servants had already got hold of me and thrown a rope round my neck;
but I implored him to have mercy, said that I would wait for the debt
as long as he might choose, and even promised to lend him more money as
soon as he helps me to have my accounts settled with the other knights.
Because that gentleman ensign--I'll tell the whole truth to the lord
colonel--has not a single ducat in his pocket, although he has farms,
and manors, and castles, and plenty of pasture land; but as for coins,
he has no more of them than a Cossack. Even now, had not the Jews of
Breslau equipped him, he could not have gone to the war. That was the
very reason of his not having been at the _Ssiem_."[30] "What didst
thou, then, in the town; hast thou seen any of ours?"
"Of course I did; there are many of ours:--Itska, Rakhoom, Ssamuïlo,
Khaïvalkh, the Jew-farmer"--
"Curses on them, unbelieving dogs!" shrieked Tarass, growing angry;
"why art thou calling over to me thy Jewish stock! I ask thee about our
Zaporoghians."
"I've not seen our Zaporoghians. I've only seen my lord Andrew."
"Thou hast seen Andrew?" cried Tarass; "what of him? where didst thou
see him? in some dungeon? in some cave? dishonoured? fettered?"
"Who would ever dare to fetter my lord Andrew? he is now such a
knight--by Heavens, I hardly recognised him! His coat all over gold,
his belt all gold--yes, all over gold and everywhere gold; just like
the sun, as it shines in spring when every bird is chirping and singing
in the gardens, and every blade of grass is fragrant, thus is he all
shining bright with gold; and the steed that the voevoda has given him,
is the best riding horse one ever saw: the steed alone is worth two
hundred ducats!"
Boolba was astounded. "Why did he put on this strange dress?"
"Because it was better than his own; that's why he put it on. And he is
riding about, and others are riding about, and he is teaching others,
and others are teaching him--just like the most important Polish lord."
"And who constrained him to do this?"
"I am not saying that anybody put any constraint on him. Does not your
lordship know, then, that he went over to them of his own free will?"
"Who went over?"
"My lord Andrew."
"To whom is he gone over?"
"To the other side; he is now quite theirs."
"Thou liest, hog!"
"How can it be that I should lie? Am I a fool to lie? Will I lie at the
risk of my own head? Do I not know that if a Jew happen to lie to a
lord, he will be hanged like a dog?"
"So thou sayest that he has sold his native country and his faith?"
"I did not say that he had sold anything; I am only saying that he has
passed over to the other side."
"Thou liest, cursed Jew! such a thing never happened in a Christian
land! Thou mockest me, cursed dog!"
"May grass grow on the threshold of my house if I lie! May every one
spit on the tomb of my father, on that of my mother, on those of my
father-in-law, of the father of my father, of the father of my mother,
if I lie! If your lordship wishes, I'll even say why he went over to
them."
"Why, then?"
"The voevoda's daughter is a beauty. Heavens! what a beauty!" and the
Jew endeavoured as well as he could to express her beauty in his face,
stretching his hands asunder, twinkling one of his eyes, and writhing
his mouth on one side, as if he had tasted something good.
"Well, then, what of that?"
"That is the reason of all his doings and of his passing over. Because
if a man becomes enamoured he is just like the sole of a boot, which,
if it becomes once soaked in water, may be stretched and bent as much
as one wishes."
Boolba fell into a deep reverie. He remembered that such is the power
of a weak woman that many mighty men perish by it, that Andrew was very
vulnerable on that point--and long did he remain as if riveted to the
same spot.
"Hear me, your lordship, I'll tell your lordship all," proceeded the
Jew; "just as I heard the noise and saw the troops entering the town
gate, I caught up, at all events, a string of pearls, because in the
town there are many beauties and noble ladies; and wherever there are
beauties and noble ladies, said I to myself, even if they have nothing
to eat, they will nevertheless buy finery. And as soon as the servants
of the ensign had let me go, I ran to the voevoda's courtyard to
sell my pearls. I learned everything from a Tartar servant-maid: the
marriage will take place as soon as the Zaporoghians are driven away.
My lord Andrew has promised to drive the Zaporoghians away."
"And thou didst not kill him on the spot, the devil's son?" shrieked
Boolba.
"Why should I have killed him? He went to the Poles of his own good
will. What harm is there? He found himself better off there, so there
he went."
