CHAPTER XXXVIII.
The sortie had attained its object only in part; though Boguslav'sdivision had entered the city, the sortie itself had not done greatthings. It is true that Pan Kotvich's squadron and Oskyerko's dragoonshad suffered seriously; but the Swedes too had strewn the field withmany corpses, and one regiment of infantry, which Volodyovski andVankovich had struck, was almost destroyed. The Lithuanians boastedthat they had inflicted greater loss on the enemy than they had enduredthemselves. Pan Sapyeha alone suffered internally, because a new"confusion" had met him from which his fame might be seriouslyaffected. The colonels attached to the hetman comforted him as well asthey could; and to tell the truth this lesson was useful, forhenceforward he had no more such wild banquets, and if there was somepleasure the greatest watchfulness was observed during the time of itscontinuance. The Swedes were caught the day after. Supposing that thehetman would not expect a repetition of the sortie so soon, they cameoutside the walls again; but driven from their ground and leaving anumber of dead, they returned.
Meanwhile they were examining Hassling in the hetman's quarters; thismade Pan Andrei so impatient that he almost sprang out of his skin, forhe wished to have the Scot to himself at the earliest, and talk withhim touching Taurogi. He prowled about the quarters all day, went inevery little while, listened to the statements, and sprang up wheneverBoguslav's name was mentioned in the question.
But in the evening he received an order to go on a scouting expedition.He said nothing, only set his teeth; for he had changed greatlyalready, and had learned to defer private affairs for public service.But he pushed the Tartars terribly during the expedition, burst out inanger at the least cause, and struck with his baton till the bonescracked. They said one to another that the "bagadyr" was mad, andmarched silently, as silently as cowards, looking only to the eyes ofthe leader and guessing his thoughts on the wing.
On returning he found Hassling in his quarters, but so ill that hecould not speak, for his capture had affected him so cruelly that afterthe additional torture of a whole day's inquisition he had a fever, anddid not understand what was said to him. Kmita therefore was forced tobe satisfied with what Zagloba told of Hassling's statements; but theytouched only public, not private affairs. Of Boguslav the young officersaid only this,--that after his return from the expedition to Podlyasyeand the defeat at Yanov he had become terribly ill from rage andmelancholy; he fell into a fever, but as soon as he had recoveredsomewhat, he moved with his troops to Pomerania, whither Steinbock andthe elector invited him most earnestly.
"But where is he now?" asked Kmita.
"According to what Hassling tells me, and he has no reason to lie, heis with the king's brother, at the fortified camp on the Narev and theBug, where Boguslav is commanding a whole cavalry division," answeredZagloba.
"Ha! and they think to come here with succor to the besieged. We shallmeet, as God is in heaven, even if I had to go to him in disguise."
"Do not grow angry for nothing! To Warsaw they would be glad to comewith succor, but they cannot, for Charnyetski has placed himself intheir way. Having neither infantry nor cannon, he cannot attack theircamp, and they are afraid to go out against him, for they know thattheir soldiers could not withstand his in the field, and they know toothat if they went out, they could not shield themselves with the river.If the king himself were there he would give battle, for under hiscommand the soldiers fight better, being confident that he is a greatwarrior; but neither Douglas, nor the king's brother, nor PrinceBoguslav, though all three are daring men, would venture againstCharnyetski."
"But where is the king?"
"He has gone to Prussia. The king does not believe that we are beforeWarsaw already, and that we shall capture Wittemberg. But whether hebelieves or not, he had to go for two reasons,--first, because he mustwin over the elector, even at the price of all Great Poland; second,because the army, which he led out of the sack, is of no use until ithas rested. Toil, watching, and continual alarms have so gnawed it thatthe soldiers are not able to hold muskets in their hands; and stillthey are the choicest regiments in the whole army, which through allthe German and Danish regions have won famous victories."
Further conversation was interrupted by the coming of Volodyovski.
"How is Hassling?" asked he on the threshold.
"He is sick and imagines every folly," answered Kmita.
"And you, my dear Michael, what do you want of Hassling?" askedZagloba.
"Just as if you do not know!"
