Page 360 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

match, followed by the red glow and blue smoke of a
cigarette.
‘Tchk! tchk!’ came the snapping sound of Stepan
Arkadyevitch cocking his gun.

‘What’s that cry?’ asked Oblonsky, drawing Levin’s
attention to a prolonged cry, as though a colt were
whinnying in a high voice, in play.
‘Oh, don’t you know it? That’s the hare. But enough
talking! Listen, it’s flying!’ almost shrieked Levin, cocking
his gun.
They heard a shrill whistle in the distance, and in the
exact time, so well known to the sportsman, two seconds
later— another, a third, and after the third whistle the
hoarse, guttural cry could be heard.
Levin looked about him to right and to left, and there,
just facing him against the dusky blue sky above the
confused mass of tender shoots of the aspens, he saw the
flying bird. It was flying straight towards him; the guttural
cry, like the even tearing of some strong stuff, sounded
close to his ear; the long beak and neck of the bird could
be seen, and at the very instant when Levin was taking
aim, behind the bush where Oblonsky stood, there was a
flash of red lightning: the bird dropped like an arrow, and
darted upwards again. Again came the red flash and the

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