallround，buttotheright，notfarfromwheremycomradestood，Iheardawomanscreaminginafrenziedvoice:

’Hereheis！Hereheis！Comehere，comehere！Oh！

Oh！Ay！Ay！’

Evidentlyshecouldseethebear。Ihadgivenupexpectinghim，andwaslookingtotherightatmycomrade。AllatonceIsawDamianwithastickinhishand，andwithouthissnow-shoes，runningalongafootpathtowardsmyfriend。Hecroucheddownbesidehim，pointinghisstickasifaimingatsomething，andthenIsawmyfriendraisehisgunandaiminthesamedirection。

Crack！Hefired。

’There，’thoughtI。’Hehaskilledhim。’

ButIsawthatmycomradedidnotruntowardsthebear。Evidentlyhehadmissedhim，ortheshothadnottakenfulleffect。

’Thebearwillgetaway，’Ithought。’Hewillgoback，buthewon’tcomeasecondtimetowardsme——Butwhatisthat？’

Somethingwascomingtowardsmelikeawhirlwind，snortingasitcame；

andIsawthesnowflyingupquitenearme。Iglancedstraightbeforeme，andtherewasthebear，rushingalongthepaththroughthethicketrightatme，evidentlybesidehimselfwithfear。Hewashardlyhalfadozenpacesoff，andIcouldseethewholeofhim——hisblackchestandenormousheadwithareddishpatch。Therehewas，blunderingstraightatme，andscatteringthesnowaboutashecame。Icouldseebyhiseyesthathedidnotseeme，but，madwithfear，wasrushingblindlyalong；andhispathledhimstraightatthetreeunderwhichIwasstanding。Iraisedmygunandfired。Hewasalmostuponmenow，andIsawthatIhadmissed。Mybullethadgonepasthim，andhedidnotevenhearmefire，butstillcameheadlongtowardsme。

Iloweredmygun，andfiredagain，almosttouchinghishead。Crack！Ihadhit，butnotkilledhim！

Heraisedhishead，andlayinghisearsback，cameatme，showinghisteeth。

Isnatchedatmyothergun，butalmostbeforeIhadtouchedit，hehaddownatmeand，knockingmeoverintothesnow，hadpassedrightoverme。

’Thankgoodness，hehasleftme，’thoughtI。

Itriedtorise，butsomethingpressedmedown，andpreventedmygettingup。Thebear’srushhadcarriedhimpastme，buthehadturnedback，andhadfallenonmewiththewholeweightofhisbody。Ifeltsomethingheavyweighingmedown，andsomethingwarmabovemyface，andIrealizedthathewasdrawingmywholefaceintohismouth。Mynosewasalreadyinit，andIfelttheheatofit，andsmelthisblood。HewaspressingmyshouldersdownwithhispawssothatIcouldnotmove:allI

coulddowastodrawmyheaddowntowardsmychestawayfromhismouth，tryingtofreemynoseandeyes，whilehetriedtogethisteethintothem。ThenIfeltthathehadseizedmyforeheadjustunderthehairwiththeteethofhislowerjaw，andthefleshbelowmyeyeswithhisupperjaw，andwasclosinghisteeth。

Itwasasifmyfacewerebeingcutwithknives。Istruggledtogetaway，whilehemadehastetoclosehisjawslikeadoggnawing。

Imanagedtotwistmyfaceaway，buthebegandrawingitagainintohismouth。

’Now，’thoughtI，’myendhascome！’

ThenIfelttheweightlifted，andlookingup，Isawthathewasnolongerthere。Hehadjumpedoffmeandrunaway。