His sheepskin coat was covered with snow mud, the rifle strapped across his back was

broken in half.

Without greeting us, he stumbled to the barkeep and demanded polinka.

What happened to Yosko?

Asked Halshin, his big belly bouncing with laughter, got into a fight with her doggy

ears.

This got a couple of laughs from the men, but as soon as the woodsman turned around, all

the earth disappeared from the room.

Yosko was built like a bull and wore a true woodsman's beard.

Yet, beyond the rough face, plain as day, we could all see, he was terrified.

The woodsman didn't answer, he just swallowed the barkeep's offering, it wasn't until

his second shot that he spoke.

There's something in the woods.

Damn right there's something in the woods, a damn snowstorm, what a fool you are to walk

around in there during the winter, Halshin said.

But fool or not, come join us and let me buy your drink, as soon as someone closes that

damn door, might actually find some warmth here.

Outside, a mighty storm raged in the dying light of the afternoon, peeking out to the

curtains of snow with the outlines of the Magura forest, a forest thick enough to be dangerous

even in the brides of summers.

As the door closed, I quietly took pity on any man who would get lost in that wilderness.

The woodsman took two more helpings of the plenka before he sat down among us, the liquor

...