Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/75

Rh "What's up?"

"Not a post to be seen! We must have strayed away from the road again."

"Strayed away from the road, eh? — then we must find it again," said Nikita curtly. So out he jumped again, and began picking his way over the snow, treading very lightly, and with his feet turned inwards. He walked about for some time, disappearing from view, reappearing, and then again disappearing. At last he turned back.

"There is no road here; it may be somewhere ahead," said he, sitting down on the sledge.

It was beginning to grow sensibly dusky all around, the snowstorm had not increased in violence, but it showed no signs of abating.

"I wish we could hear those muzhiks," said Vasily Andreich.

"It's no good trying to overtake them, and besides, most likely they too have lost their way," said Nikita.

"In which direction shall we go then?" asked Vasily Andreich.

"We must leave that to the horse," said Nikita. "He will find his way. Give me the reins."

Vasily Andreich gave up the reins all the more readily as his hands were beginning to feel very cold, though covered by warm gloves.

Nikita took the reins and just held them loosely, trying not to move them: he was proud of the good sense of his pet nag. And indeed the shrewd horse, cocking first one ear in one direction and then the other ear in the other, gradually began to turn about. 25