The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 2 (of 2)

by Henryk Sienkiewicz

  CHAPTER XXXI.

  That evening the Swedes lay down to sleep without putting food intotheir mouths, and without hope that they would have anything tostrengthen themselves with on the morrow. They were not able to sleepfrom the torment of hunger. Before the second cock-crow the sufferingsoldiers began to slip out of the camp singly and in crowds to plundervillages adjoining Yaroslav. They went like night-thieves to Radzymno,to Kanchuya, to Tychyno, where they hoped to find food of some kind.Their confidence was increased by the fact that Charnyetski was on theother side of the river; but even had he been able to cross, theypreferred death to hunger. There was evidently a great relaxation inthe camp, for despite the strictest orders of the king about fifteenhundred men went out in this way.

  They fell to ravaging the neighborhood, burning, plundering, killing;but scarcely a man of them was to return. Charnyetski was on the otherside of the San, it is true, but on the left bank were various"parties" of nobles and peasants; of these the strongest, that ofStjalkovski, formed of daring nobles of the mountains, had come thatvery night to Prohnik, as if led by the evil fate of the Swedes. Whenhe saw the fire and heard the shots, Stjalkovski went straight to theuproar and fell upon the plunderers. They defended themselves fiercelybehind fences; but Stjalkovski broke them up, cut them to pieces,spared no man. In other villages other parties did work of the samekind. Fugitives were followed to the very camp, and the pursuers spreadalarm and confusion, shouting in Tartar, in Wallachian, in Hungarian,and in Polish; so that the Swedes thought that some powerful auxiliaryof the Poles was attacking them, maybe the Khan with the whole horde.

  Confusion began, and--a thing without example hitherto--panic, whichthe officers put down with the greatest effort. The king, who remainedon horseback till daylight, saw what was taking place; he understoodwhat might come of that, and called a council of war at once in themorning.

  That gloomy council did not last long, for there were not two roads tochoose from. Courage had fallen in the army, the soldiers had nothingto eat, the enemy had grown in power.

  The Swedish Alexander, who had promised the whole world to pursue thePolish Darius even to the steppes of the Tartars, was forced to thinkno longer of pursuit, but of his own safety.

  "We can return by the San to Sandomir, thence by the Vistula to Warsawand to Prussia," said Wittemberg; "in that way we shall escapedestruction."

  Douglas seized his own head: "So many victories, so many toils, such agreat country conquered, and we must return."

  To which Wittemberg said: "Has your worthiness any advice?"

  "I have not," answered Douglas.

  The king, who had said nothing hitherto, rose, as a sign that thesession was ended, and said,

  "I command the retreat!"

  Not a word further was heard from his mouth that day.

  Drums began to rattle, and trumpets to sound. News that the retreat wasordered ran in a moment from one end of the camp to the other. It wasreceived with shouts of delight. Fortresses and castles were still inthe hands of the Swedes; and in them rest, food, and safety werewaiting.

  The generals and soldiers betook themselves so zealously to preparingfor retreat that that zeal, as Douglas remarked, bordered on disgrace.

  The king sent Douglas with the vanguard to repair the difficultcrossings and clear the forests. Soon after him moved the whole army inorder of battle; the front was covered by artillery, the rear bywagons, at the flanks marched infantry. Military supplies and tentssailed down the river on boats.

  All these precautions were not superfluous; barely had the march begun,when the rearguard of the Swedes saw Polish cavalry behind, andthenceforth they lost it almost never from sight. Charnyetski assembledhis own squadrons, collected all the "parties" of that region, sent toYan Kazimir for reinforcements, and pursued. The first stopping-place,Pjevorsk, was at the same time the first place of alarm. The Polishdivisions pushed up so closely that several thousand infantry withartillery had to turn against them. For a time the king himself thoughtthat Charnyetski was really attacking; but according to his wont heonly sent detachment after detachment. These attacked with an uproarand retreated immediately. All the night passed in these encounters,--atroublesome and sleepless night for the Swedes.

  The whole march, all the following nights and days were to be like thisone.

  Meanwhile Yan Kazimir sent two squadrons of very well trained cavalry,and with them a letter stating that the hetmans would soon march withcavalry, and that he himself with the rest of the infantry and with thehorde would hasten after them. In fact, he was detained only bynegotiations with the Khan, with Rakotsy, and with the court of Vienna.Charnyetski was rejoiced beyond measure by this news; and when the dayafter the Swedes advanced in the wedge between the Vistula and the San,he said to Colonel Polyanovski,--

  "The net is spread, the fish are going in."