"I could not know that it is a question with you of that cherry-treewhich Prince Boguslav has planted in his garden. He is a diligentgardener; he does not need to wait a year for fruit."
"I wish you were killed for such jokes!" cried the little knight.
"Look at him, tell him the most innocent thing, and immediately hismustaches are quivering like the horns of a mad grasshopper. In what amI to blame? Seek vengeance on Boguslav, not on me."
"God grant me to seek and to find!"
"Just now Babinich has said the same! Before long I see that he willraise the whole army against the prince; but Boguslav is taking goodcare of himself, and without my stratagems you will not be able tosucceed."
Here both young men sprang to their feet and asked,--
"Have you any stratagems?"
"But do you think it is as easy to take a stratagem out of the head asa sabre out of the sheath? If Boguslav were here, surely I should findmore than one; but at that distance, not only a stratagem, but a cannonwill not strike. Pan Andrei, give orders to bring me a goblet of mead,for it is hot here to-day."
"I'll give you a keg of it if you will invent something."
"First, why do you stand over this Hassling like an executioner? He isnot the only man captured; you can ask others."
"I have already tortured others, but they are common soldiers; theyknow nothing, but he, as an officer, was at the court," answered Kmita.
"That is a reason!" answered Zagloba. "I must talk with him too; fromwhat he tells me of the person and ways of Prince Boguslav, stratagemsmay be important. Now the main thing is to finish the siege soon, forafterward we shall move surely against that army on the Narev. Butsomehow our gracious lord and the hetmans are a long time invisible."
"How so?" asked Volodyovski. "I have returned this minute from thehetman, who has just received news that the king will take up positionhere this evening with the auxiliary divisions, and the hetmans withcavalry will come to-morrow. They are advancing from Sokal itself,resting but little, making forced marches. Besides, it has been knownfor two days that they are almost in sight."
"Are they bringing many troops?"
"Nearly five times as many as Sapyeha has, infantry Russian andHungarian, very excellent; six thousand Tartars under Suba Gazi, butprobably it is impossible to let them out for even a day, for they arevery self-willed and plunder all around."
"Better give them to Pan Andrei to lead," said Zagloba.
"Yes," said Kmita, "I should lead them straightway from Warsaw, forthey are of no use in a siege; I should take them to the Bug and theNarev."
"They are of use," replied Volodyovski, "for none can see better thanthey that provisions do not enter the fortress."
"Well, it will be warm for Wittemberg. Wait, old criminal!" criedZagloba. "You have warred well, I will not deny that, but you haverobbed and plundered still better; you had two mouths,--one for falseoaths, the other for breaking promises,--but this time you will not begoff with both of them. The Gallic disease will dry up your skin, anddoctors will tear it from you; but we will flay you better, Zagloba'shead for that!"
"Nonsense! he will surrender on conditions to the king, who will not doanything to him," answered Pan Michael; "and we shall have to give himmilitary honors besides."
"He will yield on conditions, will he? Indeed!" cried Zagloba. "Weshall see!"
Here he began to pound the table with such force that Roh Kovalski, whowas coming in at the moment, was frighten
ed and stood as if fixed tothe threshold.
"May I serve as a waiting-lad to Jews," shouted the old man, "if I letfree out of Warsaw that blasphemer of the faith, that robber ofchurches, that oppressor of widows, that executioner of men and women,that hangman's assistant, that ruffian, that blood-spiller andmoney-grabber, that purse-gnawer, that flayer! All right! The king willlet him out on conditions; but I, as I am a Catholic, as I am Zagloba,as I wish for happiness during life and desire God at death, will makesuch a tumult against him as no man has ever heard of in thisCommonwealth before! Don't wave your hand, Pan Michael! I'll make atumult! I repeat it, I'll make a tumult!"
"Uncle will make a tumult!" thundered Roh Kovalski.
Just then Akbah Ulan thrust in his beast-like face at the door.
"Effendi!" said he to Kmita, "the armies of the king are visible beyondthe Vistula."
All sprang to their feet and rushed forth.
