第290章

第290章thecount,withasmilestilllingeringonhisface,lookedstraightbeforehimalongthepath,anddidnottakeapinchfromthesnuff-boxheheldinhishand.thehounds’crywasfollowedbythebassnoteofthehuntingcryforawolfsoundedondanilo’shorn.thepackjoinedthefirstthreedogs,andthevoicesofthehoundscouldbeheardinfullcrywiththepeculiarnotewhichservestobetokenthattheyareafterawolf.thewhippers-inwerenotnowhallooing,buturgingonthehoundswithcriesof“loo！loo！loo！”andaboveallthevoicesrosethevoiceofdanilo,passingfromadeepnotetopiercingshrillness.danilo’svoiceseemedtofillthewholeforest,topiercebeyondit,andechofarawayintheopencountry.

afterlisteningforafewsecondsinsilence,thecountandhisgroomfeltcertainthatthehoundshaddividedintotwopacks：one,thelarger,wasgoingoffintothedistance,inparticularlyhotcry;theotherpartofthepackwasmovingalongtheforestpastthecount,anditwaswiththispackthatdanilo’svoicewasheardurgingthedogson.thesoundsfrombothpacksmeltedintounisonandbrokeapartagain,butbothweregettingfurtheraway.semyonsighedandstoopeddowntostraightentheleash,inwhichayoungdoghadcaughthisleg.thecounttoosighed,andnoticingthesnuff-boxinhishand,heopeneditandtookapinch.

“back！”criedsemyontothedog,whichhadpokedoutbeyondthebushes.thecountstarted,anddroppedthesnuff-box.nastasyaivanovnagotoffhishorseandbeganpickingitup.

thecountandsemyonwatchedhim.allofasudden,assooftenhappens,thesoundofthehuntwasinaninstantcloseathand,asthoughthebayingdogsanddanilo’scrieswerejustuponthem.

thecountlookedround,andontherighthesawmitka,whowasstaringatthecountwitheyesstartingoutofhishead.liftinghiscap,hepointedinfronttotheotherside.

“lookout！”heshoutedinavoicethatshowedthewordshadlongbeenfrettinghimtobeuttered.andlettinggothedogs,hegallopedtowardsthecount.

thecountandsemyongallopedoutofthebushes,andontheirlefttheysawawolf.withasoft,rollinggaititmovedataslowamblefurthertotheirleftintotheverythicketinwhichtheyhadbeenstanding.theangrydogswhined,andpullingthemselvesfreefromtheleash,flewbythehorses’hoofsafterthewolf.

thewolfpausedinhisflight;awkwardly,likeamanwithaquinsy,heturnedhisheavy-browedheadtowardsthedogs,andstillwiththesamesoft,rollinggaitgaveoneboundandasecond,and,wavingitstail,disappearedintothebushes.atthesameinstant,withacrylikeawail,theresprangdesperatelyoutofthethicketoppositeonehound,thenasecondandathird,andallthepackflewacrosstheopengroundtowardstheveryspotwherethewolfhadvanished.thebusheswerepartedbehindthedogs,anddanilo’sbrownhorse,darkwithsweat,emergedfromthem.onitslongbackdanilosatperchedupandswayingforward.hehadnocaponhisgreyhair,thatflutteredindisorderabovehisred,perspiringface.

“loo！loo！loo！…”hewasshouting.whenhecaughtsightofthecount,therewasaflashlikelightninginhiseyes.

“b—！”heshouted,usingabrutallycoarsetermofabuseandmenacingthecountwithhisliftedwhip.“letthewolfslip！…sportsmenindeed！”andasthoughscorningtowastemorewordsontheconfusedandfrightenedcount,helashedthemoistandheavysidesofhisbrowngeldingwithallthefurythathadbeenreadyforthecount,andflewoffafterthedogs.thecountstoodlikeamanwhohasbeenthrashed,lookingabouthimandtryingtosmileandcallforsemyontosympathisewithhisplight.butsemyonwasnotthere;hehadgallopedroundtocutthewolfofffromtheforest.thegreyhounds,too,wererunningtoandfroonbothsides.butthewolfgotoffintothebushes,andnotoneofthepartyeededincomingacrosshim.