One of the horses, a sleek, dark-brown three-year-old, seeing the dog, started away, switched its tail and snorted.

The other horses too were frightened, and splashing through the water with their hobbled legs, and drawing their hoofs out of the thick mud with a squelching sound, they bounded out of the marsh.

Laska stopped, looking ironically at the horses and inquiringly at Levin.

Levin patted Laska, and whistled as a sign that she might begin.