The king had come indeed. First arrived the Tartar squadrons, underSuba Gazi, but not in such numbers as was expected; after them came thetroops of the kingdom, many and well armed, and above all full ofardor. Before evening the whole army had passed the bridge freshlybuilt by Oskyerko. Sapyeha was waiting for the king with squadronsdrawn out as if ready for battle, standing one by the side of theother, like an immense wall, the end of which it was difficult to reachwith the eye. The captains stood before the regiments; near them thestandard-bearers, each with lowered ensign; the trumpets, kettle-drums,crooked trumpets, and drums made a noise indescribable. The squadronsof the kingdom, in proportion as they passed, stood just opposite theLithuanians in line; between one and the other army was an interval ofa hundred paces.
Sapyeha with baton in hand went on foot to that open space; after himthe chief civil and military dignitaries. On the other side, from thearmies of the kingdom approached the king on a splendid Frisian horse,given him by Lyubomirski; he was arrayed as if for battle, in lightarmor of blue and gold, from under which was to be seen a black velvetkaftan, with a lace collar coming out on the breastplate, but insteadof a helmet he wore the ordinary Swedish hat, with black feathers; buthe wore military gloves, and long yellow boots coming far above hisknees.
After him rode the papal nuncio, the archbishop of Lvoff, the bishop ofKamenyets, the priest Tsyetsishovski, the voevoda of Cracow, thevoevoda of Rus, Baron Lisola, Count Poettingen, Pan Kamenyetski, theambassador of Moscow, Pan Grodzitski, general of artillery, Tyzenhauz,and many others. Sapyeha advanced as marshal of the kingdom to hold theking's stirrup; but the king sprang lightly from the saddle, hurried toSapyeha and without saying a word, seized him in his embrace.
And Yan Kazimir held him a long time, in view of both armies; silentall the while, but tears flowed down his cheeks in a stream, for hepressed to his bosom the truest servant of the king and the country,--aman who, though he did not equal others in genius, though he even erredat times, still soared in honesty above all the lords of thatCommonwealth, never wavered in loyalty, sacrificed without a moment'sthought his whole fortune, and from the beginning of the war exposedhis breast for his king and the country.
The Lithuanians, who had whispered previously among themselves thatperhaps reprimands would meet Pan Sapyeha because he had let KarlGustav escape from near Sandomir and for the recent carelessness atWarsaw, or at least a cool reception, seeing this heartiness of theking, raised in honor of the kindly monarch a tremendous heaven-echoingshout. The armies of the kingdom answered it immediately with onethunder-roll, and for some time above the noise of the music, therattle of drums, the roar of musketry, were heard only these shouts,--
"Vivat Yoannes Casimirus!"
"Long life to the armies of the crown!"
"Long life to the Lithuanians!"
So they greeted one another at Warsaw. The walls trembled, and behindthe walls the Swedes.
"I shall bellow, as God is dear to me!" cried Zagloba, with emotion; "Icannot restrain myself. See our king, our father!--gracious gentlemen,I am blubbering,--our father, our king! the other day a wandererdeserted by all; now here--now here are a hundred thousand sabres atcall! merciful God! I cannot keep from tears; yesterday a wanderer,to-day the Emperor of Germany has not such good soldiers--"
Here the sluices were opened in the eyes of Zagloba, and he began tosob time after time; then he turned suddenly to Roh,--
"Be silent! what are you whimpering about?"
"And is Uncle not whimpering?" answered Roh.
"True, as God is dear to me!--I was ashamed, gracious gentlemen, ofthis Commonwealth. But now I would not change with any nation! Ahundred thousand sabres,--let others show the like. God has broughtthem to their minds; God has given this, God has given it!"
Zagloba had not made a great mistake, for really there were nearlyseventy thousand men at Warsaw, not counting Charnyetski's division,which had not arrived yet, and not counting the armed camp attendantswho rendered service when necessary, and who straggled after every campin countless multitudes.
After the greeting and a hurried review of the troops, the king thankedSapyeha's men, amid universal enthusiasm, for their faithful services,and went to Uyazdov. The troops occupied the positions assigned them.Some squadrons remained in Praga; others disposed themselves around thecity. A gigantic train of wagons continued to cross the Vistula tillthe following midday.
