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Rh something was standing there. It was a horse, and yet not a horse, and on the horse was something odd, not resembling a man. It snorted—they listened. "What monster could it be?" Zhilin whistled very softly—it scurried off the path into the forest, and in the forest there was a crashing sound—it flew like a tempest, breaking down the branches in its path.

Kostuilin almost fell to the ground in his terror. But Zhilin laughed and said:

"That was a stag. Hark how he smashes the wood with his horns. We fear him and he fears us."

They went along further. Morning was now close at hand. Where they were going, however, they knew not. It seemed to Zhilin as if the Tatars had brought him along by that selfsame path, and as far as he could make it out they had still some ten versts to traverse; but there were no certain landmarks, and it was night, so that there was no distinguishing anything. Presently they came out upon a little plain, and Kostuilin sat down and said:

"You may do as you like, but I shall never get there. My legs won't do it"

Zhilin tried to persuade him.

"No," said he, "I shan't go any further—I can't, I tell you."

Zhilin then grew angry. He spat on one side and bullied his comrade.

"Then I'll go on alone," said he—"good-bye!"

Then Kostuilin leaped to his feet and went on. They now went on for four miles. The mist in the forest grew still thicker; they could see nothing in front of them, and the stars were barely visible.