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Rh with snow." This was the idea that came into his head next, and he plunged forward. But despite his resolution of going quietly, he set off running, fell continually, rose up, and again fell down. The track of the horse was now scarcely distinguishable in the places where the snow was not thick. "It is all up with me," thought Vasily Andreich, "I am losing even this track." But the same instant, looking forward, he perceived something black. It was Brownie, and not only Brownie, but the sledge and the upright shafts. Brownie with the broken saddle all awry, and the harness and the sacking, was standing there, not in his former place, but nearer to the shafts, and was moving about his head, which was drawn somewhat downwards by the dragging reins. Apparently Vasily Andreich had sunk into the same drift into which he and Nikita together had fallen before, the horse had led him back to the sledge, and he had leaped from the horse not more than fifty paces from the place where the sledge was.

Staggering up to the sledge, Vasily Andreich clutched hold of it and stood for a long time immovable, trying to calm himself and recover his breath. Nikita was no longer in his former place, but in the sledge something was lying already covered with snow; and Vasily Andreich guessed that this was Nikita. Vasily Andreich's terror had now quite passed over, and if there was anything he feared now it was only the return of that horrible 69