Next morning the suburbs of the city were as white with tents as ifthey had been covered with snow. Countless herds of horses wereneighing on the adjoining meadows. After the army followed a crowd ofArmenians, Jews, Tartars; another city, more extensive and tumultuousthan that which was besieged, grew up on the plain.
The Swedes, amazed during the first days at the power of the King ofPoland, made no sorties, so that Pan Grodzitski, general of artillery,could ride around the city quietly and form his plan of siege.
On the following day the camp attendants began to raise intrenchmentshere and there, according to Grodzitski's plan; they placed on them atonce the smaller cannon, for the larger ones were to appear only acouple of weeks later.
Yan Kazimir sent a message to old Wittemberg summoning him to surrenderthe city and lay down his arms, giving favorable conditions, which,when known, roused discontent in the army. That discontent was spreadmainly by Zagloba, who had a special hatred of the Swedish commander.
Wittemberg, as was easy to foresee, rejected the conditions andresolved on a defence to continue till the last drop of blood was shed,and to bury himself in the ruins of the city rather than yield it tothe king. The size of the besieging army did not frighten him a whit,for he knew that an excessive number was rather a hindrance than helpin a siege. He was informed also in good season that in the camp of YanKazimir there was not one siege gun, while the Swedes had more thanenough of them, not taking into consideration their inexhaustiblesupply of ammunition.
It was in fact to be foreseen that they would defend themselves withfrenzy, for Warsaw had served them hitherto as a storehouse for booty.All the immense treasures looted in castles, in churches, in cities, inthe whole Commonwealth, came to the capital, whence they weredespatched in parties to Prussia, and farther to Sweden. But at thepresent time, when the whole country had risen, and castles defended bythe smaller Swedish garrisons did not insure safety, booty was broughtto Warsaw all the more. The Swedish soldier was more ready to sacrificehis life than his booty. A poor people who had seized the treasures ofa wealthy land had acquired the taste of them to such a degree that theworld had never seen more grasping robbers. The king himself had grownfamous for greed; the generals followed his example, and Wittembergsurpassed them all. When it was a question of gain, neither the honorof a knight nor consideration for the dignity of rank restrainedofficers. They seized, they extorted, they skinned everything thatcould be taken. In Warsaw itself colonels of high office and noblebirth were not ashamed to sell spirits and tobacco to their ownsoldiers, so as to cram their purses with the pay of the army.
This too might rouse the Swedes to fury in defence, that their foremostme
n were at that time in Warsaw. First was Wittemberg himself, next incommand to Karl Gustav. He was the first who had entered theCommonwealth and brought it to decline at Uistsie. In return for thatservice a triumph was prepared for him in Sweden as for a conqueror. Inthe city was Oxenstiern, the chancellor, a statesman renownedthroughout the world, respected for honesty even by his enemies. He wascalled the Minerva of the king. To his counsel Karl was indebted forall his victories in negotiation. In the capital was also Wrangel, theyounger Horn, Erickson, the second Loewenhaupt, and many Swedish ladiesof high birth, who had followed their husbands to the country as to anew Swedish colony.
The Swedes had something to defend. Yan Kazimir understood, therefore,that the siege, especially through the lack of heavy guns on his side,would be long and bloody. The hetmans understood this also, but thearmy would not think of it. Barely had Grodzitski raised theintrenchments in some fashion, barely had he pushed forward somewhat tothe walls, when deputations went from all the squadrons to ask the kingto permit volunteers to storm the walls. The king had to explain tothem a long time that fortresses were not taken with sabres, before hecould restrain their ardor.
Meanwhile the works were pushed forward as rapidly as possible. Thetroops, not being able to storm, took eager part with the camp servantsin raising these works; men from the foremost regiments, nay, evenofficers brought earth in wheelbarrows, carried fascines, labored. Morethan once the Swedes tried to hinder, and not a day passed withoutsorties; but barely were the Swedish musketeers outside the gate, whenthe Poles, working at the intrenchments, throwing aside wheelbarrows,bundles of twigs, spades and pickaxes, ran with sabres into the smokeso furiously that the Swedes had to hide in the fortress with allhaste. In these engagements bodies fell thickly; the fosses and theopen space as far as the intrenchments were full of graves, in whichwere placed sometimes small bundles of the weapons of the dead. At lasteven time failed for burial, so that bodies lay on the ground spreadinga terrible odor around the city and the besiegers.
