s, they bore all
the nuisance of the swine, and hastened on their way.

Tim awoke a little time after the swine had been carried away, and being
quite drowsy clean forgot what he had done with her.

"Wife! wife!" cried he, jogging his bedfellow on the side with his elbow,
"where did we hide the swine?"

"How long is it," said she, "since you asked me that? Did I not tell you
that she lies on the petsch in the night-gown?"

"When did you tell me that?" cried he.

"Not long ago," said she; "but no doubt you were drowsy."

"Now, farewell to our swine!" said Tim. "No doubt they have taken her
away." And springing from the bed he ran into the kitchen, but found no
swine upon the petsch. Tim felt his knees quake under him. But the
prospect of living with the thieves, as their slave, compelled him to
cast aside all useless despondency, and to seek a remedy for the
misfortune. Flinging himself upon his horse he galloped off in the hope
of overtaking the travelling swine, in which he succeeded. He came up
with the party just as they were entering the wood, and rode gently after
them; the night, which was exceedingly dark, preventing the thieves from
seeing him. By this time they were excessively weary, and wishing to
take some rest, they flung the swine upon the ground in a rage, and one
of them said:

"What a weight! It's enough to kill one. Yet one must not mind toiling
when two hundred roubles are at stake."

Quoth the other: "I would almost give up the roubles for a horse or
something to carry this load of carrion for us."

Meanwhile, Tim, leading his horse some way aside, tied it to a tree, then
drawing softly nigh he began to make a jingling with the bridle and
stirrups which he had taken off the horse. One of the thieves hearing
the jingling said:

"Listen, brother! some horse is going about entangled in its harness."

As Tim still continued jingling, one of them fully persuaded that there
was a horse close at hand set off to catch it, whilst the other rested
himself sitting close by the swine. Tim moved on before the thief, who
followed, expecting every moment to lay his hand upon the strayed horse.
Imperceptibly he led him to a great distance, and then leaving him
hurried back to the other. When he was not more than twenty yards from
him he stopped and cried:

"Pray, brother, come and help me to untie this accursed brute."

The fellow, imagining that it was his brother, got up to help him,
s