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

he stamped his feet and threatened me with his knife, for he thought he was frightening me; but I told him to frighten the dogs!”

Skshetuski had now recovered himself. His monk’s face lighted up; gladness and uncertainty played on it again. “Where is she now, where is she?” he asked hurriedly. “If you have found that out, then you have come from heaven.”

“He did not tell me that, but two words are enough for a wise head. Remember, gentlemen, he jeered me all the while till I planted him, and then he went in. ‘First I’ll take you,’ said he, ‘to Krívonos, and then I would invite you to the wedding; but now there is war, so it will not come off soon.’ Think of it, gentlemen⁠—‘not come off soon;’ therefore we have plenty of time. Secondly, think⁠—‘first to Krívonos, then to the wedding;’ therefore in no way is she at the camp of Krívonos, but somewhere farther, where the war has not reached.”

“You are a man of gold,” said Volodyovski.

“I thought at first,” said the delightfully flattered Zagloba, “that maybe he had sent her to Kiev; but no, for he said he would go for the wedding to Kiev with her. If they will go, it means that she is not there; and he is too shrewd to take her there now, for if Hmelnitski should push into Red Russia, Kiev could be taken easily by the Lithuanian forces.”

“Surely, surely!” cried Pan Longin. “Now, as God is just to me, no man could change minds with you.”

“But I shouldn’t change with everyone, lest I might get soup instead of reason⁠—a thing which might easily happen among the Lithuanians.”

“Oh, he is beginning again!” said Pan Longin.

“Well, since she is not with Krívonos nor in Kiev, where is she?”

“There’s the difficulty.”

“If you have worked it out, then tell me quickly, for fire is burning me,” said Skshetuski.

“Beyond Yampol,” said Zagloba, and rolled his one sound eye triumphantly.

“How do you know?” inquired Volodyovski.

“How do I know? Here is how: I was sitting in the stable⁠—for that brigand had me shut up in the stable, may the wild boars rip him!⁠—and the Cossacks were talking among themselves all around. I put my ear to the wall then, and what did I hear? ‘Now maybe the ataman will go beyond Yampol,’ said one; and then the other answered, ‘Be silent, if your young head is dear to you!’ I’ll give my neck that she is beyond Yampol.”

“Oh, as sure as God is in heaven!” cried Volodyovski.

“He did not take her to the Wilderness; therefore, according to my head, he must have hidden her somewhere between Yampol and Yagorlik. I was once in that region when the judges of the king and the Khan met; for in Yagorlik, as you know, cattle questions of the boundary are tried, of which cases there is never a lack. Along the whole Dniester there are ravines, hidden places, and reeds in which living by themselves are people who know no authority, dwell in the wilderness, and see no neighbors. He has hidden her surely among such wild solitaries, for he would be surest of her there.”

“But how can we go there now, when Krívonos bars the way?” asked Pan Longin. “Yampol too, I hear, is a nest of robbers.”

To this Skshetuski replied: “Though I had to risk my life ten times, I should try to save her. I will go disguised and look for her. God will help me, I shall find her.”

“I will go with you, Yan,” said Volodyovski.

“And I as a minstrel with my lute. Believe me, gentlemen, that I have more experience than any of you; but since the lute has disgusted me to the last degree, I’ll take bagpipes.”

“I too shall be good for something,” said Podbipienta.

“Of course,” added Zagloba. “Whenever we need to cross the Dnieper you will carry us over, like Saint Christopher.”

“I thank you from my soul, gentlemen,” said Pan Yan; “and I accept your readiness with a willing heart. There is nothing to be compared with trusty friends, of whom as I see Providence has not deprived me. May the great God grant me to repay you with my health and property!”

“We are all as one man!” shouted Zagloba. “God is pleased with concord, and you will find that we shall soon see the fruit of our labors.”

“Then nothing else remains to me,” said Skshetuski, after a moment’s silence, “but to deliver up the squadron to the prince, and start at once. We will go by the Dniester, along through Yampol to Yagorlik, and look everywhere. But if, as I hope, Hmelnitski is already crushed or will be before we reach the prince, then public service will not be in the way. Certain regiments will go to the Ukraine, to finish the remnant of the rebellion, but they will get on without us.”

“Wait!” said Volodyovski; “doubtless after Hmelnitski, Krívonos’s turn will come; maybe we shall go together with the regiments to Yampol.”

“No, we must go there before,” answered Zagloba. “But first of all give up the squadron, so as to have free hand. I hope, too, that the prince will be satisfied with us.”

“Especially with you.”

“That’s true, for I shall bring him the best news. Believe me, I expect a reward.”

“When shall we take the road?”

“We must rest till morning,” said Volodyovski. “Let Skshetuski command, however, for he is chief here; but I forewarn you, if we start today my horses will all give out.”

“I know that it is impossible to start today,” said Skshetuski; “but I think after good oats we can go tomorrow.”

They started on the following day. According to the orders of the prince, they were to return to Zbaraj and wait further orders. They went consequently through Kuzmin, aside from Felstin, to Volochisk, from which the old highway led through Hlebanovka to Zbaraj. The roads were bad; for rain was falling, though quietly. Pan Longin, going ahead with one hundred horses, broke up a few disorderly