"What are we to do, then?"
"Wait a moment!" and again Nikita was off: very shortly he came back.
"Hold on to me and come in front of the horse!"
Vasily Andreich henceforth gave no more orders, but meekly did everything which Nikita bade him do.
"Come after me!" bawled Nikita, moving quickly to the right, at the same time seizing Brownie by his bridle and leading him towards the snow-drift. At first the horse resisted, but presently it pulled itself together and made a great effort to leap across the snow-drift, but it could not clear it, and sank in the snow up to its collar. "Get out!" cried Nikita to Vasily Andreich, who had continued sitting in the sledge; and seizing one of the shafts, he began to push the sledge after the horse. "'Tis a little bit difficult, my brother!" said he turning towards Brownie, "but we must put our shoulders to the wheel and do the best we can. Come now! just a wee bit more!" he shouted. Once more the horse exerted itself, and once again, but all the same it did not move from the spot, and indeed sank down again. It moved its ears about, sniffed at the snow, and lowered its head as if it were meditating something. "How now, brother! not so easy, is it?" cried Nikita encouragingly. "Come along, one more try!" and again Nikita pushed away at the shaft on his own side, and Vasily Andreich did the same on the other. The horse shook its head, and then suddenly put forth all its strength again.
"Look there! you do not stick fast after all you see!" shouted Nikita.
45
