The
villages are scarce there, and the peasants take good care to keep
all their beasts in shelter, so no doubt they are able to pick up
more at the edge of the forest here."
"How far are we from the Russian frontier?"
"I do not think anyone could tell you. For aught I know, we may be
in Russia now. These forests are a sort of no man's land, and I
don't suppose any line of frontier has ever been marked. It is
Russia to the east of this forest, some thirty miles away, and it
is Poland to the west of it. The forest is no good to anyone except
the charcoal burners. I have met both Russians and Poles in the
wood, and, as there is plenty of room for all--ay, and would be
were there a thousand to every one now working in it--they are on
friendly terms with each other, especially as the two nations are,
at present, allied against Sweden."
In spite of the wolves, Charlie continued his walks in the forest,
accompanied always by Stanislas. Both carried axes and pistols,
and, although Charlie had heard many tales of solitary men, and
even of vehicles, being attacked by the wolves in broad daylight,
he believed that most of the stories were exaggerations, and that
the chances of two men being attacked in daylight were small,
indeed.
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