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　　’Thereisnothingelseforit，’thoughthe。’ImustdragonaslongasIhaveanystrengthleft。IfIsitdown，Ishan’tbeabletoriseagain。Ican’treachthefortress；butwhendaybreaksI’llliedownintheforest，remainthereallday，andgoonagainatnight。’

　　Hewentonallnight。TwoTartarsonhorsebackpassedhim；butheheardthemalongwayoff，andhidbehindatree。

　　Themoonbegantogrowpaler，thedewtofall。Itwasgettingneardawn，andZh&iacute；linhadnotreachedtheendoftheforest。

　　’Well，’thoughthe，’I’llwalkanotherthirtysteps，andthenturninamongthetreesandsitdown。’

　　Hewalkedanotherthirtysteps，andsawthathewasattheendoftheforest。Hewenttotheedge；itwasnowquitelight，andstraightbeforehimwastheplainandthefortress。Totheleft，quitecloseatthefootoftheslope，afirewasdyingout，andthesmokefromitspreadround。Thereweremengatheredaboutthefire。

　　Helookedintently，andsawgunsglistening。Theyweresoldiers——Cossacks！

　　Zh&iacute；linwasfilledwithjoy。Hecollectedhisremainingstrengthandsetoffdownthehill，sayingtohimself:’GodforbidthatanymountedTartarshouldseemenow，intheopenfield！NearasIam，Icouldnotgetthereintime。’

　　Hardlyhadhesaidthiswhen，acoupleofhundredyardsoff，onahillocktotheleft，hesawthreeTartars。

　　Theysawhimalsoandmadearush。Hisheartsank。Hewavedhishands，andshoutedwithallhismight，’Brothers，brothers！

　　Help！’

　　TheCossacksheardhim，andapartyofthemonhorsebackdartedtocutacrosstheTartars’path。TheCossackswerefarandtheTartarswerenear；butZh&iacute；lin，too，madealasteffort。

　　Liftingtheshackleswithhishand，herantowardstheCossacks，hardlyknowingwhathewasdoing，crossinghimselfandshouting，’Brothers！

　　Brothers！Brothers！’

　　ThereweresomefifteenCossacks。TheTartarswerefrightened，andstoppedbeforereachinghim。ZhilinstaggereduptotheCossacks。

　　Theysurroundedhimandbeganquestioninghim。’Whoareyou？Whatareyou？Wherefrom？

　　ButZh&iacute；linwasquitebesidehimself，andcouldonlyweepandrepeat，’Brothers！Brothers！’

　　ThenthesoldierscamerunningupandcrowdedroundZh&iacute；lin——

　　onegivinghimbread，anotherbuckwheat，athirdv&oacute；dka:onewrappingacloakroundhim，anotherbreakinghisshackles。

　　Theofficersrecognizedhim，androdewithhimtothefortress。Thesoldiersweregladtoseehimback，andhiscomradesallgatheredroundhim。

　　Zh&iacute；lintoldthemallthathadhappenedtohim。

　　’That’sthewayIwenthomeandgotmarried！’saidhe。’No。Itseemsplainthatfatewasagainstit！’

　　SohewentonservingintheCaucasus。AmonthpassedbeforeKost&iacute；linwasreleased，afterpayingfivethousandroublesransom。Hewasalmostdeadwhentheybroughthimback。

　　[TheadventureherenarratedisonethathappenedtoTolstoyhimselfin1858。Morethantwentyyearslaterhegaveuphunting，onhumanitariangrounds。]

　　WEwereoutonabear-huntingexpedition。Mycomradehadshotatabear，butonlygavehimaflesh-wound。Thereweretracesofbloodonthesnow，butthebearhadgotaway。

　　Weallcollectedinagroupintheforest，todecidewhetherweoughttogoafterthebearatonce，orwaittwoorthreedaystillheshouldsettledownagain。Weaskedthepeasantbear-driverswhetheritwouldbepossibletogetroundthebearthatday。

　　’No。It’simpossible，’saidanoldbear-driver。’Youmustletthebearquietdown。Infivedays’timeitwillbepossibletosurroundhim；butifyoufollowedhimnow，youwouldonlyfrightenhimaway，andhewouldnotsettledown。’

　　Butayoungbear-driverbegandisputingwiththeoldman，sayingthatitwasquitepossibletogetroundthebearnow。

　　’Onsuchsnowasthis，’saidhe，’hewon’tgofar，forheisafatbear。

　　Hewillsettledownbeforeevening；or，ifnot，Icanovertakehimonsnowshoes。’

　　ThecomradeIwaswithwasagainstfollowingupthebear，andadvisedwaiting。ButIsaid:

　　’Weneednotargue。Youdoasyoulike，butIwillfollowupthetrackwithDamian。Ifwegetroundthebear，allright。Ifnot，welosenothing。Itisstillearly，andthereisnothingelseforustodoto-day。’

　　Soitwasarranged。

　　Theotherswentbacktothesledges，andreturnedtothevillage。DamianandItooksomebread，andremainedbehindintheforest。

　　Whentheyhadallleftus，DamianandIexaminedourguns，andaftertuckingtheskirtsofourwarmcoatsintoourbelts，westartedoff，followingthebear’stracks。

