Ogniem i mieczem. English

by Henryk Sienkiewicz

  CHAPTER XXXIX.

  When Zagloba found himself alone at the head of his party, he feltuncomfortable somehow and terribly alarmed, and would have given muchto have at his side Skshetuski, Volodyovski, or Pan Longin, whom in hissoul he admired with all his might, and near whom he felt completelysafe, so blindly did he believe in their resources and bravery. Atfirst, therefore, he rode rather gloomily at the head of his party, andlooking around suspiciously on every side, measured in his mind thedangers which he might meet, and muttered,--

  "It would always be livelier if some one of them were here. To whateverGod predestined a man, for that he created him; and those three oughtto have been born horseflies, for they love to sit in blood. They arein war just as other men are at the cup, or like fish in water. War istheir play. They have light stomachs, but heavy hands. I have seenSkshetuski at work, and I know what skill he has. He hurries throughmen as monks through their prayers. That's his favorite work. ThatLithuanian, who has no head of his own, is looking for three strangeheads, and he has nothing to risk. I know that little fellow least ofall, but he must be a wasp of no common kind, judging from what I sawat Konstantinoff, and what Skshetuski tells me about him,--he must be awasp! Happily he is marching not far from me, and I think that I shalldo better to join him, for if I know where to go may the ducks trampleme!"

  Zagloba felt so lonely in the world that he took pity upon his ownloneliness.

  "Indeed!" muttered he. "Every man has some one to look to; but how isit with me? I have neither comrade nor father nor mother. I am anorphan, and that is the end of it!"

  At that moment the sergeant, Kosmach, approached him. "Commander, whereare we marching to?" asked he.

  "Where are we marching to?" repeated Zagloba. "What?" Suddenly hestraightened himself in the saddle and twisted his mustache. "ToKamenyets, if such should be my will! Do you understand?"

  The sergeant bowed and withdrew in silence to the ranks, unable toexplain to himself what the commander was angry at. But Zagloba castthreatening glances at the neighborhood, then grew quiet and mutteredfurther,--

  "If I go to Kamenyets, I'll let a hundred blows of a stick be given onthe soles of my feet, Turkish fashion. Tfu! tfu! If I only had one ofthose fellows with me, then I should feel more courage. What shall Ibegin to do with these people? I would rather be alone, for when alonea man trusts to stratagem. But now there are too many of us forstratagems and too few for defence. A very unfortunate idea ofSkshetuski's to divide the detachment! And where shall I go? I knowwhat is behind me, but who shall tell me what is in front, and whoshall assure me that the devils there haven't set some snare? Krivonosand Bogun, a nice pair,--may the devils flay them! God defend me atleast from Bogun! Skshetuski wants to meet him; may the Lord listen tohim!--I wish him the same as I wish myself, for I am his friend,--amen!I'll work on to Zbruch, return to Yarmolintsi, and bring them moreinformants than they want themselves. That is not difficult."

  Kosmach now approached. "Commander, some horsemen are visible behindthe hill."

  "Let them go to the devil! Where are they,--where?"

  "There, on the other side of the hill, I saw flags."

  "Troops?"

  "They appear to be troops."

  "May the dogs bite them! Are there many of them?"

  "You can't tell, for they are far away. We might hide here behind theserocks and fall on them unawares, for their road lies this way. If theirnumbers are too great, Pan Volodyovski is not far off; he will hear theshots and hasten to our aid."

  Daring rose suddenly to Zagloba's head like wine. It may be thatdespair gave him such an impulse to action; possibly hope thatVolodyovski was still near. Enough that he waved his naked sabre,rolled his eyes terribly, and cried,--

  "Hide behind the rocks! We will show those ruffians--" The trainedsoldiers of the prince turned behind the rocks, and in the twinkle ofan eye placed themselves in battle-array, ready for a sudden attack.

  An hour passed. At last the noise of approaching people was heard. Anecho bore the sounds of joyful songs; and a moment later the sounds offiddles, bagpipes, and a drum reached the ears of the men lurking inambush. The sergeant came to Zagloba again, and said,--

  "They are not troops, Commander, nor Cossacks. It is a wedding."

  "A wedding? I'll play a tune for them; let them wait a bit."

  Saying this, he rode out, and after him the soldiers, and formed inline on the road. "After me!" cried Zagloba, threateningly.

  The line moved on a trot, then a gallop, and passing around the cliff,stood suddenly in front of the crowd of people, frightened and confusedby the unexpected sight.

  "Stop! stop!" was the cry from both sides.

  It was really a peasant wedding. In front rode the piper, theflute-player, the fiddler, and two drummers, already somewhatintoxicated, and playing dance-music out of tune. Behind them was thebride, a brisk young woman in a dark jacket, with hair flowing over hershoulders. She was surrounded by her bridesmaids, singing songs andcarrying wreaths in their hands. All the girls were sitting onhorseback, man-fashion, adorned with wild-flowers. They looked at adistance like a party of handsome Cossacks. In another line rode thebridegroom on a sturdy horse, with his groomsmen, having wreaths onlong poles, like pikes. The rear of the party was brought up by theparents of the newly married and guests, all on horseback. In lightwagons strewn with straw were drawn a number of kegs of gorailka, mead,and beer, which belched out a pleasant odor along the rough, stonyroad.

