Ogniem i mieczem. English Page 10

  CHAPTER VIII.

  In Chigirin, Skshetuski found the old man Zatsvilikhovski in greatexcitement and fever. He looked impatiently at the prince's envoy, fortidings more and more terrible kept coming from the Saitch. There wasno doubt that Hmelnitski was preparing to demand with armed handjustice for himself and the ancient rights of the Cossacks.Zatsvilikhovski had news that he had been with the Khan in the Crimeato beg Tartar aid, with which he was expected every day in the Saitch.Then there would be a general campaign from the lower country againstthe Commonwealth, which with Tartar assistance might be destructive.The storm drew nearer and nearer, more definite and more terrible. Itwas no longer vague undefined alarm that swept over the Ukraine, butclear certainty of slaughter and war. The Grand Hetman, who at firsthad made light of the whole affair, was pushing forward with his troopsto Cherkasi. The advance guard of the royal armies was advancing mainlyto prevent desertion; for the Cossacks of the towns, and the mob hadbegun to flee to the Saitch in masses. The nobility assembled in thetowns. It was said that the general militia were to be called out inthe southern provinces. Some, not waiting for the call, sent theirwives and children to castles, and assembled in person at Cherkasi. Theill-fated Ukraine was divided into two parties,--one of these hastenedto the Saitch, the other to the royal camp; one declared for theexisting order of affairs, the other for wild freedom; one desired tokeep possession of that which was the fruit of ages of labor, the otherdesired to deprive these possessors of that property. Both were toimbrue fraternal hands in the blood of each other. The terribledispute, before it found religious rallying-cries which were completelyforeign to the lower country, was breaking out as a social war.

  But though black clouds were gathering on the heaven of the Ukraine,though a dark and ominous night was descending from these clouds,though within them it rumbled and roared and thunder-claps rolled fromhorizon to horizon, people still could not tell to what degree thestorm would burst forth. Perhaps even Hmelnitski himself couldnot,--Hmelnitski, who had just sent letters to Pan Pototski, to theCossack commissioner, and to the royal standard-bearer, full ofaccusation and complaints, and at the same time of assurances ofloyalty to Vladislav IV. and the Commonwealth. Did he wish to win time,or did he suppose that some agreement might yet end the dispute? Onthis there was a variety of opinions. There were only two men who didnot deceive themselves for a single moment. These men wereZatsvilikhovski and Barabash.

  The old colonel had also received a letter from Hmelnitski. The letterwas sarcastic, threatening, and full of abuse. Hmelnitski wrote:--

  "We shall begin, with the whole Zaporojian army, to beg most ferventlyand to ask for that charter of rights which you secreted. And becauseyou secreted it for your own personal profit and advantage, the wholeZaporojian army creates you a colonel over sheep or swine, but not overmen. I beg pardon if in any way I failed to please you in my poor housein Chigirin on the feast-day of Saint Nicholas, and that I went off tothe Zaporojie without your knowledge or permission."

  "Do you see," said Barabash to Zatsvilikhovski and Pan Yan, "how heridicules me? Yet it was I who taught him war, and was in truth afather to him."

  "He says, then, that the whole Zaporojian army will demand theirrights," said Zatsvilikhovski. "That is simply a civil war, of all warsthe most terrible."

  "I see that I must hasten," said Skshetuski. "Give me the letters tothose men with whom I am to come in contact."

  "You have one to the koshevoi ataman?"

  "I have, from the prince himself."

  "I will give you a letter to one of the kuren atamans. Barabash has arelative there,--Barabash also. From these you will learn everything.Who knows, though, but it is too late for such an expedition? Does theprince wish to hear what is really to be heard there? The answer isbrief: 'Evil!' And he wants to know what to do? Short advice: 'Collectas many troops as possible and join the hetmans.'"

  "Despatch a messenger, then, to the prince with the answer and theadvice," said Skshetuski. "I must go; for I am on a mission, and Icannot alter the decision of the prince."

  "Are you aware that this is a terribly dangerous expedition?" askedZatsvilikhovski. "Even here the people are so excited that it isdifficult for them to keep still. Were it not for the nearness of thearmy of the crown, the mob would rush upon us. But there you are goinginto the dragon's mouth."

