DENSE COVERTS. 143 



hud been as nothing, and then we knew it was 

 morning. 



A violent shake roused Stepan, and without 

 troubling ourselves about more breakfast than a 

 crust of black bread and the flask afforded, we 

 went into the forest. Plere we had a blank day; 

 though had Stepan chosen to fire, he had a splendid 

 chance at two bears ; but as I was at some distance, 

 he held his hand, apparently from prudential 

 motives. 



When we came back late that evening, empty- 

 handed, to conclude our twenty-four hours of toil 

 with a march of a mile over the bed of the Grolo- 

 vinsk feeling its boulders through our worn 

 mocassins as plainly as if we were barefooted ; the 

 small stones burning into our sore feet like hot 

 irons, while from the big ones we slipped, risking 

 sprains and breakages every other step, and getting 

 clear of the stones only to plunge into the icy 

 stream when we were enduring all this, I might, I 

 think, be forgiven if I said ' Amen ' to the Russian 

 proverb which my wretched guide kept repeating, 

 to the effect that ' the chase is worse than slavery.' 

 It does not say much for the sporting spirit of the 

 Russians that such should be a favourite proverb 

 among them ; but in Stepan's case, where lie had 

 all his share of the toil and none of the enthu- 

 siasm which novelty lent me to keep him up, it 

 was a pardonable sentiment. Poor fellow, it was 



