Page:Leskov - The Sentry and other Stories.djvu/305

 Rh dragging them after him, took me by the hand, led me up to a certain tree, and asked:

"Bachka, do you see?"

"What is there to see?" I answered. "I see a tree and nothing more."

"But there on the large branch, twig on twig, do you see?"

"Well, and what of that? There is a twig, and probably the wind blew it there."

"No wind, Bachka; it's not wind, but kind man put it there—on that side there's a tent."

It was very evident he was either deceiving me, or was himself deceived, but what was I to do? I could not keep him by force from going and what would be the use of preventing him? Was it not all the same to die from starvation and cold—alone, or for two to die together? Let him run away and save himself if he could do so, and I said to him as the monks do: "Save thyself, brother."

He answered quietly: "Thank you, Bachka," and with these words fixed his snow-shoes firmly on his feet took his stick over his shoulder, scraped first with one foot and then with the other, and ran away. In a minute he was lost to sight, and I remained quite alone in the midst of snow and frost, and now quite exhausted by the acute cravings of hunger.