red it with snow.

'Now we will set up a signal,' said Nikita, and turning the front of the
sledge to the wind he tied the shafts together with a strap and set them
up on end in front of the sledge. 'There now, when the snow covers us
up, good folk will see the shafts and dig us out,' he said, slapping his
mittens together and putting them on. 'That's what the old folk taught
us!'

Vasili Andreevich meanwhile had unfastened his coat, and holding its
skirts up for shelter, struck one sulphur match after another on the
steel box. But his hands trembled, and one match after another either
did not kindle or was blown out by the wind just as he was lifting it to
the cigarette. At last a match did burn up, and its flame lit up for
a moment the fur of his coat, his hand with the gold ring on the bent
forefinger, and the snow-sprinkled oat-straw that stuck out from under
the drugget. The cigarette lighted, he eagerly took a whiff or two,
inhaled the smoke, let it out through his moustache, and would have
inhaled again, but the wind tore off the burning tobacco and whirled it
away as it had done the straw.

But even these few puffs had cheered him.

'If we must spend the night here, we must!' he said with decision. 'Wait
a bit, I'll arrange a flag as well,' he added, picking up the kerchief
which he had thrown down in the sledge after taking it from round his
collar, and drawing off his gloves and standing up on the front of
the sledge and stretching himself to reach the strap, he tied the
handkerchief to it with a tight knot.

The kerchief immediately began to flutter wildly, now clinging round the
shaft, now suddenly streaming out, stretching and flapping.

'Just see what a fine flag!' said Vasili Andreevich, admiring his
handiwork and letting himself down into the sledge. 'We should be warmer
together, but there's not room enough for two,' he added.

'I'll find a place,' said Nikita. 'But I must cover up the horse
first--he sweated so, poor thing. Let go!' he added, drawing the drugget
from under Vasili Andreevich.

Having got the drugget he folded it in two, and after taking off the
breechband and pad, covered Mukhorty with it.

'Anyhow it will be warmer, silly!' he said, putting back the breechband
and the pad on the horse over the drugget. Then having finished that
business he returned to the sledge, and addressing Vasili Andreevich,
said: 'You won't need the sackcloth, will you? And let me have some
straw.'