’Thereisnothingelseforit，’thoughthe。’ImustdragonaslongasIhaveanystrengthleft。IfIsitdown，Ishan’tbeabletoriseagain。Ican’treachthefortress；butwhendaybreaksI’llliedownintheforest，remainthereallday，andgoonagainatnight。’
　　Hewentonallnight。TwoTartarsonhorsebackpassedhim；butheheardthemalongwayoff，andhidbehindatree。
　　Themoonbegantogrowpaler，thedewtofall。Itwasgettingneardawn，andZhí；linhadnotreachedtheendoftheforest。
　　’Well，’thoughthe，’I’llwalkanotherthirtysteps，andthenturninamongthetreesandsitdown。’
　　Hewalkedanotherthirtysteps，andsawthathewasattheendoftheforest。Hewenttotheedge；itwasnowquitelight，andstraightbeforehimwastheplainandthefortress。Totheleft，quitecloseatthefootoftheslope，afirewasdyingout，andthesmokefromitspreadround。Thereweremengatheredaboutthefire。
　　Helookedintently，andsawgunsglistening。Theyweresoldiers——Cossacks！
　　Zhí；linwasfilledwithjoy。Hecollectedhisremainingstrengthandsetoffdownthehill，sayingtohimself:’GodforbidthatanymountedTartarshouldseemenow，intheopenfield！NearasIam，Icouldnotgetthereintime。’
　　Hardlyhadhesaidthiswhen，acoupleofhundredyardsoff，onahillocktotheleft，hesawthreeTartars。
　　Theysawhimalsoandmadearush。Hisheartsank。Hewavedhishands，andshoutedwithallhismight，’Brothers，brothers！
　　Help！’
　　TheCossacksheardhim，andapartyofthemonhorsebackdartedtocutacrosstheTartars’path。TheCossackswerefarandtheTartarswerenear；butZhí；lin，too，madealasteffort。
　　Liftingtheshackleswithhishand，herantowardstheCossacks，hardlyknowingwhathewasdoing，crossinghimselfandshouting，’Brothers！
　　Brothers！Brothers！’
　　ThereweresomefifteenCossacks。TheTartarswerefrightened，andstoppedbeforereachinghim。ZhilinstaggereduptotheCossacks。
　　Theysurroundedhimandbeganquestioninghim。’Whoareyou？Whatareyou？Wherefrom？
　　ButZhí；linwasquitebesidehimself，andcouldonlyweepandrepeat，’Brothers！Brothers！’
　　ThenthesoldierscamerunningupandcrowdedroundZhí；lin——
　　onegivinghimbread，anotherbuckwheat，athirdvó；dka:onewrappingacloakroundhim，anotherbreakinghisshackles。
　　Theofficersrecognizedhim，androdewithhimtothefortress。Thesoldiersweregladtoseehimback，andhiscomradesallgatheredroundhim。
　　Zhí；lintoldthemallthathadhappenedtohim。
　　’That’sthewayIwenthomeandgotmarried！’saidhe。’No。Itseemsplainthatfatewasagainstit！’
　　SohewentonservingintheCaucasus。AmonthpassedbeforeKostí；linwasreleased，afterpayingfivethousandroublesransom。Hewasalmostdeadwhentheybroughthimback。
　　[TheadventureherenarratedisonethathappenedtoTolstoyhimselfin1858。Morethantwentyyearslaterhegaveuphunting，onhumanitariangrounds。]
　　WEwereoutonabear-huntingexpedition。Mycomradehadshotatabear，butonlygavehimaflesh-wound。Thereweretracesofbloodonthesnow，butthebearhadgotaway。
　　Weallcollectedinagroupintheforest，todecidewhetherweoughttogoafterthebearatonce，orwaittwoorthreedaystillheshouldsettledownagain。Weaskedthepeasantbear-driverswhetheritwouldbepossibletogetroundthebearthatday。
　　’No。It’simpossible，’saidanoldbear-driver。’Youmustletthebearquietdown。Infivedays’timeitwillbepossibletosurroundhim；butifyoufollowedhimnow，youwouldonlyfrightenhimaway，andhewouldnotsettledown。’
　　Butayoungbear-driverbegandisputingwiththeoldman，sayingthatitwasquitepossibletogetroundthebearnow。
　　’Onsuchsnowasthis，’saidhe，’hewon’tgofar，forheisafatbear。
　　Hewillsettledownbeforeevening；or，ifnot，Icanovertakehimonsnowshoes。’
　　ThecomradeIwaswithwasagainstfollowingupthebear，andadvisedwaiting。ButIsaid:
　　’Weneednotargue。Youdoasyoulike，butIwillfollowupthetrackwithDamian。Ifwegetroundthebear，allright。Ifnot，welosenothing。Itisstillearly，andthereisnothingelseforustodoto-day。’
　　Soitwasarranged。
　　Theotherswentbacktothesledges，andreturnedtothevillage。DamianandItooksomebread，andremainedbehindintheforest。
　　Whentheyhadallleftus，DamianandIexaminedourguns，andaftertuckingtheskirtsofourwarmcoatsintoourbelts，westartedoff，followingthebear’stracks。
