carouse, he would work himself into & frenzy. At such times the crack
of the whip could be heard in the house, with the frightened, painful
pounding of the horse's hoofs upon the board floor of the barn. For
beating the horse his master would beat Yanson, but then, finding that
he could not be reformed, paid no more attention to him.

Once or twice a month Yanson became intoxicated, usually on those days
when he took his master to the large railroad station, where there was
a refreshment bar. After leaving his master at the station, he would
drive off about half a verst away, and there, stalling the sled and
the horse in the snow on the side of the road, he would wait until the
train had gone. The sled would stand sideways, almost overturned, the
horse standing with widely spread legs up to his belly in a snowbank,
from time to time lowering his head to lick the soft, downy snow,
while Yanson would recline in an awkward position in the sled as if
dozing away. The unfastened ear-lappets of his worn fur cap would hang
down like the ears of a setter, and the moist sweat would stand under
his little reddish nose.

Soon he would return to the station, and would quickly become
intoxicated.

On his way back to the farm, the whole ten versts, he would drive at a
fast gallop. The little horse, driven to madness by the whip, would
rear, as if possessed by a demon; the sled would sway, almost
overturn, striking against poles, and Yanson, letting the reins go,
would half sing, half exclaim abrupt, meaningless phrases in
Esthonian. But more often he would not sing, but with his teeth
gritted together in an onrush of unspeakable rage, suffering and
delight, he would drive silently on as though blind. He would not