  "And we will do like that fisherman," said Zagloba, "who played on theflute to the fish so that they might dance, and when they would not, hepulled them on shore; then they began to jump around, and he fell tostriking them with a stick, crying: 'Oh, such daughters! you ought tohave danced when I begged you to do so.'"

  "They will dance," answered Charnyetski; "only let the marshal, PanLyubomirski, come with his army, which numbers five thousand."

  "He may come any time," remarked Volodyovski.

  "Some nobles from the foot-hills arrived to-day," said Zagloba; "theysay that he is marching in haste; but whether he will join us insteadof fighting on his own account is another thing."

  "How is that?" asked Charnyetski, glancing quickly at Zagloba.

  "He is a man of uncommon ambition and envious of glory. I have knownhim many years; I was his confidant and made his acquaintance when hewas still a lad, at the court of Pan Krakovski. He was learning fencingat that time from Frenchmen and Italians. He fell into terrible angerone day when I told him that they were fools, not one of whom couldstand before me. We had a duel, and I laid out seven of them onefollowing the other. After that Lyubomirski learned from me, not onlyfencing, but the military art. By nature his wit is a little dull; butwhatever he knows he knows from me."

  "Are you then such a master of the sword?" asked Polyanovski.

  "As a specimen of my teaching, take Pan Volodyovski; he is my secondpupil. From that man I have real comfort."

  "True, it was you who killed Sweno."

  "Sweno? If some one of you, gentlemen, had done that deed, he wouldhave had something to talk about all his life, and besides would invitehis neighbors often to dinner to repeat the story at wine; but I do notmind it, for if I wished to take in all I have done, I could pave theroad from this place to Sandomir with such Swenos. Could I not? Tellme, any of you who know me."

  "Uncle could do it," said Roh Kovalski.

  Charnyetski did not hear the continuation of this dialogue, for he hadfallen to thinking deeply over Zagloba's words. He too knew ofLyubomirski's ambition, and doubted not that the marshal would eitherimpose his own will on him, or would act on his own account, eventhough that should bring harm to the Commonwealth. Therefore his sternface became gloomy, and he began to twist his beard.

  "Oho!" whispered Zagloba to Pan Yan, "Charnyetski is chewing somethingbitter, for his face is like the face of an eagle; he will snap upsomebody soon."

  Then Charnyetski said: "Some one of you, gentlemen, should go with aletter from me to Lyubomirski."

  "I am known to him, and I will go," said Pan Yan.

  "That is well," answered Charnyetski; "the more noted the messenger,the better."

  Zagloba turned to Volodyovski and whispered: "He is speaking nowthrough the nose; that is a sign of great change."

  In fact, Charnyetski had a silver palate, for a musket-ball had carriedaway his own years before at Busha. Therefore whenever he was roused,angry, and unquiet, he always began to speak with a sharp and clinkingvoice. Suddenly he turned to Zagloba: "And perhaps you would go withPan Skshetuski?"

  "Willingly,"
answered Zagloba. "If I cannot do anything, no man can.Besides, to a man of such great birth it will be more proper to sendtwo."

  Charnyetski compressed his lips, twisted his beard, and repeated as ifto himself: "Great birth, great birth--"

  "No one can deprive Lyubomirski of that," remarked Zagloba.

  Charnyetski frowned.

  "The Commonwealth alone is great, and in comparison with it no familyis great, all of them are small; and I would the earth swallowed thosewho make mention of their greatness."

  All were silent, for he had spoken with much vehemence; and only aftersome time did Zagloba say,--

  "In comparison with the whole Commonwealth, certainly."

  "I did not grow up out of salt, nor out of the soil, but out of thatwhich pains me," said Charnyetski; "and the Cossacks who shot this lipthrough pained me, and now the Swedes pain me; and either I shall cutaway this sore with the sabre, or die of it myself, so help me God!"

  "And we will help you with our blood!" said Polyanovski.

  Charnyetski ruminated some time yet over the bitterness which rose inhis heart, over the thought that the marshal's ambition might hinderhim in saving the country; at last he grew calm and said,--

  "Now it is necessary to write a letter. I ask you, gentlemen, to comewith me."

  Pan Yan and Zagloba followed him, and half an hour later they were onhorseback and riding back toward Radymno; for there was news that themarshal had halted there with his army.

