Would you care to hear about it?
We're not fond of each other, but after the steer-drivers I've been herding with, it's a relief to talk to a man of moderate intelligence." "Go on," said Winston.
"Well," said Courthorne, "when the trooper was close behind me, my horse went through the ice, but somehow I crawled out.

We were almost across the river, and it was snowing fast, while I had a fancy that I might have saved the horse, but, as the troopers would probably have seen a mounted man, I let him go.

The stream sucked him under, and, though you may not believe it, I felt very mean when I saw nothing but the hole in the ice.

Then, as the troopers didn't seem inclined to cross, I went on through the snow, and, as it happened, blundered across Jardine's old shanty.

There was still a little prairie hay in the place, and I lay in it until morning, dragging fresh armfuls around me as I burnt it in the stove.