"And didst thou see him in person?"
"By Heaven, I did! Such a fine warrior! The best of all. May Heaven
grant health to him! He knew me in a moment, and as I passed near him
he at once said to me"--
"What did he say?"
"He said--no, he first beckoned to me, and then afterwards said to me,
'Yankel!' and I said, 'My lord Andrew!' 'Yankel, tell my father, tell
my brother, tell the Cossacks, tell the Zaporoghians, tell every one,
that my father is no more a father to me, that my brother is no more my
brother, my comrades no more my comrades; and that I will fight against
them: against every one of them will I fight!'"
"Thou liest, Judas!" shrieked Tarass, beside himself with rage; "Thou
liest, dog I Thou hast crucified Christ--man accursed by Heaven! I will
kill thee, Satan! Away with thee, or thou art a dead man!" and with
these words Tarass unsheathed his sabre. The Jew took to his heels, and
ran with all the speed of his thin shrivelled legs, he ran a long time
through the tents of the Cossacks, and then in the open field, before
he ventured to look back; but Tarass thought not of pursuing him, after
reflecting that his anger ought not to be wreaked upon the first who
fell into his hands.
Now he remembered having, only last night, seen Andrew going about the
encampment with a woman, and his gray head drooped; and yet he would
not believe that such an odious event had taken place, and that his own
son had betrayed his faith and his soul.
At last he conducted his regiment into ambush, and was soon out of
sight with it, behind the only forest which had not been burned by the
Cossacks. In the mean time the Zaporoghians, on foot and on horseback,
occupied the three roads which led to the three gates. One kooren
followed another; that of Perecaslav alone was missing. Deep had been
the carousing of its Cossacks, and there carouse had sealed their doom.
Some awoke in irons in the power of the enemy--some without awakening
had passed to their eternal sleep, and their ataman, Khleeb, without
trowsers or any other garment, had found himself in the Polish camp.
The movement of the Cossacks had attracted attention in the city. All
its inhabitants rushed to the battlements, and a curious sight appeared
before the Cossacks. The brass helmets shone like so many suns, adorned
with snow-white feathers.[31] Some warriors wore light caps, pink or
sky-blue, with the tops bent on one side.
Their coats, with sleeves falling behind the shoulders,[32] were either
embroidered with gold or ornamented with lace. There were many swords
and guns with costly handles, which had been dearly paid for by their
masters, and much more finery was to be seen there. In front of all
stood, with a haughty demeanour and with a red cap ornamented with
gold on his head, the newly-arrived colonel of Boodjang. Stout was
the colonel, stouter and taller than all others, and his wide costly
overcoat hardly met round his figure. On the other side, close to the
side gate, stood another colonel, a diminutive man, who seemed to have
been dried up; but his small piercing eyes looked briskly from under
his thick eyebrows, and he turned about sharply on all sides, pointing
with his thin dry hand, and giving orders; one might see that,
notwithstanding his small size, he was well acquainted with warfare.
At some distance from him stood a tall, very tall ensign, with thick
mustachios; there was no lack of colour in his face; he was fond of
strong mead and gay revelling. And many were the gentlemen to be seen
behind these, who had taken arms either for the king's money, or on
their own ducats, or on money borrowed from Jews, to whom they had
pawned everything they could find in the castles of their grandfathers;
many, also, who were mere hangers-on of senators (whom these latter
kept to be able to boast of the number of their retinue at dinners),
who stole silver cups from the tables and cupboards, and who, after
having made a figure one day, sat the next on the coachbox of some
lord. Many were the different persons assembled on the walls. Some of
them had not a penny to drink with, and yet all had made themselves
fine for fighting. Silently stood the ranks of the Cossacks before the
walls. None of them wore any gold on their coats; only now and then
some of it might be seen on the handles of their swords or of their
guns. The Cossacks did not like to make themselves fine for fighting;
their mail coats and dresses were plain, and stretching far away might
be seen the black tops of their sheepskin caps.
Two Cossacks rode in front of the Zaporoghian ranks, one of them quite
young, the other somewhat elderly; both biting in words, and not bad
Cossacks in deeds also: Okhreim Nash and Nikita Golokopytenko. Close
behind them rode Demid Popovich, a thorough Cossack, who for a long
time had rambled about the Ssiecha, had been before Adrianople, and
had had much to endure in his lifetime: he had been burned in fire,
and had run back to the Ssiecha with his head covered with tar and
blackened by the flames and his mustachios singed off.[33] But once
more had Popovich regained his health, his crown-lock curled once more
behind his ear, his mustachios had grown again, thick and black as
pitch, and biting were his caustic speeches.