  "Halt! halt!" was shouted from both sides. The wedding-party wasconfused. The young girls raised a cry of fear, and drew back to therear. The young men and elder groomsmen rushed forward to protect theyoung women from the unexpected attack.

  Zagloba sprang before them, and brandishing his sabre, which gleamed inthe eyes of the terror-stricken peasants, began to shout,--

  "Ha, you bullock-drivers, dog-tails, rebels! You wanted to join theinsurrection! You are on the side of Hmelnitski, you scoundrels!You are going to spy out something; you are blocking the road totroops,--raising your hand against nobles! Oh, I'll give it to you, youfoul spirits of curs! I'll order you to be fettered, to be empaled, Orascals, Pagans! Now you will pay for all your crimes."

  A groomsman, old, and white as a dove, jumped from his horse,approached the noble, and holding his stirrup humbly, began to bow tohis girdle and implore,--

  "Have mercy, serene knight! Do not ruin poor people! God is our witnessthat we are innocent. We are not going to a rebellion. We are goingfrom the church at Gusiatyn. We crowned our relative Dmitry, theblacksmith, with Ksenia, the cooper's daughter. We have come with awedding and with a dance."

  "These are innocent people," whispered the sergeant.

  "Out of my sight! They are scoundrels; they have come from Krivonos'sto a wedding!" roared Zagloba.

  "May the plague kill him!" cried the old man. "We have never looked onhim with our eyes; we are poor people. Have mercy on us, serene lord,and let us pass; we are doing harm to no man, and we know our duty."

  "You will go to Yarmolintsi in fetters!"

  "We will go wherever you command. Our lord, it is for you to command,for us to obey. But you will do us a kindness, serene knight! Orderyour soldiers to do us no harm, and you yourself pardon us simplepeople. We now beat to you humbly with the forehead, to drink with usto the happiness of the newly married. Drink, your mercy, to the joy ofsimple people, as God and the holy Gospels command."

  "But don't suppose that I forgive you if I drink," said Zagloba,sharply.

  "No, no, my lord," exclaimed with joy the old man; "we don't dream ofit. Hei, musicians!" cried he, "strike up for the serene knight,because the serene knight is kind; and you, young men, hurry formead,--sweet mead for the knight; he will not harm poor people. Hurry,boys, hurry! We thank you, our lord."

  The young men ran with the speed of wind to the kegs; and immediatelythe drums sounded, the fiddles squeaked sharply, the piper puffed outhis cheeks and began to press the wind-bag und
er his arm. The groomsmenshook the wreaths on the poles, in view of which the soldiers began topress forward, twirl their mustaches, laugh, and look at the bride overthe shoulders of the young fellows. The song resounded again. Terrorhad passed away, and here and there too was heard the joyful "U-ha!u-ha!"

  Zagloba did not become serene-browed in a moment. Even when a quart ofmead was brought to him, he still muttered to himself: "Oh, thescoundrels, the ruffians!" Even when he had sunk his mustaches in thedark surface of the mead, his brows did not unwrinkle. He raised hishead, winked his eyes, and smacking his lips, began to taste theliquid; then astonishment, but also indignation, was seen on his face.

  "What times we live in!" muttered he. "Trash are drinking such mead. OLord, thou seest this, and dost not hurl thy bolts!" Then he raised thecup and emptied it to the bottom.

  Meanwhile the emboldened wedding-guests came with their whole companyto beg him to do them no harm and let them pass; and among them camethe bride Ksenia, timid, trembling, with tears in her eyes, blushingand beautiful as the dawn. When she drew near she joined her hands. "Bemerciful, our lord!" and she kissed the yellow boot of Zagloba. Theheart of the noble became soft as wax in a moment. He loosened hisleather girdle, began to fumble in it, and finding the last gold sequinof those which Prince Yeremi had given him, he said to Ksenia,--

  "Here! may God bless thee, as he does every innocence!"

  Emotion did not permit further speech, for that shapely dark-browedKsenia reminded him of the princess whom Zagloba loved in his ownfashion. "Where is she now, poor girl, and are the angels of heavenguarding her?" thought he, completely overpowered, ready to embraceevery one and become a brother to all.

  The wedding-guests, seeing this lordly act, began to shout from joy, tosing, and crowding up to him to kiss his clothes. "He is kind," wasrepeated in the crowd. "He is a golden Pole! he gives away sequins, hedoes no harm, he is a kind lord. Glory to him, luck to him!" Thefiddler quivered, he worked so hard; the hands of the drummers grewweary. The old cooper, evidently a coward to his innermost lining, hadheld himself in the rear till that moment. Now he pushed forward,together with his wife, the cooperess, and the ancient blacksmithess,the mother of the bridegroom; and now they began such a bowing to thegirdle and insistent invitation to the house for the wedding, becauseit was a glory to have such a guest, and a happy augury for the youngcouple; if not, harm would come to them. After them bowed thebridegroom and the dark-browed Ksenia, who, though a simple girl, sawin a twinkle that her request was more effective than any other. Thebest men shouted that the farm was near, not out of the knight's road;that the old cooper was rich, and would set out mead far better thanthis. Zagloba gazed at the soldiers; all were moving their mustaches asrabbits do their whiskers, foreseeing for themselves various delightsin the dance and the drinks. Therefore, though they did not ask to go,Zagloba took pity on them, and after a while the groomsmen, the youngwomen, and the soldiers were making for the farm in most perfectharmony.