  "Jonah was in the whale's belly, not his mouth, and with God's aid hecame out in safety."

  "Go, then! I applaud your courage. You can go to Kudak in safety, andthere you will see what is to be done further. Grodzitski is an oldsoldier; he will give you the best of advice. And I will go to theprince without fail. If I have to fight in my old age, I would ratherfight under him than any one else. Meanwhile I will get boats for you,and guides who will take you to Kudak."

  Skshetuski slipped out, and went straight to his quarters on thesquare, in the prince's house, to make his final preparations. In spiteof the dangers of the journey mentioned by Zatsvilikhovski, thelieutenant thought of it not without a certain satisfaction. He wasgoing to behold the Dnieper in its whole length, almost to the lowercountry and the Cataracts; and for the warrior of that time it was asort of enchanted and mysterious land, to which every adventurousspirit was drawn. Many a man had passed his whole life in the Ukraine,and still was unable to say that he had seen the Saitch,--unless hewished to join the Brotherhood, and there were fewer volunteers amongthe nobility than formerly. The times of Samek Zborovski had passednever to return. The break between the Saitch and the Commonwealthwhich began in the time of Nalivaika and Pavlyuk had not lessened, but,on the contrary, had increased continually; and the concourse of peopleof family, not only Polish, but Russian, differing from the men of thelower country neither in speech nor faith, had greatly decreased. Suchpersons as the Bulygi Kurtsevichi did not find many imitators. Ingeneral, nobles were forced into the Brotherhood at that time either bymisfortune or outlawry,--in a word, by offences which were inconvenientfor repentance. Therefore a certain mystery, impenetrable as the fogsof the Dnieper, surrounded the predatory republic of the lower country.Concerning it men related wonders, which Pan Yan was curious to seewith his own eyes. To tell the truth, he expected to come out of itsafely; for an envoy is an envoy, especially from Prince Yeremi.

  While meditating in this fashion he gazed through the windows into thesquare. Meanwhile one hour had followed another, when suddenly itappeared to Pan Yan that he recognized a couple of figures going towardthe Bell-ringers' Corner to the wine-cellar of Dopula, the Wallachian.He looked more carefully, and saw Zagloba with Bogun. They went arm inarm, and soon disappeared in the dark doorway over which was the signdenoting a drinking-place and a wine-shop.

  The lieutenant was astonished at the presence of Bogun in Chigirin andhis friendship with Zagloba.

  "Jendzian! are you here?" called he to his attendant.

  Jendzian appeared in the doorway of the adjoining room.

  "Listen to me, Jendzian! Go to the wine-shop where the sign hangs. Youwill find a fat nobleman with a hole in his forehead there. Tell himthat some one wants to see him quickly. If he asks who it is, don'ttell him."

  Jendzian hurried off, and in a short time Skshetuski saw him returningin company with Zagloba.

  "I welcome you," said Pan Yan, when the noble appeared in the door ofthe room. "Do you remember me?"

  "Do I remember you? May the Tartars melt me into tallow and makecandles of me for the mosques if I forget you! Some months ago youopened the door at Dopula's with Chaplinski, which suited my tasteexactly, for in the selfsame way I got out of prison once in Stamboul.And what is Pan Povsinoga, with the escutcheon Zervipludry, doing withhis innocence and his sword? Don't the sparrows always perch on hishead, taking him for a withered tree?"

  "Pan Podbipienta is well, and asked to be remembered to you."

  "He is a very rich man, but fearfully dull. If he should cut off threeheads like his own, it would be only a head and a half, for he wouldcut off three half-h
eads. Pshaw! how hot it is, though it is only Marchyet! The tongue dries up in one's throat."

  "I have some excellent triple mead; maybe you would take a glass ofit?"

  "It is a fool who refuses when a wise man offers. The barber hasenjoined me to drink mead to draw melancholy from my head. Troublesometimes for the nobility are approaching,--_dies irae et calamitatis_.Chaplinski is breathless from fear; he visits Dopula's no longer, forthe Cossack elders drink there. I alone set my forehead bravely againstdanger, and keep company with those colonels, though their dignitysmells of tar. Good mead! really very excellent! Where do you get it?"

