Page:Ossendowski - The Shadow of the Gloomy East.djvu/45

Rh We called at about ten in the evening with the Injured peasant on the sorcerer. We knocked at the door. He told the peasant to throw a handful of oats in each of the four corners of the cottage and to strike with the bridle at the single window in the easterly wall. This done, the window was lighted and we were allowed to enter.

The small, low room was hot and close. By the stove there was burning a piece of resinous wood which had been thrust into a cleft in the cracked stones and emitted a cloud of smoke. In the purple shine of the fire I beheld bridles hanging down from the ceiling, horsetails and skins, tufts of grass and herbs and little bags blackened with smoke.

In front of the stove sat a little grey-haired man with conspiciously squinting eyes, open-mouthed, showing two rows of black teeth, and wearing a look of inquisitive fear.

He took the bridle, examined it carefully, smelled it, tried its hardness with his teeth, and then all of a sudden he burst into a terrific yell:

"The horse was led away &hellip; driven far away &hellip; very far &hellip; it's a good horse &hellip; all foaming &hellip; neighing &hellip; breaking away for home. &hellip; Turn &hellip; here's good oats for you &hellip; ta &hellip; ta &hellip; ta &hellip; little horse &hellip; come &hellip; come here!"

During the invocation he cast upon the coals handfuls of oats, gazing intently into the leaping tongues of fire.