CRASNOI LAIS. 33 



of his men, turned up. This was the local Nimrod, 

 and these the beaters he brought with him ; and 

 a wilder lot to look at, a more thirsty lot to re- 

 fresh, a noisier, more frolicsome lot altogether, you 

 could not find even at Donnybrook fair. With 

 the colonel came another Russian and a couple of 

 young Frenchmen, and this made up our party. 



A huge sledge was in attendance for the sports- 

 men, and another for the game. The beaters were 

 sent on, and some of the more reliable entrusted 

 with a third sledge laden with eatables and a cask 

 of goodly dimensions. As the last Cossack dis- 

 appeared down the forest drive, we turned back 

 into the cottage, lighted our cigarettes, and having 

 collected our ammunition, took our places on the 

 sledge waiting for us, and drove merrily to the 

 meet. On our way the overhanging branches 

 caught us now and again, sweeping one of our 

 number into the snow, amid peals of laughter from 

 all but the victim. 



Arrived at the rendezvous, strict silence was 

 enjoined, the guns were posted, each a hundred 

 yards or so from the other, along one side of the 

 division, with orders on no account to leave those 

 posts until told to do so. Meanwhile the Cossack 

 colonel had taken his hundred men to the opposite 

 side of the section, and all being in readiness, we 

 heard his horn signal ' forward,' and then all was 

 silent as the grave. Every eye was strained on 



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