  "Yan," said Zagloba, feeling of the bag in which he carriedCharnyetski's letter, "do me a favor; let me be the only one to talk tothe marshal."

  "But, father, have you really known him, and taught him fencing?"

  "Hei! that came out of itself, so that the breath should not grow hotin my mouth, and my tongue become soft, which might easily happen fromtoo long silence. I neither knew him nor taught him. Just as if I hadnothing better to do than be a bear-keeper, and teach the marshal howto walk on hind legs! But that is all one; I have learned him throughand through from what people tell of him, and I shall be able to bendhim as a cook bends pastry. Only one thing I beg of you: do not saythat we have a letter from Charnyetski, and make no mention of it tillI give the letter myself."

  "How is that? Should I not do the work for which I was sent? In my lifesuch a thing has not happened, and it will not happen! Even ifCharnyetski should forgive me, I would not do that for ready treasure."

  "Then I will draw my sabre and hamstring your horse so that you cannotfollow me. Have you ever seen anything miscarry that I invented with myown head? Tell me, have you ever come into evil plight yourself withZagloba's stratagems? Did Pan Michael come out badly, or your Helena,or any of you, when I freed you all from Radzivill's hands? I tell youthat more harm than good may come of that letter; for Charnyetski wroteit in such agitation that he broke three pens. Finally, you can speakof it when my plans fail. I promise to give it then, but not before."

  "If I can only deliver the letter, it is all one when."

  "I ask for no more. Now on, for there is a terrible road before us."

  They urged the horses, and went at a gallop. But they did not need toride long, for the marshal's vanguard had not only passed Radymno, butYaroslav; and Lyubomirski himself was at Yaroslav, and occupied theformer quarters of the King of Sweden.

  They found him at dinner, with the most important officers. But whenthe envoys were announced, Lyubomirski gave orders to receive them atonce; for he knew the names, since they were mentioned at that time inthe whole Commonwealth.

  All eyes were turned on the envoys as they entered; the officers lookedwith especial admiration and curiosity at Pan Yan. When the marshal hadgreeted them courteously, he asked at once,--

  "Have I that famous knight before me who brought the letters frombesieged Zbaraj to the king?"

  "I crept through," said Pan Yan.

  "God grant me as many such officers as possible! I envy Pan Charnyetskinothing so much; as to the rest, I know that even my small serviceswill not perish from the memory of men."

  "And I am Zagloba," said the old knight, pushing himself forward.

  Here he passed his eye around the assembly; and the marshal, as hewished to attract every one to himself, exclaimed,--

  "Who does not know of the man who slew Burlai, the leader of thebarbarians; of the man who raised Radzivill's army in rebellion--"

  "And I led Sapyeha's army, who, if the truth is told, chose me, not himfor leader," added Zagloba.

  "And why did you wish, being able to have such a high office, to leaveit and serve under Pan Charnyetski?"

  Here Zagloba's eye gleamed at Skshetuski, and he said: "Serene greatmighty marshal, from your worthiness I as well as the whole countrytake example how to resign ambition and self-interest for the good ofthe Commonwealth."

  Lyubomirski blushed from satisfaction, and Zagloba, putting his handson his hips, continued,--

  "Pan Charnyetski has sent us to bow to your worthiness in his name andthat of the whole army, and at the same time to inform you of theconsiderable victory which God has permitted us to gain overKanneberg."

  "I have heard of it already," said the marshal, dryly enough, in whomenvy had now begun to move, "but gladly do I hear it again from aneyewitness."

  Zagloba began at once to relate, but with certain changes, for theforces of Kanneberg grew in his mouth to two thousand men. He did notforget either to mention Sweno or himself, and how before the eyes ofthe king the remnant of the cavalry were cut to pieces near the river;how the wagons and three hundred men of the guards fell into the handsof the fortunate conquerors; in a word, the victory increased in hisnarrative to the dimensions of an unspeakable misfortune for theSwedes.

  All listened with attention, and so did the marshal; but he grewgloomier and gloomier, his face was chilled as if by ice, and at lasthe said,--

  "I do not deny that Charnyetski is a celebrated warrior, but still hecannot devour all the Swedes himself; something will remain for othersto gulp."

  "Serene great mighty lord," answered Zagloba, "it is not PanCharnyetski who gained the victory."

  "But who?"

  "But Lyubomirski!"