"The dresses of the army are fine enough, but I should like to know if
the courage of the army is as fine?"
"I'll have you all tied up!" cried the stout colonel from the walls;
"give up your guns and horses, ye boors! Have ye seen how I have bound
your comrades? Let the Zaporoghian prisoners be brought upon the
battlements!"
And the Zaporoghians, tied with ropes, were brought upon the walls;
in front of all was to be seen the koorennoï ataman Khleeb, without
trowsers or any other dress, in the same state as that in which he
had been made prisoner in his sleep. And downwards he bent his head,
ashamed of being seen naked by the Cossacks, and of having been made
prisoner while sleeping, like a dog. In one night his strong head had
turned gray.
"Cheer up, Khleeb! we'll set thee free!" cried the Cossacks from below.
"Cheer up, friend!" cried the koorennoï ataman Borodatyi: "no fault of
thine if they took thee naked; misfortune may happen to any one; but
shame be upon them that they make a show of thee without so much as
hiding thy nakedness!"
"Ye seem to be brave warriors against sleeping men?" said
Golokopytenko, looking towards the wall.
"Let us take our time, and we'll shave your crown-locks for you!" cried
those from above.
"I should like to see you shave our crown-locks!" said Popovich, making
curvets with his steed; then, looking at the Cossacks, he resumed:
"After all, the Poles may be right; should the big-bellied one there
bring them out of the town, they would have a good defence!"
"And why dost thou think they would have a good defence?" said the
Cossacks, guessing that Popovitch meant some fun.
"Simply, because behind his back the whole of the army might remain
concealed, and no spear on earth could ever reach them across his
belly."
The Cossacks roared with laughter, and many nodded their heads,
saying, "Well! Popovich, when he chances to say something funny, why,
then"--but they did not add what happened _then_.
"Away, quickly away from the walls;" cried the Koschevoï; for the
Poles seemed not to relish such bitter fun, and the colonel had waved
his hand. Hardly had the Cossacks rushed away, when a volley of
grape-shot flew from the walls. Tumult arose on the battlements, the
gray-haired voevoda himself made his appearance on horseback. The gate
flew open, and the army issued forth. In front rode, in regular ranks,
the hussars; after them came the chain-mailed regiment; behind these,
the cuirassiers with spears; then those in brass helmets; and after
all, apart from the rest, the _élite_ of the officers--each dressed
according to his own fashion. They chose not, haughty gentlemen,
to mix with the other ranks; and those who had no commission went
alone with their servants. After them came soldiers again; then the
standard-bearer; then, again, ranks of soldiers; then the stout
colonel, and, behind them all, rode the diminutive colonel.
"Let them not take up their position! let them not set their troops in
order!" cried the Koschevoï. "All koorens! up and at them! Leave the
other gates! The Titarevskoï kooren attack one flank! The Diadkovskoï
kooren attack the other. Kookoobenko and Palyvoda, push on the rear!
Mix! confuse! and drive them asunder!"
And the Cossacks struck on every side; the Poles were driven asunder
and mingled in confusion, and the Cossacks were mixed with them. Even
firing was out of the question; swords and spears were alone useful.
The _melée_ became general, and every one could show his personal
skill. Demid Popovich had already speared two soldiers and thrown two
officers from their steeds, saying, "Those are good horses; I have long
wished to have such horses!" And he drove the horses a long way out
into the field, calling to the Cossacks standing there to catch them.
He again went into the crowd; once more attacked the officers thrown
down; killed one of them, and throwing his _arkan_ round the neck of
the other,[34] tied it to his saddle and dragged him over the field,
after possessing himself of his costly sword and the purse full of
ducats, which hung at his belt.
