The shaggy little thickset horse, all covered with snow, panted heavily beneath the low shaft-bow, evidently exhausting its last reserve of strength as it dragged its short legs haltingly through the deep snow, frequently they almost doubled up beneath it. To judge from its snout it was evidently a young animal. It had a stiff drawn-out lower lip like a fish's with distended nostrils, and ears pressed close to its head in terror. For a few seconds it held itself close beside Nikita's shoulder, and then it began slowly to draw away.
"It is easy to see what sort they are," said Nikita, "they'll end by killing their poor little nag outright, savages that they are!"
For some moments the snorting of the overworked horse and the drunken cries of the muzhiks continued to be heard, presently the snorting ceased, and not long after that the drunken shouting died away also. And once more nothing was to be heard all around but the whistling of the wind about their ears, and now and again the faint creaking of the sides of the sledge as it went over the rough parts of the road.
This chance meeting had amused and stimulated Vasily Andreioh, and no longer taking note of the posts he boldly whipped the horse up and trusted to it to keep to the road.
Nikita had nothing to do, so he began to be drowsy. Suddenly the horse stood stock-still, and Nikita was almost pitched out, as it was he fell forward and hurt his nose.
"Something is amiss again; it is rather rough going, eh?" said Vasily Andreich.
24
