SPRING THAW DIFFICULTIES 253 



ground again. We suggested that the driver should 

 wade into the water, detach the horses from the 

 drosky, and then, with the aid of the horses, try to 

 pull it out of the water backwards ; but he failed 

 to see the matter in the same light. Indeed, he 

 attempted to drive the horses through the water, 

 nearly drowning one of the team and jeopardising the 

 safety of our luggage. He then tried to undo the 

 traces by standing on the shafts, but, failing again, 

 essayed to turn the horses round, nearly capsizing the 

 vehicle in the attempt. After that we called a halt 

 and pointed out to him that th'e only possible course 

 was the one we had suggested, and that he himself, 

 as the author of all our woe, was the right and 

 proper person to go into the water and free the 

 horses. Very reluctantly he fell in with our views 

 and waded waist deep, detaching the horses and 

 leading them out one by one. He then hitched the 

 rope to the back of the sledge and pulled, while I 

 took hold of the horses' heaids. The drosky gave a 

 lurch, there was a splash, and it was out again. The 

 driver removed his tall boots a,nd poured out the 

 water. He wore no stockings, his legs and feet 

 being swathed in strips of calico. These he wrung 

 out and squeezed, and was on the point of replacing, 

 when we discovered that we had a pair of spare 

 valenki which were only wet on the outside. These 

 we gave him to put on. We decided to leave that 

 particular pool severely alone and drive round it, but 

 we had not proceeded very far when we arrived at 

 another and considerably more formidable one. We 

 tried to find a wa:y round it but without success. 

 There being nothing for it we made up our minds to 

 drive through it, my companion leading the procession 

 on horseback to ascertain the depth of the water, and 

 the drosky following respectfully in the rear. The 

 night had fallen and the darkness was intense. Flocks 



