- Levin wakes up early, but he can't rouse his companions. So he resolves to go hunting by himself. He grabs his gun, and walks to the marshes.
- He and Laska commune as the dog begins flushing snipe from the bushes. What follows is a long descriptive passage of the marshland and Laska's experience hunting with Levin.
- A boy who sees Levin shooting in the marshes runs up and says there were ducks there the day before, a sign of approval that makes Levin so happy that he manages to shoot three snipe, one after another.