  In fact the farm was near, and the old cooper rich. The weddingtherefore was noisy; all drank heavily, and Zagloba so let himself outthat he was the first in everything. Soon strange ceremonies werebegun. Old women took Ksenia to a chamber, and shutting themselves inwith her, remained a long time; then they came forth and declared thatthe young woman was as a dove, as a lily. Thereupon joy reigned in theassembly; there rose a shout, "Glory! happiness!" The women began toclap their hands, the young fellows stamped with their feet; each onedanced by himself, with a quart cup in his hand, which he emptied to"fame and happiness" before the door of the chamber. Zagloba dancedalso, distinguishing the importance of his birth by this only, that hedrank before the door, not a quart, but half a gallon. Then the friendsof the cooper and the blacksmith's wife conducted young Dmitry to thedoor; but since young Dmitry had no father, they bowed down to Zaglobato take his place. Zagloba consented, and passed in with the others.During this time all became quiet in the house; but the soldiersdrinking in the yard before the cottage shouted, crying "Allah!" fromjoy, in Tartar fashion, and fired from pistols.

  The greatest rejoicing and uproar began when the parents appeared againin the main room. The old cooper embraced the blacksmith's wife withdelight, the young men came to the cooper's wife and raised her fromher feet, and the women glorified her because she had guarded herdaughter as the eye in her head, kept her as a dove and a lily. ThenZagloba opened the dance with her. They began to stamp in front of eachother; and he, keeping time with his hands, dropped into the prisyadka,sprang so high, and beat the floor with his metal-shod heels in suchfashion that bits flew from the planks, and sweat poured from hisforehead in abundance. They were followed by others,--those who hadspace dancing in the room, and those who had not in the yard,--themaidens with the young men and soldiers. From time to time the cooperhad new kegs brought out. Finally the whole wedding-feast wastransferred from the house to the yard; piles of dry thistles andpitch-pine were set on fire, for a dark night had settled down, and therejoicing had changed to drinking with might and main. The soldiersfired from their pistols and muskets as in time of battle.

  Zagloba, purple, steaming in perspiration, tottering on his feet,forgot what was happening to him, where he was; through the steam whichcame from his hair he saw the faces of his entertainers, but if he wereto be empaled on a stake he couldn't tell what sort of entertainersthey were. He remembered that he was at a wedding, but whose weddingwas it? Ha! it must be the wedding of Pan Yan and the princess. Thisidea seemed to him the most probable, and finally stuck in his headlike a nail, and filled him with such joy that he began to shout like amadman: "Long life! let us love each other, brothers!" and every littlewhile he filled new half-gallons. "To your success, brothers! To thehealth of the prince! Prosperity to us! May this paroxysm of ourcountry pass!" Then he covered himself with tears, and stumbled goingto the keg, and stumbled more and more; for on the ground, as on afield of battle, lay many a motionless body. "O God," cried Zagloba,"thou hast no longer any manhood left in this Commonwealth! There arebut two men who can drink,--one Pan Lashch, and the other Zagloba. Asfor the rest, my God, my God!" And he raised his eyes in sorrow to thesky. Then he saw that the heavenly bodies were no longer fastenedquietly in the firmament like golden nails, but some were trembling asif they wished to spring from their settings; others were whirling in around dance; a third party of them were dancing the kazachka face toface with each other. Then Zagloba fell into terribly deep thought, andsaid to his musing soul,--

  "Is it possible that I alone in the universe am not drunk?"But suddenly the earth itself quivered, like the stars, in a mad whirl,and Zagloba fell his whole length on the ground.

  Soon awful dreams came to him. It seemed as if nightmares were sittingon his breast, pressing him, squeezing him to the ground, binding himhand and foot. At the same time tumult and as it were the sound ofshots struck his ears; a glaring light passed his closed lids, andstruck his eyes with an unendurable flash. He wished to rouse himself,to open his eyes, and he could not. He felt that something unusual washappening to him,--that his head was dropping back as if he were beingcarried by hands and feet. Then fear seized him; he felt badly, verybadly, very heavy. Consciousness returned in part, but strangely, forin company with such weakness as he had never felt in his life. Againhe tried to move; but when he could not, he woke up more and opened hiseyelids.

  Then his gaze met a pair of eyes which were fastened on him eagerly;their pupils were black as coal, and so ill-omened that Zagloba, nowthoroughly awake, thought at the first moment that the devil waslooking at him. Again he closed his eyes, and again he opened themquickly. Those eyes looked at him continually, stubbornly. Thecountenance seemed to him familiar. All at once he shivered to themarrow of his bones, cold sweat covered him, and down his spine to hisfeet passed thousands of ants. He recognized the face of Bogun!