　　Theweatherwasfine，frostyandcalm；butitwashardworksnow-shoeing。

　　Thesnowwasdeepandsoft:ithadnotcakedtogetheratallintheforest，andfreshsnowhadfallenthedaybefore，sothatoursnow-shoessanksixinchesdeepinthesnow，andsometimesmore。

　　Thebear’strackswerevisiblefromadistance，andwecouldseehowhehadbeengoing；sometimessinkinginuptohisbellyandploughingupthesnowashewent。Atfirst，whileunderlargetrees，wekeptinsightofhistrack；butwhenitturnedintoathicketofsmallfirs，Damianstopped。

　　’Wemustleavethetrailnow，’saidhe。’Hehasprobablysettledsomewherehere。Youcanseebythesnowthathehasbeensquattingdown。Letusleavethetrackandgoround；butwemustgoquietly。Don’tshoutorcough，orweshallfrightenhimaway。’

　　Leavingthetrack，therefore，weturnedofftotheleft。Butwhenwehadgoneaboutfivehundredyards，therewerethebear’stracesagainrightbeforeus。Wefollowedthem，andtheybroughtusoutontotheroad。Therewestopped，examiningtheroadtoseewhichwaythebearhadgone。Hereandthereinthesnowwereprintsofthebear’spaw，clawsandall，andhereandtherethemarksofapeasant’sbarkshoes。Thebearhadevidentlygonetowardsthevillage。

　　Aswefollowedtheroad，Damiansaid:

　　’It’snousewatchingtheroadnow。Weshallseewherehehasturnedoff，torightorleft，bythemarksinthesoftsnowattheside。Hemusthaveturnedoffsomewhere；forhewon’thavegoneontothevillage。’

　　Wewentalongtheroadfornearlyamile，andthensaw，aheadofus，thebear’strackturningofftheroad。Weexaminedit。

　　Howstrange！Itwasabear’strackrightenough，onlynotgoingfromtheroadintotheforest，butfromtheforestontotheroad！

　　Thetoeswerepointingtowardstheroad。

　　’Thismustbeanotherbear，’Isaid。

　　Damianlookedatit，andconsideredawhile。

　　’No，’saidhe。’It’sthesameone。He’sbeenplayingtricks，andwalkedbackwardswhenhelefttheroad。’

　　Wefollowedthetrack，andfounditreallywasso！Thebearhadgonesometenstepsbackwards，andthen，behindafirtree，hadturnedroundandgonestraightahead。Damianstoppedandsaid:

　　’Now，wearesuretogetroundhim。Thereisamarshaheadofus，andhemusthavesettleddownthere。Letusgoroundit。’

　　Webegantomakeourwayround，throughafirthicket。Iwastiredoutbythistime，andithadbecomestillmoredifficulttogetalong。NowIglidedontojuniperbushesandcaughtmysnow-shoesinthem，nowatinyfirtreeappearedbetweenmyfeet，or，fromwantofpractise，mysnow-shoesslippedoff；andnowIcameuponastumporaloghiddenbythesnow。Iwasgettingverytired，andwasdrenchedwithperspiration；andItookoffmyfurcloak。AndtherewasDamianallthetime，glidingalongasifinaboat，hissnowshoesmovingasifoftheirownaccord，nevercatchingagainstanything，norslippingoff。Heeventookmyfurandslungitoverhisshoulder，andstillkepturgingmeon。

　　Wewentonfortwomoremiles，andcameoutontheothersideofthemarsh。Iwaslaggingbehind。Mysnow-shoeskeptslippingoff，andmyfeetstumbled。SuddenlyDamian，whowasaheadofme，stoppedandwavedhisarm。WhenIcameuptohim，hebentdown，pointingwithhishand，andwhispered:

　　’Doyouseethemagpiechatteringabovethatundergrowth？Itscentsthebearfromafar。Thatiswherehemustbe。’

　　Weturnedoffandwentonformorethananotherhalf-mile，andpresentlywecameontotheoldtrackagain。Wehad，therefore，beenrightroundthebearwhowasnowwithinthetrackwehadleft。Westopped，andItookoffmycapandloosenedallmyclothes。Iwasashotasinasteambath，andaswetasadrownedrat。Damiantoowasflushed，andwipedhisfacewithhissleeve。

　　’Well，sir，’hesaid，’wehavedoneourjob，andnowwemusthavearest。’

　　Theeveningglowalreadyshowedredthroughtheforest。Wetookoffoursnow-shoesandsatdownonthem，andgotsomebreadandsaltoutofourbags。FirstIatesomesnow，andthensomebread；andthebreadtastedsogood，thatIthoughtIhadneverinmylifehadanylikeitbefore。Wesatthererestinguntilitbegantogrowdusk，andthenIaskedDamianifitwasfartothevillage。

　　’Yes，’hesaid。’Itmustbeabouteightmiles。Wewillgoonthereto-night，butnowwemustrest。Putonyourfurcoat，sir，oryou’llbecatchingcold。’

　　Damianflatteneddownthesnow，andbreakingoffsomefirbranchesmadeabedofthem。Welaydownsidebyside，restingourheadsonourarms。IdonotrememberhowIfellasleep。TwohourslaterIwokeup，hearingsomethingcrack。