“Here I am!” he said, in a cheerful voice. “Oh, is that you, Peter Nikolaevich? Our men are coming.”
“Why is the stable door open?
“Is it? I don’t know anything about it. I say, Proshka, bring the lantern!”
Proshka came with the lantern. They all went to the stable, and Stepan knew at once what had happened.
“Thieves have been here, Peter Nikolaevich,” he said. “The lock is broken.”
“No; you don’t say so!”
“Yes, the brigands! I don’t see ‘Mashka.’ ‘Hawk’ is here. But ‘Beauty’ is not. Nor yet ‘Dapple-grey.’”
Three horses had been stolen!
Peter Nikolaevich did not utter a word at first. He only frowned and took deep breaths.
“Oh,” he said after a while. “If only I could lay hands on them! Who was on guard?”