In spite of the greatest difficulty citizens stole forth to the king'scamp every day, reporting what happened in the city, and imploring ontheir knees to hasten the storm. The Swedes, they said, had a plenty ofprovisions as yet, but the people were dying of hunger on the streets;they lived in want, in oppression under the terrible hand of thegarrison. Every day echoes brought to the Polish camp sounds ofmusket-shots in the city, and fugitives brought intelligence that theSwedes were shooting citizens suspected of good-will to Yan Kazimir.The hair stood on end at the stories of the fugitives. They said thatthe whole population, sick women, newly born infants, old men, alllived at night on the streets, for the Swedes had driven them fromtheir houses, and made passages from wall to wall, so that thegarrison, in case Yan Kazimir's troops should enter, might withdraw anddefend themselves. Rains fell on the people in their camping-places; onclear days the sun burned them, at night the cold pinched them.Citizens were not allowed to kindle fires; they had no means ofpreparing warm food. Various diseases spread more and more, and carriedaway hundreds of victims.
Yan Kazimir's heart was ready to burst when he heard these narratives.He sent therefore courier after courier to hasten the coming of theheavy guns. Days and weeks passed; but it was impossible to undertakeanything more important than the repulse of sorties. Still thebesiegers were strengthened by the thought that the garrison must failof provisions at last, since the roads were blocked in such fashionthat a mouse could not reach the fortress. The besieged lost hope ofassistance; the troops under Douglas, which were posted nearest, werenot only unable to come to the rescue, but had to think of their ownskin; for Yan Kazimir, having even too many men, was able to harassthem.
At last the Poles, even before the coming of the heavy guns, opened onthe fortress with the smaller ones. Pan Grodzitski from the side of theVistula, raised in front of himself, like a mole, earth defences,pushed to within six yards of the moat, and vomited a continual fire onthe unfortunate city. The magnificent Kazanovski Palace was ruined; andthe Poles did not regret it, for the building belonged to the traitorRadzeyovski. The shattered walls were barely standing, shining withtheir empty windows; day and night balls were dropping on the splendidterraces and in the gardens, smashing the beautiful fountains, bridges,arbors, and marble statues, terrifying the peacocks which with pitifulscreams gave notice of their unhappy condition.
Pan Grodzitski hurled fire on the Bernardine bell-tower, for he haddecided to begin the assault on that side.
Meanwhile the camp servants begged permission to attack the city, forthey wished greatly to reach the Swedish treasures earliest. The kingrefused at first, but finally consented. A number of prominent officersundertook to lead them, and among others Kmita, who was imbittered bydelay, and not only that, but in general he knew not what to do withhimself; for Hassling, having fallen into a grievous fever, lay withoutconsciousness for some weeks and could speak of nothing.
Men therefore were summoned to the storm. Grodzitski opposed this tothe last moment, insisting that until a breach was made the city couldnot be taken, even though the regular infantry were to go to theassault. But as the king had given permission, Grodzitski was forced toyield.
June 15, about six thousand camp servants assembled; ladders, bundlesof brush, and bags of sand were prepared. Toward evening a throng,barefoot and armed for the greater part only with sabres, began toapproach the city where the trenches and earth defences came nearestthe moat. When it had become perfectly dark, the men rushed, at a givensignal, toward the moat with a terrible uproar, and began to fill it.The watchful Swedes received them with a murderous fire from musketsand cannons, and a furious battle sprang up along the whole easternside of the city. Under cover of darkness the Poles filled the moat ina twinkle and reached the walls in an orderless mass. Kmita, with twothousand men, fell upon an earth fort, which the Poles called "themole-hill," and which stood near the Cracow gate. In spite of adesperate defence he captured this place at a blow; the garrison wascut to pieces with sabres, not a man was spared. Pan Andrei gavecommand to turn the guns on the gate and some of them to the fartherwalls, so as to aid and cover somewhat those crowds who were strivingto scale the walls.
