"It is true, you are right," said Stepan.
"Look here, dear Stepan," said Alf, clasping the man's rough brown hand in both of his. "Thou art so good to us, we cannot but love thee, and father will love thee too when we tell him all. Take thou the horse and sledge for thy journey, and then afterwards bring them back to the factory; and we, in our father's name, promise thee a welcome, and that all shall be forgotten save thy goodness to us. Sharik can easily carry my brother and me; and so we shall run away both with horse and pony, and Red-scar, if he chase us, must do it on his own splay feet. Say, Stepan, shall it not be so?"
The man's brown eyes grew moist. He raised the boy's hand to his lips.
"Yes, little sir, if God please, it shall be even so," he said.
More loud than ever was Gavril's snoring when the sledge glided noiselessly away over the snow through the wood, with Sharik trotting nimbly behind, making nothing of his double burden.
Until they reached the edge of the forest, their way lay in the same direction, but there the roads diverged.
"That is your route, my children," said Stepan, pointing across the snowy landscape, "and this is mine. Good-bye. God be with you."
With these words he was turning away, when both boys called out, "Wait one moment!"
And as he reined up, Alf guided the pony close to the sledge, and the lads threw their arms round the man's neck and kissed him.
"Nay, Stepan," said Alf, as the poor fellow gave a great sob, "thou must not weep. We shall (for God is so good) soon see thy face again. Look forward to a welcome from us who love thee."