　　Theweatherwasfine，frostyandcalm；butitwashardworksnow-shoeing。
　　Thesnowwasdeepandsoft:ithadnotcakedtogetheratallintheforest，andfreshsnowhadfallenthedaybefore，sothatoursnow-shoessanksixinchesdeepinthesnow，andsometimesmore。
　　Thebear’strackswerevisiblefromadistance，andwecouldseehowhehadbeengoing；sometimessinkinginuptohisbellyandploughingupthesnowashewent。Atfirst，whileunderlargetrees，wekeptinsightofhistrack；butwhenitturnedintoathicketofsmallfirs，Damianstopped。
　　’Wemustleavethetrailnow，’saidhe。’Hehasprobablysettledsomewherehere。Youcanseebythesnowthathehasbeensquattingdown。Letusleavethetrackandgoround；butwemustgoquietly。Don’tshoutorcough，orweshallfrightenhimaway。’
　　Leavingthetrack，therefore，weturnedofftotheleft。Butwhenwehadgoneaboutfivehundredyards，therewerethebear’stracesagainrightbeforeus。Wefollowedthem，andtheybroughtusoutontotheroad。Therewestopped，examiningtheroadtoseewhichwaythebearhadgone。Hereandthereinthesnowwereprintsofthebear’spaw，clawsandall，andhereandtherethemarksofapeasant’sbarkshoes。Thebearhadevidentlygonetowardsthevillage。
　　Aswefollowedtheroad，Damiansaid:
　　’It’snousewatchingtheroadnow。Weshallseewherehehasturnedoff，torightorleft，bythemarksinthesoftsnowattheside。Hemusthaveturnedoffsomewhere；forhewon’thavegoneontothevillage。’
　　Wewentalongtheroadfornearlyamile，andthensaw，aheadofus，thebear’strackturningofftheroad。Weexaminedit。
　　Howstrange！Itwasabear’strackrightenough，onlynotgoingfromtheroadintotheforest，butfromtheforestontotheroad！
　　Thetoeswerepointingtowardstheroad。
　　’Thismustbeanotherbear，’Isaid。
　　Damianlookedatit，andconsideredawhile。
　　’No，’saidhe。’It’sthesameone。He’sbeenplayingtricks，andwalkedbackwardswhenhelefttheroad。’
　　Wefollowedthetrack，andfounditreallywasso！Thebearhadgonesometenstepsbackwards，andthen，behindafirtree，hadturnedroundandgonestraightahead。Damianstoppedandsaid:
　　’Now，wearesuretogetroundhim。Thereisamarshaheadofus，andhemusthavesettleddownthere。Letusgoroundit。’
　　Webegantomakeourwayround，throughafirthicket。Iwastiredoutbythistime，andithadbecomestillmoredifficulttogetalong。NowIglidedontojuniperbushesandcaughtmysnow-shoesinthem，nowatinyfirtreeappearedbetweenmyfeet，or，fromwantofpractise，mysnow-shoesslippedoff；andnowIcameuponastumporaloghiddenbythesnow。Iwasgettingverytired，andwasdrenchedwithperspiration；andItookoffmyfurcloak。AndtherewasDamianallthetime，glidingalongasifinaboat，hissnowshoesmovingasifoftheirownaccord，nevercatchingagainstanything，norslippingoff。Heeventookmyfurandslungitoverhisshoulder，andstillkepturgingmeon。
　　Wewentonfortwomoremiles，andcameoutontheothersideofthemarsh。Iwaslaggingbehind。Mysnow-shoeskeptslippingoff，andmyfeetstumbled。SuddenlyDamian，whowasaheadofme，stoppedandwavedhisarm。WhenIcameuptohim，hebentdown，pointingwithhishand，andwhispered:
　　’Doyouseethemagpiechatteringabovethatundergrowth？Itscentsthebearfromafar。Thatiswherehemustbe。’
　　Weturnedoffandwentonformorethananotherhalf-mile，andpresentlywecameontotheoldtrackagain。Wehad，therefore，beenrightroundthebearwhowasnowwithinthetrackwehadleft。Westopped，andItookoffmycapandloosenedallmyclothes。Iwasashotasinasteambath，andaswetasadrownedrat。Damiantoowasflushed，andwipedhisfacewithhissleeve。
　　’Well，sir，’hesaid，’wehavedoneourjob，andnowwemusthavearest。’
　　Theeveningglowalreadyshowedredthroughtheforest。Wetookoffoursnow-shoesandsatdownonthem，andgotsomebreadandsaltoutofourbags。FirstIatesomesnow，andthensomebread；andthebreadtastedsogood，thatIthoughtIhadneverinmylifehadanylikeitbefore。Wesatthererestinguntilitbegantogrowdusk，andthenIaskedDamianifitwasfartothevillage。
　　’Yes，’hesaid。’Itmustbeabouteightmiles。Wewillgoonthereto-night，butnowwemustrest。Putonyourfurcoat，sir，oryou’llbecatchingcold。’
　　Damianflatteneddownthesnow，andbreakingoffsomefirbranchesmadeabedofthem。Welaydownsidebyside，restingourheadsonourarms。IdonotrememberhowIfellasleep。TwohourslaterIwokeup，hearingsomethingcrack。