’Thereisnothingelseforit，’thoughthe。’ImustdragonaslongasIhaveanystrengthleft。IfIsitdown，Ishan’tbeabletoriseagain。Ican’treachthefortress；butwhendaybreaksI’llliedownintheforest，remainthereallday，andgoonagainatnight。’
Hewentonallnight。TwoTartarsonhorsebackpassedhim；butheheardthemalongwayoff，andhidbehindatree。
Themoonbegantogrowpaler，thedewtofall。Itwasgettingneardawn，andZhí；linhadnotreachedtheendoftheforest。
’Well，’thoughthe，’I’llwalkanotherthirtysteps，andthenturninamongthetreesandsitdown。’
Hewalkedanotherthirtysteps，andsawthathewasattheendoftheforest。Hewenttotheedge；itwasnowquitelight，andstraightbeforehimwastheplainandthefortress。Totheleft，quitecloseatthefootoftheslope，afirewasdyingout，andthesmokefromitspreadround。Thereweremengatheredaboutthefire。
Helookedintently，andsawgunsglistening。Theyweresoldiers——Cossacks！
Zhí；linwasfilledwithjoy。Hecollectedhisremainingstrengthandsetoffdownthehill，sayingtohimself:’GodforbidthatanymountedTartarshouldseemenow，intheopenfield！NearasIam，Icouldnotgetthereintime。’
Hardlyhadhesaidthiswhen，acoupleofhundredyardsoff，onahillocktotheleft，hesawthreeTartars。
Theysawhimalsoandmadearush。Hisheartsank。Hewavedhishands，andshoutedwithallhismight，’Brothers，brothers！
Help！’
TheCossacksheardhim，andapartyofthemonhorsebackdartedtocutacrosstheTartars’path。TheCossackswerefarandtheTartarswerenear；butZhí；lin，too，madealasteffort。
Liftingtheshackleswithhishand，herantowardstheCossacks，hardlyknowingwhathewasdoing，crossinghimselfandshouting，’Brothers！
Brothers！Brothers！’
ThereweresomefifteenCossacks。TheTartarswerefrightened，andstoppedbeforereachinghim。ZhilinstaggereduptotheCossacks。
Theysurroundedhimandbeganquestioninghim。’Whoareyou？Whatareyou？Wherefrom？
ButZhí；linwasquitebesidehimself，andcouldonlyweepandrepeat，’Brothers！Brothers！’
ThenthesoldierscamerunningupandcrowdedroundZhí；lin——
onegivinghimbread，anotherbuckwheat，athirdvó；dka:onewrappingacloakroundhim，anotherbreakinghisshackles。
Theofficersrecognizedhim，androdewithhimtothefortress。Thesoldiersweregladtoseehimback，andhiscomradesallgatheredroundhim。
Zhí；lintoldthemallthathadhappenedtohim。
’That’sthewayIwenthomeandgotmarried！’saidhe。’No。Itseemsplainthatfatewasagainstit！’
SohewentonservingintheCaucasus。AmonthpassedbeforeKostí；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。