  "I got this in Lubni. Are there many Cossack elders here?"

  "Who is not here? Fedor Yakubovich, Old Filon Daidyalo, Danilo Nechai,and their eye in the head, Bogun, who became my friend as soon as Ioutdrank him and promised to adopt him. Chigirin is filled with theodor of them. They are looking which way to turn, for they do not dareyet to take the side of Hmelnitski openly. But if they do not declarefor him, it will be owing to me."

  "How is that?"

  "While drinking with them I bring them over to the Commonwealth andargue them into loyalty. If the king does not give me a crown estatefor this, then believe me there is no justice in the Commonwealth, norreward for services; and in such a case it would be better to breedchickens than to risk one's head _pro bono publico_."

  "It would be better for you to risk your head fighting with them; butit appears to me you are only throwing away your money for nothing intreating them, for in that way you will never win them."

  "I throw money away! For whom do you take me? Isn't it enough for me tohobnob with trash, without paying their scores? I consider it a favorthat I allow them to pay mine."

  "And that fellow Bogun, what is he doing here?"

  "He? He keeps his ears open to hear reports from the Saitch, like therest. That is why he came here. He is the favorite of all the Cossacks.They are after him like monkeys, for it is certain that the Pereyaslavregiment will follow him, and not Loboda. And who knows, too, whomKrechovski's registered Cossacks will follow? Bogun is a brother to themen of the lower country when it is a question of attacking the Turksor the Tartars; but this time he is calculating very closely, for heconfessed to me, in drink, that he was in love with a noblewoman, andintended to marry her. On this account it would not befit him, on theeve of marriage, to be a brother to slaves. He wishes, too, that Ishould adopt him and give him my arms. That is very excellent triplemead!"

  "Take another drink of it."

  "I will, I will. They don't sell such mead as that behindtavern-signs."

  "You did not ask, perhaps, the name of the lady whom Bogun wants tomarry?"

  "Well, my dear sir, what do I care about her name? I know only thatwhen I put horns on Bogun, she will be Madame Deer. In my youthfulyears I was a fellow of no ordinary beauty. Only let me tell you how Icarried off the palm of martyrdom in Galats. You see that hole in myforehead? It is enough for me to say that the eunuchs in the harem ofthe local pasha made it."

  "But you said the bullet of a robber made it."

  "Did I? Then I told the truth; for every Turk is a robber, as God is myaid!"

  Further conversation was interrupted by the entrance ofZatsvilikhovski.

  "Well, my dear lieutenant," said the old man, "the boats are ready, youhave trusty men for attendants; you can start, in God's name, thismoment, if you like. And here are the letters."

  "Then I'll tell my people to be off for the shore at once."

  "But where are you going?" asked Zagloba.

  "To Kudak."

  "It will be hot for you there."

  The lieutenant did not hear his prophecy, for he went out of the roominto the court, where the Cossacks with horses were almost ready forthe road.

  "To horse and to the shore!" commanded Pan Yan. "Put the horses on theboats, and wait for me."

  Meanwhile the old man said to Zagloba: "I hear that you court theCossack colonels, and drink with them."

  "For the public good, most worthy standard-bearer."

  "You have a nimble mind, but inclining rather to disgrace. You wish tobring the Cossacks to your side in their cups, so they may befriend youin case they win."

  "Even if that were true, having been a martyr to the Turks, I do notwish to become one to the Cossacks; and there is nothing wonderful inthat, for two mushrooms would spoil the best soup. And as to disgrace,I ask no one to drink it with me,--I drink it alone; and God grant thatit taste no worse than this mead. Merit, like oil, must come to thetop."

  At that moment Skshetuski returned. "The men have started already,"said he.

  Zatsvilikhovski poured out a measure. "Here is to a pleasant journey!"

  "And a return in health!" added Zagloba.

  "You will have an easy journey, for the water is tremendous."

  "Sit down, gentlemen, and drink the rest. It is not a large vessel."

  They sat down and drank.

