VII
I SLEPT soundly and probably long, but suddenly it seemed that something jostled me and I found myself sitting up bent on one side. Still half asleep, I wanted to right myself, but noticed that something shoved me back. There was howling all around—what had happened? I wanted to see, but I had nothing to see with, for my eyes would not open. I called to my savage.
"Hi, you, friend! Where are you?"
He shouted into my very ear:
"Wake up, Bachka, wake up quickly! You'll freeze."
"What has happened? I can't open my eyes."
"Directly, Bachka, you'll open them."
And with these words—what do you think he did? He spat in my eyes and then rubbed them with the sleeve of his reindeer coat.
"What are you about?"
"Rubbing your eyes, Bachka."
"Get along, you fool. . . ."
"No, wait a moment, Bachka—I'm not a fool. You'll soon see again."
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