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successful," said Levin, who, at the same time, had a sense of

envy that he had not succeeded in shooting the snipe

"It was a bad shot fro his gun "Shit's flying!"

The shrill whistles rapidly following one another were heard

again Two snipe, playing and chasing one another, and only

whistling, not crying, flew straight at the very heads of the

sportsmen There was the report of four shots, and like ss

the snipe turned swift soht

The stand-shooting was capital Stepan Arkadyevitch shot two

an

to get dark Venus, bright and silvery, shone with her soft

light lon in the west behind the birch trees, and high up in

the east twinkled the red lights of Arcturus Over his head

Levin ain

The snipe had ceased flying; but Levin resolved to stay a little

longer, till Venus, which he saw below a branch of birch, should

be above it, and the stars of the Great Bear should be perfectly

plain Venus had risen above the branch, and the ear of the

Great Bear with its shaft was now all plainly visible against the

dark blue sky, yet still he waited