  "You will see a curious country," said Zatsvilikhovski. "Greet PanGrodzitski in Kudak for me. Ah, that is a soldier! He lives at the endof the world, far from the eyes of the hetman, and he maintains suchorder that God grant its like might be in the whole Commonwealth. Iknow Kudak and the Cataracts well. Years ago I used to travel there,and there is gloom on the soul when one thinks of what is past andgone; but now--"

  Here the standard-bearer rested his milk-white head on his hand, andfell into deep thought. A moment of silence followed, broken only bythe tramp of horses heard at the gate; for the rest of Skshetuski's menwere going to the boats at the shore.

  "My God!" said Zatsvilikhovski, starting from his meditation; "andthere were better times formerly, though in the midst of turmoil. Iremember Khotim, twenty-seven years ago, as if it were to-day! When thehussars under Lyubomirski moved to attack the janissaries, then theCossacks in the trenches threw up their caps and shouted toSahaidachny, till the earth trembled, 'Let us die with the Poles!' Andwhat do we see to-day? To-day the lower country, which should be thefirst bulwark of Christendom, lets Tartars into the boundaries of theCommonwealth, to fall upon them when they are returning with booty. Itis still worse; for Hmelnitski allies himself directly with Tartars,with whom he will murder Christians."

  "Let us drink by reason of this sorrow!" said Zagloba. "What triplemead this is!"

  "God grant me the grave as soon as possible!" said the old man,continuing. "Mutual crimes will be washed out in blood, but not bloodof atonement, for here brother will murder brother. Who are in thelower country? Russians. Who in the army of Prince Yeremi? Russians.Who in the retinues of the magnates? Russians. And are there few ofthem in the king's camp? And I myself,--who am I? Oh, unhappy Ukraine!pagans of the Crimea will put the chain upon thy neck, and thou wiltpull the oar in the galley of the Turk!"

  "Grieve not so, worthy standard-bearer," said Pan Yan; "if you do,tears will come to our eyes. A fair sun may shine upon us yet!"

  In fact, the sun was going down that very moment, and its last raysfell with a red gleam on the white hair of the old man. In the town thebells began to ring "Ave Maria" and "Praise to God."

  They left the house. Skshetuski went to the Polish church,Zatsvilikhovski to the Russian, and Zagloba to Dopula's at theBell-ringers' Corner.

  It was dark when they met again at the shore by the landing.Skshetuski's men were sitting already in the boats. The ferrymen werestill carrying in packages. The cold wind blew from the neighboringpoint where the river entered the Dnieper, and the night gave nopromise of being very pleasant. By the light of the fire burning on thebank, the water of the river looked bloody, and seemed to be runningwith immeasurable speed somewhere into the unknown gloom.

  "Well, happy journey to you!" said the old man, pressing thelieutenant's hand heartily; "but be careful of yourself!"

  "I will neglect nothing. God grant us soon to meet!"

  "Either in Lubni or the prince's camp."

  "Then you will go without fail to the prince?"

  Zatsvilikhovsk
i shrugged his shoulders. "What am I to do? If there iswar, then war!"

  "Be in good health."

  "God guard you!"

  "Vive, valeque!" said Zagloba. "And if the water bears you all the wayto Stamboul, then give my respects to the Sultan. Or rather, let thedevil take him! That was very respectable triple mead. Brr! how cold itis!"

  "Till we meet again!"

  "Till we see each other!"

  "May God conduct you!"

  The oar creaked and plashed against the water, the boats moved on. Thefire burning on the shore began to recede quickly. For a long timeSkshetuski saw the gray form of the standard-bearer lighted up by theflame of the fire, and a certain sadness pressed his heart. The wateris bearing him on, but far away from well-wishing hearts and from theloved one; from known lands it is bearing him as mercilessly as fate,but into wild places and into darkness.

  They sailed through the mouth of the Tasma into the Dnieper. The windwhistled; the oars plashed monotonously and sadly. The oarsmen began tosing.

  Skshetuski wrapped himself in a burka, and lay down on the bed whichthe soldier had fixed for him. He began to think of Helena,--that shewas not yet in Lubni, that Bogun was behind, and he departing. Fear,evil presentiments, care, besieged him like ravens. He began tostruggle with them, struggled till he was wearied; thoughts tormentedhim; something wonderful was blended with the whistle of the wind, theplash of the oars, and the songs of the oarsmen,--he fell asleep.