The horse gave a start and quickly climbed out onto the frozen bank. It was evidently a ditch that had been dug there.

“Where are we now?” asked Vasíli Andréevich.

“We’ll soon find out!” Nikíta replied. “Go on, we’ll get somewhere.”

“Why, this must be the Goryáchkin forest!” said Vasíli Andréevich, pointing to something dark that appeared amid the snow in front of them.

“We’ll see what forest it is when we get there,” said Nikíta.