These men, however, were not so fortunate. They put the ladders inposition, and ascended them so furiously that the best trained infantrycould not have done better; but the Swedes, safe behind battlements,fired into their very faces, and hurled stones and blocks prepared forthe purpose; under the weight of these the ladders were broken intopieces, and at last the infantry pushed down the assaulters with longspears, against which sabres had no effect.
More than five hundred of the best camp servants were lying at the footof the wall; the rest passed the moat under an incessant fire, and tookrefuge again in the Polish intrenchments.
The storm was repulsed, but the little fort remained in the hands ofthe Poles. In vain did the Swedes roll at it all night from theirheaviest guns; Kmita answered them in like manner from those cannonwhich he had captured. Only in the morning, when light came, were hisguns dismounted to the last one. Wittemberg, for whom that intrenchmentwas as his head, sent infantry at once with the order not to darereturn without retaking what had been lost; but Grodzitski sentreinforcements to Kmita, by the aid of which he not only repulsed theinfantry, but fell upon and drove them to the Cracow gate.
Grodzitski was so delighted that he ran in person to the king with thereport.
"Gracious Lord," said he, "I was opposed to yesterday's work, but now Isee that it was not lost. While that intrenchment was in the enemy'shands I could do nothing against the gate; but now only let the heavyguns come, and in one night I will make a breach."
The king, who was grieved that so many good men had fallen, wasrejoiced at Grodzitski's words, and asked at once,--
"But who has command in that intrenchment?"
"Pan Babinich," answered a number of voices.
The king clapped his hands. "He must be first everywhere! WorthyGeneral, I know him. He is a terribly st
ubborn cavalier, and will notlet himself be smoked out."
"It would be a mistake beyond forgiveness, Gracious Lord, if we shouldpermit that. I have already sent him infantry and small cannon; forthat they will try to smoke him out is certain. It is a question ofWarsaw! That cavalier is worth his weight in gold."
"He is worth more; for this is not his first, and not his tenthachievement," said the king.
Then Yan Kazimir gave orders to bring quickly a horse and afield-glass, and he rode out to look at the earthwork. But it was notto be seen from behind the smoke, for a number of forty-eight-pounderswere blowing on it with ceaseless fire; they hurled long balls, bombs,and grape-shot. Still the intrenchment was so near the gate thatmusket-balls almost reached it; the bomb-shells could be seen perfectlywhen they flew up like cloudlets, and, describing a closely bent bow,fell into that cloud of smoke, bursting with terrible explosion. Manyfell beyond the intrenchment, and they prevented the approach ofreinforcements.
"In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!" said the king."Tyzenhauz, look! A pile of torn earth is all that remains. Tyzenhauz,do you know who is there?"
"Gracious King, Babinich is there. If he comes out living, he will beable to say that he was in hell during life."
"We must send him fresh men. Worthy General--"
"The orders are already given, but it is difficult for them to go,since bombs pass over and fall very thickly on this side of the fort."
"Turn all the guns on the walls so as to make a diversion," said theking.
Grodzitski put spurs to his horse and galloped to the trenches. After awhile cannonading was heard on the whole line, and somewhat later itwas seen that a fresh division of Mazovian infantry went out of thenearest trenches, and on a run to the mole-hill.
The king stood there, looking continually. At last he cried: "Babinichshould be relieved in the command. And who, gentlemen, will volunteerto take his place?"
Neither Pan Yan, Pan Stanislav, nor Volodyovski was near the king,therefore a moment of silence followed.
"I!" said suddenly Pan Topor Grylevski, an officer of the lightsquadron of the primate.
"I!" said Tyzenhauz.
"I! I! I!" called at once a number of voices.
"Let the man go who offered himself first," said the king.
Pan Topor Grylevski made the sign of the cross, raised the canteen tohis mouth, then galloped away.
