第295章

第295章“whichwayisitshead？”askednikolay,afterridingahundredpacestowardsthegroom.butbeforethegroomhadtimetoanswer,thehare,whohadbeensniffinginthegroundthefrostcomingnextmorning,leaptupfromitssquattingposture.thepackofhoundsonleashesflewbayingdownhillafterthehare;theharriers,whowerenotonleash,rushedfromallsidestowardsthehoundsorafterthehare.thewhippers-in,whohadbeenmovingsodeliberately,gallopedoverthecountrygettingthedogstogether,withshoutsof“stop！”whilethehuntsmendirectedtheircoursewithshoutsof“o…o…ahoy！”nikolay,natasha,andtheuncleandilagin,whohadbeenhithertosocomposed,flewahead,recklessofhoworwheretheywent,seeingnothingbutthedogsandthehare,andafraidofnothingbutlosingsightforaninstantofthecourse.thehareturnedouttobeafleetandstrongone.whenhejumpeduphedidnotatonceraceoff,butcockeduphisears,listeningtotheshoutsandtrampofhoofs,thatcamefromallsidesatonce.hetookadozenboundsnotveryswiftly,lettingthedogsgainonhim,butatlastchoosinghisdirection,andgraspinghisdanger,heputhisearsback,anddashedoffatfullspeed.hehadbeencrouchinginthestubble,butthegreenfieldwasinfrontofhim,andthereitwasmarshyground.thetwodogsofthegroomwhohadstartedhimwerethenearestandthefirsttobeonthescentafterhim.buttheyhadnotgotnearhim,whenilagin’sblackandtanyerzaflewaheadofthem,gotwithinayard,pouncedonhimwithfearfulswiftness,aimingatthehare’stail,androlledover,thinkingshehadholdofhim.theharearchedhisback,andboundedoffmorenimblythanever.thebroad-backed,blackandtanmilkaflewaheadofyerza,andbeganrapidlygainingonthehare.

“milashka！littlemother！”nikolayshoutedtriumphantly.milkaseemedonthepointofpouncingonthehare,butsheovertookhimandflewbeyond.theharedoubledback.againthegracefulyerzadashedathim,andkeptclosetothehare’stail,asthoughmeasuringthedistance,soasnottomissgettingholdofthehare,bythehaunchthistime.

“yerzinka,littlesister！”wailedilagin,inavoiceunlikehisown.yerzadidnotheedhisappeals.attheverymomentwhensheseemedabouttoseizethehare,hedoubledanddartedawaytotheditchbetweenthestubbleandthegreenfield.againyerzaandmilka,runningsidebyside,likeapairofhorses,flewafterthehare;theharewasbetteroffintheditch,thedogscouldnotgainonhimsoquickly.

“rugay！rugayushka！forward—quickmarch,”anothervoiceshoutedthistime.andrugay,theuncle’sred,broad-shouldereddog,stretchingoutandcurvinghisback,caughtupthetwoforemostdogs,pushedaheadofthem,flunghimselfwithcompleteself-abandonmentrightonthehare,turnedhimoutoftheditchintothegreenfield,flunghimselfstillmoreviciouslyonhimoncemore,sinkinguptohiskneesintheswampyground,andallthatcouldbeseenwasthedogrollingoverwiththehare,coveringhisbackwithmud.thedogsformedastar-shapedfigureroundhim.amomentlaterallthepartypulledtheirhorsesuproundthecrowdingdogs.theunclealonedismountedinaraptureofdelight,andcuttingoffthefeet,shakingthehareforthebloodtodripoff,helookedabouthim,hiseyesrestlesswithexcitement,andhishandsandlegsmovingnervously.hewentontalking,regardlessofwhatortowhomhespoke.“that’ssomethinglike,quickmarch…there’sadogforyou…heoutstrippedthemall…iftheycostathousandortheycostarouble…forward,quickmarch,andnomistake！”hekeptsaying,pantingandlookingwrathfullyabouthim,asthoughhewereabusingsomeone,asthoughtheyhadallbeenhisenemies,hadinsultedhim,andhehadonlynowatlasteededinpayingthemout.“somuchforyourthousandroubledogs—forward,quickmarch！rugay,here’sthefoot,”hesaid,droppingthedogthehare’smuddyfoot,whichhehadjustcutoff;“you’vedeservedit—forward,quickmarch！”

“sheworeherselfout—ranitdownthreetimesallalone,”nikolaywassaying,listeningtonoone,andheedlesswhetherhewereheardornot.

“tobesure,cuttinginsidewayslikethat！”ilagin’sgroomwassaying.

“why,whenithadbeenmissedlikethat,andoncedown,anyyard-dogcouldcatchitofcourse,”saidilagin,atthesamemoment,redandbreathlessfromthegallopandtheexcitement.atthesametimenatasha,withouttakingbreath,gaveventtoherdelightandexcitementinashrieksoshrillthatitseteveryone’searstingling.inthatshrieksheexpressedjustwhattheotherswereexpressingbytalkingallatonce.andhershriekwassostrangethatshemusthavebeenashamedofthatwildscream,andtheothersmusthavebeensurprisedatitatanyothertime.theunclehimselftwistedupthehare,flunghimneatlyandsmartlyacrosshishorse’sback,seemingtoreproachthemallbythisgesture,andwithanairofnotcaringtospeaktoanyone,hemountedhisbayandrodeaway.allbuthe,dispiritedanddisappointed,rodeon,anditwassometimebeforetheycouldrecovertheirpreviousaffectationofindifference.foralongtimeaftertheystaredatthereddog,rugay,whowithhisroundbackspatteredwithmud,andclinkingtheringsofhisleash,walkedwiththesereneairofaconquerorbehindtheuncle’shorse.

“i’mlikealltheresttillit’saquestionofcoursingahare;butthenyouhadbetterlookout！”waswhatnikolayfanciedthedog’sairexpressed.

whentheunclerodeuptonikolayagooddeallater,andaddressedaremarktohim,hefeltflatteredattheuncle’sdeigningtospeaktohimafterwhathadhappened.