"I am full of poison up to my throat. For days and days I had nothing else to drink; it has been my only food."
Lenz went to the kitchen and returned with an axe.
"What do you mean to do?" screamed Annele, holding the child as a shield before her.
"Out of my way!" he cried, and raising the axe brought it down with all his force against the door, which fell outward. It was indeed Bubby, who now sprang in howling, but in an instant was back again scratching in the snow, and uttering short, sharp barks.
Lenz began to shovel away the snow. A piece of fur soon came to view, and laying shovel and pick aside, he set carefully to work, digging with his hands, and bringing the snow into the house in order to clear a space. When he found his uncle, the old man's consciousness was gone. All Lenz's strength was required to drag his seemingly lifeless body out of the snow. He bore him into the chamber, stripped off his clothing, put him to bed, and began rubbing him with all his might, till he at last drew a deep breath.
"Where am I?" groaned Petrovitsch; "where am I?"
"In my house, uncle."
"Who brought me here? who took off my clothes? where are my clothes? where is my fur? where is my waistcoat? it has my keys in it. So you have me at last, have you?"
"Be calm, uncle; I will find everything for you. See, here is your fur, and here is your waistcoat."
"Let me have them. Are the keys in the pocket? yes, there they are. Ha, Bubby, are you here too?"