The king remained looking at the cloud of smoke with which themole-hill was covered, and the smoke rose above it like a bridge up tothe very wall. Since the fort was near the Vistula, the walls of thecity towered above it, and therefore the fire was terrible.
Meanwhile the thunder of cannon decreased somewhat, though the ballsdid not cease to describe arcs, and a rattle of musketry was given outas if thousands of men were beating threshing-floors with flails.
"It is evident that they are going to the attack again," saidTyzenhauz. "If there were less smoke, we should see the infantry."
"Let us approach a little," said the king, urging his horse.
After him others moved on, and riding along the bank of the Vistulafrom Uyazdov they approached almost to the Solets itself; and since thegardens of the palaces and the cloisters coming down to the Vistula hadbeen cleared by the Swedes in the winter for fuel, trees did not coverthe view, they could see even without field-glasses that the Swedeswere really moving again to the storm.
"I would rather lose that position," said the king all at once, "thanthat Babinich should die."
"God will defend him!" said the priest Tsyetsishovski.
"And Pan Grodzitski will not fail to send him reinforcements," addedTyzenhauz.
Further conversation was interrupted by some horseman who wasapproaching from the direction of the city at all speed. Tyzenhauz,having such sight that he saw better with the naked eye than othersthrough field-glasses, caught his head at sight of him, and said,--
"Grylevski is returning! It must be that Kmita has fallen, and the fortis captured."
The king shaded his eyes with his hands. Grylevski rushed up, reined inhis horse, and, panting for breath, exclaimed,--
"Gracious Lord!"
"What has happened? Is he killed?" asked the king.
"Pan Babinich says that he is well, and does not wish any one to takehis place; he begs only to send him food, for he has had nothing to eatsince morning."
"Is he alive then?" cried the king.
"He says that he is comfortable there!" repeated Grylevski.
But others, catching breath from wonder, began to cry: "That iscourage! He is a soldier!"
"But it was necessary to stay there and relieve him absolutely," saidthe king to Grylevski. "Is it not a shame to come back? Were youafraid, or what? It would have been better not to go."
"Gracious Lord," answered Grylevski, "whoso calls me a coward, him Iwill correct on any field, but before majesty I must justify myself. Iwas in the ant-hill itself, but Babinich flew into my face because ofmy errand: 'Go,' said he, 'to the hangman! I am at work here, I amalmost creeping out of my skin, and I have no time to talk, but I willnot share either my glory or command with any man. I am well here and Iwill stay here, but I'll give orders to take you outside the trench! Iwish you were killed!' said he. 'We want to eat, and they send us acommandant instead of food!' What had I to do, Gracious Lord? I do notwonder at his temper, for their hands are dropping from toil."
"And how is it?" asked the king; "is he holding the place?"
"Desperately. What would he not hold? I forgot to tell besides that heshouted to me when I was going: 'I'll stay here a week and will notsurrender, if I have something to eat!'"
"Is it possible to hold out there?"
"There, Gracious Lord, is the genuine day of judgment! Bomb is fallingafter bomb; pieces of shells are whistling, like devils, around theear; the earth is dug out into ditches; it is impossible to speak fromsmoke. The balls hurl around sand and earth, so that every moment a manmust shake himself to avoid being buried. Many have fallen, but thosewho are living lie in furrows in the intrenchments, and have madedefences before their heads of stakes strengthened with earth. TheSwedes constructed the place carefully, and now it serves against them.While I was there, infantry came from Grodzitski, and now there isfighting again."
"Since we cannot attack the walls until a breach is made," said theking, "we will strike the palace on the Cracow suburbs to-day; thatwill be the best diversion."
"The palace is wonderfully strengthened, almost changed into afortress," remarked Tyzenhauz.
"But they will not hurry from the city to give aid, for all their furywill be turned on Babinich," said the king. "So will it be, as I amhere alive, so will it be! I will order the storm at once; but first Iwill bless Babinich."
Then the king took from the priest a golden crucifix in which weresplinters of the true cross, and raising it on high he began to blessthe distant mound, covered with fire and smoke, saying,--
"O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, have mercy on Thy people, and givesalvation to the dying! Amen! amen! amen!"
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