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Rh And Ignat ran off in the direction indicated.

"One always ought to look out and pick one's way, you'll find it's all right; and, besides, there's such a thing as foolish driving," said the Counsellor to me. "Just see how the horses are steaming."

All this time Ignat was gone, and this lasted so long that I was beginning to be afraid that he would lose himself altogether. The Counsellor, in the calmest, most self-confident tone of voice, explained to me how people ought to act in a snowstorm; he said that the best thing of all was to outspan the horse and let her go right on, God only knows where, or sometimes it was possible to see and go by the stars, and he added that if he had gone on before as a pioneer, we should long ago have reached the station.

"Well, how is it?" he asked Ignat, who could now be seen returning, walking with the utmost difficulty, being up to his knees in snow.

"Yes, it's there right enough. I can make out a Calmuck encampment," answered Ignat, puffing and blowing, "but which it is I don't know. We ought, my brother, to be going straight towards the Prolgovsky Manor House. We ought to go more to the left."

"But why this delay? It must be those encampments of ours which are behind the post-station!" exclaimed the Counsellor.

"But I say it is not!"

"What I've seen I know: it'll be what I say and not the Tomushenko lot. We must keep going more to the right all along. We shall be out on the great bridge presently; it is only eight versts off."