Hania in reality had not even dreamed of tearing me. She asked, for she had a right to ask. Astonished at my silence, she repeated the question. Again I gave no answer. She thought, therefore, that it was pouting continued since morning, and so was silent. CHAPTER VIII. One morning, some days later, the first ruddy light of early dawn came in through a heart cut in the window-shutter, and roused me from sleep. Soon after, some one knocked on the shutter; and in the rosy opening appeared, not the face of Mitskewich's Zosia, who in a similar manner roused Tadeush, nor of my Hania either, but the mustached face of Vah, the forester, and his deep voice cried,-- "Panich!" "What?" "Wolves are following a wolf bitch in the Pohorovy woods. Shall we go to lure them?" "Right away!" I dressed, took my gun and hunter's knife, and went out. Vah was all wet from the morning dew; on his shoulder was a single-barrelled gun, long and rusty, but he never missed aim with this piece. It was early; the sun had not risen yet. People had not gone to their work, nor cattle to pasture. The sky was only colored blue, rosy and golden on the east; on the west it was sombre. The old man hurried in his fashion. "I have a horse and cart. Let us ride to the Pits," said he. We took our seats and drove on. Just beyond the granaries a hare, or rabbit, sprang out of the oats, ran across the road and into the meadow, marking with a darker trace the surface silvered over by dew. "A cat crosses the road!" said the forester; "a charm on a dog!" Then added: "It is late already. The earth will soon get a shadow." This meant that the sun would rise before long, for with the light of dawn bodies cast no shadow. "But is it bad hunting when there are shadows?" asked I. "With long shadows it is passable, but with short ones useless work." In hunter's language this meant that the later the hour, the worse the hunting, for, as is known, the nearer midday the shorter the shadows. "Where shall we begin?" asked I. "At the Pits in the Pohorovy woods." The Pohorovy woods were a part of the forest which was very dense,--that part where "the Pits" were; that is, holes made by the roots of old trees thrown down by storms. "And do you think that luring will succeed?" "I will begin to play as a wolf bitch, perhaps some wolf will come." "But he may not." "Ei! he will come." When we reached Vah's cottage we left the horse and cart, and went forward on foot. After half an hour's walk, when the sun had begun to rise, we sat down in a pit. Round about us was a thicket of impenetrable small growth; only here and there were enormous trees. The pit was so deep that even our heads were concealed in it. "Now back to back!" muttered Vah. We sat back to back; above the surface of the ground appeared only the crowns of our heads and the gun-barrels. "Listen!" said Vah. "I will play."