"Not many of the enemy, it seems," I said to him, wishing to obtain his
opinion about the affair.
"The enemy," he repeated with surprise, "there weren't any at all. Do
you call these enemies?... Here when evening comes, you will see how we
shall retreat; you will see how they will go with us! Won't they show
themselves there?" he added, pointing with his pipe to the forest which
we had passed in the morning.
"What is that?" I asked anxiously, interrupting the captain, and
drawing his attention to some Don Cossacks who were grouped around some
one not far from us.
Among them was heard something like the weeping of a child, and the
words,--
"Eh! don't cut--hold on--you will be seen--here's a knife--give him the
knife."
"They are up to some mischief, the brutes," said the captain
indifferently.
But at this very instant, suddenly from around the corner came the
handsome ensign with burning, horror-stricken face, and waving his
hands rushed among the Cossacks.
"Don't you move! don't kill him!" he cried in his boyish treble.
When the Cossacks saw the officer they started back, and allowed a
little white goat to escape from their hands. The young ensign was
wholly taken aback, began to mutter something, and stood before them
full of confusion. When he caught sight of the captain and me on the
roof, he grew still redder in the face, and springing up the steps
joined us.
"I thought they were going to kill a child," he said with a timid
smile.