With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz (big ebook reader .txt) 📕

prince, wondering how so great a spirit could find its place in such simplicity and poverty. He had seen Yeremi from time to time at the Diets in Warsaw, was in fact a distant relative of his, but did not know him intimately. Now, when he began to speak with him, he recognized at once that he had to do with an extraordinary man; and he, an old senator and soldier, who used to clap his senatorial colleagues on the shoulders, and say to Prince Dominik Zaslavski, “My dear,” and was familiar with the king himself, could not attain familiarity like this with Vishnyevetski, though the prince received him kindly, for he was thankful for the reinforcements.

“Worthy voevoda,” said he, “praise be to God that you have come with your people, for I have worked here to my last breath.”

“I have noticed, by your soldiers, that they have worked, poor fellows, which disturbs me not a little, for I have come with the request that you hasten to save me.”

“And is there hurry?”

“Periculum in mora, periculum in mora! Ruffians to the number of several thousand have appeared, with Krívonos at their head, who, as I have heard, was sent against you; but having received information that you had moved on Konstantinoff, he went there, and on the road has invested Makhnovka, and has wrought such desolation that no tongue can describe it.”

“I have heard of Krívonos, and waited for him here; but since I find that he has missed me, I must seek him. Really the affair will not bide delay. Is there a strong garrison in Makhnovka?”

“There are two hundred Germans in the castle, very good men, who will hold out yet for some time. But the worst is, that many nobles have assembled in the town with their families, and the place is fortified only by earthworks and palisades, and cannot resist long.”

“In truth, the affair suffers no delay,” repeated the prince. Then turning to his attendant, he said: “Jelenksi, run for the colonels!”

The voevoda of Kiev was sitting meanwhile on a bench, and panting. He had some expectation of supper; for he was hungry, and liked good eating.

Presently the tramp of armed men was heard, and the prince’s officers entered⁠—black, thin, bearded, with sunken eyes, with traces of indescribable labor on their faces. They bowed in silence to the prince and his guests, and waited for his words.

“Gentlemen, are the horses at their places?”

“Yes, ready as always.”

“It is well. In an hour we will move on Krívonos.”

“Hi!” said the voevoda of Kiev; and he looked in wonderment at Pan Kryshtof, the sub-judge of Bratslav.

The prince continued: “Ponyatovski and Vershul will march first; after them Baranovski will go with his dragoons, and in an hour we will move with the cannon of Vurtsel.”

The colonels bowed and left the room, and soon the trumpets were heard sounding to horse. The voevoda of Kiev did not expect such haste, and did not indeed wish it, since he was hungry and tired. He counted on resting about a day with the prince, and then moving. Now he would have to mount his horse at once, without sleeping or eating.

“But, your Highness,” said he, “are your soldiers able to reach Makhnovka? I see they are terribly tired, and the road is a long one.”

“Don’t let your head ache over that. They go to a battle as to a concert.”

“I see that; I see they are sulphurous fellows. But my men are road-weary.”

“You have just said, ‘Periculum in mora.’ ”

“Yes; but we might rest for the night. We have come from near Hmelnik.”

“Worthy voevoda, we have come from Lubni and the Trans-Dnieper.”

“We were a whole day on the road.”

“We a whole month.”

The prince went out to arrange in person the order of march. The voevoda stared at the under-judge, struck his palms on his knees, and said⁠—

“Ah! I have got what I wanted, you see. As God lives, he will kill me with hunger. Here is swimming in hot water for you! I come for aid, and think that after great solicitation they will move in two or three days; but now they won’t give us time to draw breath. May the devil take them! The stirrup-strap has galled my leg; my traitor of an attendant buckled it badly. My stomach is empty. The devil take them! Makhnovka is Makhnovka; but my stomach is my stomach. I am an old soldier, have fought in more wars probably than he has, but never in such helter-skelter fashion. Those are devils, not men; they don’t eat, don’t sleep⁠—just fight. As God is dear to me, they never eat anything. They look like ghosts, don’t they?”

“Yes; but they have fiery courage,” answered Pan Kryshtof, who was in love with soldier life. “God bless us, what disorder and tumult in other camps when it comes to marching⁠—how much running, arranging wagons, sending for horses! But now, do you hear? the light cavalry is on the march.”

“Is it possible? Why, this is terrible,” said the voevoda.

But young Pan Aksak clasped his boyish hands. “Ah, that is a mighty leader!” said he in ecstasy.

“Oh, there is milk under your nose!” snapped the voevoda. “Cunctator too was a great leader! Do you understand?”

At this moment the prince came in. “Gentlemen, to horse! We march.”

The voevoda did not restrain himself. “Order something for us to eat. Prince, for I am hungry,” cried he, in an outburst of ill-humor.

“Oh, my worthy voevoda,” said the prince, laughing and taking hold of him by the shoulder, “forgive me, forgive me! With all my heart. But in war one forgets these things.”

“Well, Pan Kryshtof, haven’t I told you that they don’t eat?” asked the voevoda, turning to the under-judge of Bratslav.

The supper did not last long, and a couple of hours later even the infantry had left Raigorod. The army