  A moment of universal astonishment followed. The marshal opened hismouth, began to wink, and looked at Zagloba with such an astonishedgaze, as if he wished to ask: "Is there not a stave lacking in yourbarrel?"

  Zagloba did not let himself be beaten from the track, but pouting hislips with great importance (he borrowed this gesture from Zamoyski),said,--

  "I heard Charnyetski say before the whole army: 'It is not our sabresthat slay them; 'tis the name of Lyubomirski that cuts them down. Sincethey have heard that he is right here marching on, their courage has sogone out of them that they see in every one of our soldiers the army ofthe marshal, and they put their heads under the knife like sheep.'"

  If all the rays of the sun had fallen at once on the face of themarshal, that face could not have been more radiant.

  "How is that?" asked he; "did Charnyetski himself say that?"

  "He did, and many other things; but I do not know that 'tis proper forme to repeat them, for he told them only to intimates."

  "Tell! Every word of Pan Charnyetski deserves to be repeated a hundredtimes. He is an uncommon man, and I said so long ago."

  Zagloba looked at the marshal, half closing his one eye, and muttered:"You have swallowed the hook; I'll land you this minute."

  "What do you say?" asked the marshal.

  "I say that the army cheered your worthiness in such fashion that theycould not have cheered the king better; and in Pjevorsk, where wefought all night with the Swedes, wherever a squadron sprang out themen cried: 'Lyubomirski! Lyubomirski!' and that had a better effectthan 'Allah!' and 'Slay, kill!' There is a witness here too,--PanSkshetuski, no common soldier, and a man who has never told a lie inhis life."

  The marshal looked involuntarily at Pan Yan, who blushed to his ears,and muttered something through his nose. Meanwhile the officers of themarshal b
egan to praise the envoys aloud,--

  "See, Pan Charnyetski has acted courteously, sending such polishedcavaliers; both are famous knights, and honey simply flows from themouth of one of them."

  "I have always understood that Pan Charnyetski was a well-wisher ofmine, but now there is nothing that I would not do for him," cried themarshal, whose eyes were veiled with a mist from delight.

  At this Zagloba broke into enthusiasm: "Serene great mighty lord, whowould not render homage to you, who would not honor you, the model ofall civic virtues, who recall Aristides in justice, the Scipios inbravery! I have read many books in my time, have seen much, havemeditated much, and my soul has been rent from pain; for what have Iseen in this Commonwealth? The Opalinskis, the Radzeyovskis, theRadzivills, who by their personal pride, setting their own ambitionabove all things, were ready at every moment to desert the country fortheir own private gain. I thought further, this Commonwealth is lostthrough the viciousness of its own sons. But who has comforted me, whohas consoled me in my suffering? Pan Charnyetski, for he said: 'TheCommonwealth has not perished, since Lyubomirski has risen up in it.These others,' said he, 'think of themselves alone; he is only looking,only seeking how to make an offering of his own interests on the commonaltar. These are pushing themselves forward; he is pushing himselfback, for he wants to illustrate by his example. Now,' said he, 'he ismarching with a powerful conquering army, and I have heard,' said he,'that he wishes to give me the command over it, in order to teachothers how they should sacrifice their ambition, though even just, forthe country. Go, then,' said he, 'to Pan Lyubomirski, declare to himthat I do not want the sacrifice, I do not desire it, since he is abetter leader than I am; since, moreover, not only as leader, but--Godgrant our Kazimir a long life!--as king are we ready to choose him,and--we will choose him!'"

  Here Zagloba was somewhat frightened lest he had passed the measure,and really after the exclamation, "We will choose him!" followedsilence; but before the magnate heaven opened; he grew somewhat pale atfirst, then red, then pale again, and laboring heavily with his breast,said, after the silence of a moment,--

  "The Commonwealth is and will ever remain in control of its own will,for on that ancient foundation do our liberties rest. But I am only aservant of its servants, and God is my witness that I do not raise myeyes to those heights at which a citizen should not gaze. As to commandover the army, Pan Charnyetski must accept it. I demand it especiallyfor this, to give an example to those who, having continually thegreatness of their family in mind, are unwilling to recognize anyauthority whenever it is necessary to forget the greatness of theirfamily for the good of the country. Therefore, though perhaps I am notsuch a bad leader, still I, Lyubomirski, enter willingly under thecommand of Charnyetski, praying to God only to send us victory over theenemy!"

