ittle girl dropped her eyes;
the baby waked up and began to cry; the girl went to the
cradle. "There, give it to him," said The Wolf, thrusting into
her hand a soiled horn.[25] "And she abandoned him," he went
on, in a low tone, pointing at the baby. He went to the door,
paused, and turned round.

"Probably, master," he began, "you cannot eat our bread; and I
have nothing but bread."

"I am not hungry."

"Well, suit yourself. I would boil the samovar for you, only I
have no tea.... I'll go and see how your horse is."

He went out and slammed the door. I surveyed my surroundings.
The hut seemed to me more doleful than before. The bitter odor
of chilled smoke oppressed my breathing. The little girl did
not stir from her place, and did not raise her eyes, from time
to time she gave the cradle a gentle shove, or timidly hitched
up on her shoulder her chemise which had slipped down; her bare
legs hung motionless.

"What is thy name?" I asked.

"Ulita," she said, drooping her sad little face still lower.

The forester entered, and seated himself on the wall-bench.

"The thunderstorm is passing over," he remarked, after a brief
pause; "if you command, I will guide you out of the forest."

I rose. The Wolf picked up the gun, and inspected the priming.

"What is that for?" I inquired.

"They are stealing in the forest. They're felling a tree at the
Hare's Ravine," he added, in reply to my inquiring glance.

"Can it be heard from here?"

"It can from the yard."

We went out together. The rain had ceased. Heavy masses of
cloud were piled up in the distance, long streaks of lightning
flashed forth, from time to time; but over our heads, the dark
blue sky was visible; here and there, little stars twinkled
through the thin, swiftly flying clouds. The outlines of the
trees, besprinkled with rain and fluttered by the wind, were
beginning to stand out from the gloom. We began to listen. The
forester took off his cap and dropped his eyes. "The--there,"
he said suddenly, and stretched out his arm; "you see what a
night they have chosen."

I heard nothing except the rustling of the leaves. The Wolf led
my horse out from under the shed. "But I shall probably let
them slip this way," he added aloud--"I'll go with you, sha