Kobita, a good Cossack and a young one, too, fought with one of the
bravest Polish warriors, and long was their fight. They were already
hand to hand: the Cossack got the uppermost, and, after throwing down
his adversary, plunged his sharp Turkish knife into his breast; but
he took no heed of himself, and on the very spot a hot bullet struck
him on the temple. He who killed him was one of the most notable among
the lords; a handsome knight of ancient and princely descent. Slim as
a poplar, he rode on his chestnut steed. Many were the noble knightly
feats he had already accomplished; two Zaporoghians had he hewn in
twain; Theodore Korj, a good Cossack, had he thrown on the dust with
his horse; he shot the horse, and pierced the Cossack under it with
his spear; many heads, many hands had he hewn down; he had killed the
Cossack Kobita by sending a bullet through his temple.
"This is the man with whom I should wish to try my strength!" cried
Kookoobenko, the ataman of the Nezamaikovskoï kooren; and spurring
his horse, he rushed up close behind him and gave a fearful howl,
which made all around shudder. The Pole tried to turn his horse round
to confront his foe; but the horse would not turn: terrified by the
fearful shriek, it dashed aside, and Kookoobenko fired his gun at
the rider. The bullet entered his shoulder-blade, and down went the
Pole on the ground; still, even then, he yielded not, but tried to
strike once more at his foe; but his weakened arm fell beneath the
weight of his sabre, and Kookoobenko taking, with both his hands, his
heavy sword, drove it right into the Pole's blanched mouth: the blade
knocked out two white teeth, cut the tongue in two, ran through the
throat, and went far into the ground, nailing the knight for ever to
the dank earth. Like a fountain spirted forth the high-descended noble
blood, red as the berries of the water elder, and dyed the yellow
gold-embroidered jacket.
And Kookoobenko had already left him, and, along with the Cossacks of
his kooren, cut his way into another crowd. "Eh! why did he leave on
the ground such costly finery!" said Borodatyi, the Omanskoï ataman,
riding from his kooren to the spot where lay the officer killed by
Kookoobenko. "I have killed with my own hand seven officers, and have
not yet seen such finery on any one." And giving way to cupidity,
Borodatyi bent down in order to take possession of the costly arms; he
had already seized a Turkish knife, with a handle set with precious
stones: had untied from the belt a purse full of ducats: had taken from
the neck a pouch of fine linen and costly silver, containing a girl's
ringlet, which had been carefully kept as a souvenir; but he did not
hear how, behind his back, there had rushed upon him the red-nosed
ensign, who had already been thrown from his saddle by Borodatyi,
and had received a good deep slash at his hands. The ensign lifted
his sword, and struck it with all his might on the bended neck of
Borodatyi. No good had come of cupidity! Away sprang the mighty head,
and down fell the beheaded body, making a large pool of blood on the
ground. Up to the skies flew the hard Cossack's soul, frowning and
filled with indignation, and, at the same time, astonished at departing
so quickly from so strong a body. Hardly had the ensign taken hold of
the ataman's crown-lock, in order to tie it to his saddle, when a stern
avenger was there.
As a goshawk, who seems to swim in the sky, and who, after having made
many circles with his strong wings, suddenly remains stationary in the
air, and then darts with arrow-like speed on some quail chirping by
the highway side, so Ostap, the son of Tarass, suddenly darted on the
ensign, and threw the arkan round his neck. Still redder grew the red
face of the ensign, as the fatal knot tightened round his throat; he
tried to use his pistol, but his cramped hand could not take aim, and
the bullet flew harmlessly through the field. Ostap detached from the
ensign's saddle a silken rope, which the latter kept for the purpose
of tying his prisoners, and bound him hand and foot with his own
rope, hooked its end to his saddle, and dragged him across the field,
shouting to the Cossacks of the Omanskoï kooren to go and render the
last honours to their ataman.
As soon as the Cossacks heard that their ataman Borodatyi was killed,
they left the battle-field, rushed to take away his body, and began on
the spot to deliberate as to whom they should choose for their ataman.
At last they said, "What is the use of deliberating? no one would do
better as a koorennoïataman than young Boolba, Ostap; true, he is the
youngest among us, but he has as much sense as the oldest." Ostap,
taking off his cap, thanked his brother Cossacks for the honour, did
not refuse it, either on account of youth or of inexperience, knowing
that it was of no use to do so now in battle time. Instead of this, he
led them into the thickest of the fray, and showed them that he well
deserved to be their ataman.
