and sisters. He sprang up as if he meant to
jump, but the girl shrieked and held him back.
It was even then too late. The black ground-
shadows were already crowding over the heap
in the road, and one horse ran out across the
fields, his harness hanging to him, wolves at
his heels. But the groom's movement had
given Pavel an idea.

They were within a few miles of their village
now. The only sledge left out of six was not
very far behind them, and Pavel's middle
horse was failing. Beside a frozen pond some-
thing happened to the other sledge; Peter saw
it plainly. Three big wolves got abreast of the
horses, and the horses went crazy. They tried
to jump over each other, got tangled up in the
harness, and overturned the sledge.

When the shrieking behind them died away,
Pavel realized that he was alone upon the fa-
miliar road. "They still come?" he asked Peter.

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Twenty, thirty -- enough."

Now his middle horse was being almost
dragged by the other two. Pavel gave Peter
the reins and stepped carefully into the back
of the sledge. He called to the groom that

[[66]]

p065 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p066w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p067

v?