  "Roman! Father of the country!" exclaimed Zagloba, seizing themarshal's hand and pressing it to his lips.

  But at the same moment the old rogue turned his eye on Pan Yan, andbegan to wink time after time.

  Thundering shouts were heard from the officers. The throng in thequarters increased with each moment.

  "Wine!" cried the marshal.

  And when they brought in goblets he raised at once a toast to the king,then to Charnyetski, whom he called his leader, and finally to theenvoys. Zagloba did not remain behind with the toasts, and he so caughtthe hearts of all that the marshal himself conducted them to thethreshold, and the knights to the gates of Yaroslav.

  At last Pan Yan and Zagloba were alone; then Zagloba stopped the roadin front of Pan Yan, reined in his horse, and putting his hands on hiships, said,--

  "Well, Yan, what do you think?"

  "God knows," answered Pan Yan, "that if I had not seen it with my owneyes and heard it with my own ears, I would not believe, even if anangel had told me."

  "Ha! do you know? I will swear to you that Charnyetski himself at themost asked and begged Lyubomirski to go in company with him. And do youknow what he would have done? Lyubomirski would have gone alone; for ifCharnyetski has adjured in the letter by the love of country, or if hementioned private interests, and I am sure that he has, the marshalwould have been offended at once, and would have said: 'Does he want tobe my preceptor, and teach me how to serve the country?' I know thosemen! Happily old Zagloba took the matter in hand, and hardly had heopened his mouth when Lyubomirski not only wanted to go withCharnyetski, but to go under his command. Charnyetski is killinghimself with anxiety, but I will comfort him. Well, Yan, does Zaglobaknow how to manage the magnates?"

  "I tell you that I am not able to let the breath go from my lips fromastonishment."

  "I know them! Show one of them a crown and a corner of the ermine robe,and you may rub him against the grain like a hound pup, and besides, hewill bend up to you and present his back himself. No cat will so lickhis chops, even if you hold before him a dinner of pure cheese. Theeyes of the most honest of them will be bursting out from desire; andif a scoundrel happens, such as the voevoda of Vilna, he is ready tobetray the country. Oh, the vanity of man! Lord Jesus! if Thou hadstgiven me as many thousands of ducats as Thou hast created candidatesfor this crown, I should be a candidate myself. For if any of themimagines that I hold myself inferior to him, then may his stomach burstfrom his own pride. Zagloba is as good as Lyubomirski; in fortune aloneis the difference. This is true, Yan. Do you think that I really kissedhim on the hand? I kissed my own thumb, and shoved his hand up to mynose. Certain it is that since he is alive no one has so fooled him. Ihave spread him like butter on toast for Charnyetski. God grant ourking as long a life as possible; but in case of election, I wouldrather give a vote to myself than to Lyubomirski. Roh Kovalski wouldgive me another, and Pan Michael would strike down my opponents. As Godlives! I would make you grand hetman of the kingdom straightway, andPan Michael, after Sapyeha, grand hetman of Lithuania,--but Jendzian,treasurer. He would punish the Jews with taxes! But enough; the mainthing is that I have caught Lyubomirski on a hook and put the line inCharnyetski's hand. For whomsoever the flour, it will be ground on theSwedes; and whose is the merit? What do you think? Should thechroniclers inscribe it to some one else? But I have no luck. It willbe well even if Charnyetski does not break out on the old man for nothaving given the letter. Such is human gratitude. This is not my first,not my first--others are sitting in starostaships, and are grown aroundwith fat, like badgers; but do you, old man, shake your poor stomach ona horse as before."

  Here Zagloba waved his hand. "Human gratitude may go to the hangman!And whether in this or that position you must die, still it is pleasantto serve the country. The best reward is good company. As soon as a manis on horseback, then, with such comrades as you and Michael, he isready to ride to the end of the world,--such is our Polish nature. If aGerman, a Frenchman, an Englishman, or a dark Spaniard is on horseback,he is ready at once to gallop into your eyes; but a Pole, having inbornpatience, will endure much, and will permit even a Swedish fellow topluck him; but when the limit is passed and the Pole whacks him in thesnout, such a Swede will cover himself three times with his legs. Forthere is metal yet in the Poles, and while the metal lasts theCommonwealth will last. Beat that into yourself, Yan."

  And so spoke Zagloba for a long time, for he was very glad; andwhenever he was very glad he was talkative beyond usual measure, andfull of wise sentences.