In the meanwhile, the Poles felt that the fight had grown too hot for
them; they retired and ran across the field, in order to form their
ranks at the other end of it. The diminutive colonel gave a signal
to four fresh companies who stood near the gate, and grape-shot flew
thence into the crowd of Cossacks; but the volley did but little
mischief: it flew into the herd of the Cossacks' bullocks, who were
stupidly gazing on the fight. The terrified bullocks roared, turned
on the Cossack encampment, broke the waggons to pieces, and trampled
some men under their feet. But Tarass, rushing at this moment from his
ambuscade, with loud cries threw himself with his regiment across their
way. The whole of the maddened herd of one accord turned round, and,
dashing into the Polish regiments, threw confusion into the cavalry,
mixed, crushed, and broke asunder the ranks.
"Thanks to ye, bullocks!" cried the Zaporoghians. "Campaign service
have ye borne hitherto, and now war service have ye rendered also!" and
with fresh strength they pressed on the enemy. Many were the foes who
were slaughtered there. Many were those who distinguished themselves
--Metelitza, Shilo, Pissarenkos, Vovtoozenko, and many more. The Poles
saw that no good could come of it; the ensign was hoisted, and the
signal was given to open the gate. Creaking went the iron-nailed gate,
and in went the exhausted and dust-covered riders, like sheep into the
sheep-fold. Many of the Zaporoghians wished to pursue them; but Ostap
detained his Cossacks, saying, "Farther, farther away, brothers, from
the walls! it is not well to draw too near them." And he was right; for
a volley of grape-shot came from the walls, and did much mischief. At
this moment the Koschevoï rode up to Ostap, and praised him, saying,
"Though thou art but a new ataman, yet thou leadest thy Cossacks like
an old one!" And old Tarass turned round to see who the new ataman was,
and beheld his Ostap in front of the Omansko? kooren, his cap stuck on
one side and the ataman's mace in his hand. "There, just look at that
one!" said he, gazing at him; and joyful felt old Boolba, and began to
thank the Cossacks for the honour bestowed on his son.
The Cossacks retired, preparing to return to their encampment, when
the Poles reappeared on the walls; but their dresses were now torn to
pieces, many costly coats were besmeared with gore, and dust covered
the fine brass helmets.
"Did you tie us with your ropes?" cried the Zaporoghians from below.
"Take heed!" cried from above the stout colonel, showing a rope; and
still the dust-covered exhausted warriors continued to abuse one
another, and on both sides the hot-headed exchanged scolding words.
At last all withdrew. Some, tired by the fight, retired to rest; some
applied earth to their wounds, and tore into bandages kerchiefs and
costly dresses, taken from the slain enemies. Those who were less tired
went to remove the corpses of their dead comrades, and to render the
last duty to them. Graves were dug with sabres and spears, the earth
was carried away in caps and in the skirts of coats; then the corpses
of the Cossacks were reverently laid in the ground and covered with
fresh earth, so that the carrion ravens and eagles might not tear
out their eyes. And the corpses of the Poles, several together, as
they came to hand, were tied to the tails of wild horses and sent to
be dragged over the plain, and for a long time after were the horses
lashed on the sides and driven about. The maddened animals flew across
furrows and hillocks, ditches and rivulets, and the Polish corpses,
covered with gore and dust, were kicked about the ground.
As the evening came on, the Cossacks assembled in circles, and sat for
a long time talking about the feats which it had fallen to every one to
perform, feats to be told for ever to new-comers and to posterity. Long
did they remain before going to sleep; but longer than all, old Tarass
lay awake, thinking all the time what it could mean that Andrew had
not been among the enemy's warriors. Had the Judas scrupled to fight
against his countrymen? or, had the Jew belied him, and had he simply
been made prisoner? But then he remembered that Andrew's heart was not
proof against woman's words. Tarass felt a deep pang in his heart, and
vowed vengeance against the Polish girl, who had bewitched his son.
And assuredly he would have fulfilled his vow; he would have taken no
heed of her beauty; he would have trailed her by her thick luxuriant
hair; he would have dragged her across the whole field, amidst all the
Cossacks; he would have kicked on the ground, covered with gore and
blackened with dust, her beautiful bosom and shoulders, white as the
eternal snows that lie on the crests of mountains; he would have torn
her fine graceful form into fragments. But Boolba knew not what God
reserved for the morrow, and falling into forgetfulness, he at last
went to sleep. In the mean time, the Cossacks continued talking among
themselves, and all night long, close to the fires, stood the sober
vigilant sentinels, carefully looking on every side.
VIII.