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

by Henryk Sienkiewicz

  CHAPTER XXXII.

  Charnyetski, in truth, did not even dare to think that the marshal ofthe kingdom would put himself under his command. He wished merely jointaction, and he feared that even that would not be attained because ofthe great ambition of Lyubomirski; for the proud magnate had mentionedmore than once to his officers that he wished to attack the Swedesindependently, for thus he could effect something; but if he andCharnyetski won a victory together, the whole glory would flow toCharnyetski.

  Such was the case, in fact. Charnyetski understood the marshal'sreasons, and was troubled. He was reading now, for the tenth time, thecopy of the letter which he had sent from Pjevorsk, wishing to see ifhe had written anything to offend so irritable a man as Lyubomirski.

  He regretted certain phrases; finally he began to regret, on the whole,that he had sent the letter. Therefore he was sitting gloomy in hisquarters, and every little while he approached the window and lookedout on the road to see if the envoys were not returning. The officerssaw him through the window, and divined what was passing in his mind,for evident trouble was on his forehead.

  "But look," said Polyanovski to Pan Michael, "there will be nothingpleasant, for the castellan's face has become spotted, and that is abad sign."

  Charnyetski's face bore numerous traces of small-pox, and in moments ofgreat emotion or disquiet it was covered with white and dark spots. Ashe had sharp features, a very high forehead and cloudy, Jupiter brows,a bent nose, and a glance cutting straight through, when in additionthose spots appeared, he became terrible. The Cossacks in their timecalled him the spotted dog; but in truth, he was more like a spottedeagle, and when he led men to the attack and his burka spread out likegreat wings, the likeness struck both his own men and the enemy.

  He roused fear in these and those. During the Cossack wars leaders ofpowerful bands lost their heads when forced to act against Charnyetski.Hmelnitski himself feared him, but especially the counsels which hegave the king. They brought upon the Cossacks the terrible defeat ofBerestechko. But his fame increased chiefly after Berestechko, when,together with the Tartars, he passed over the steppes like a flame,crushed the uprisen crowds, took towns and trenches by storm, rushingwith the speed of a whirlwind from one end of the Ukraine to the other.

  With this same raging endurance was he plucking the Swedes now."Charnyetski does not knock out my men, he steals them away," said KarlGustav. But Charnyetski was tired of stealing away; he thought that thetime had come to strike. But he lacked artillery and infantryaltogether, without which nothing decisive could be done, nothingimportant effected; hence his eagerness for a junction withLyubomirski, who had a small number of cannon, it is true, but broughtwith him infantry composed of mountaineers. These, though not over-muchtrained as yet, had still been under fire more than once, and might,for want of better, be used against the incomparable infantry legionsof Karl Gustav.

  Charnyetski, therefore, was as if in a fever. Not being able to endurein the house, he went outside, and seeing Volodyovski and Polyanovski,he asked,--

  "Are the envoys not in sight?"

  "It is clear that they are glad to see them," answered Volodyovski.

  "They are glad to see them, but not glad to read my letter, or themarshal would have sent his answer."

  "Pan Castellan," said Polyanovski, whom Charnyetski trusted greatly,"why be careworn? If the marshal comes, well; if not, we will attack asof old. As it is, blood is flowing from the Swedish pot; and we knowthat when a pot once begins to leak, everything will run out of it."

  "There is a leak in the Commonwealth too," said Charnyetski. "If theSwedes escape this time, they will be reinforced, succor will come tothem from Prussia, our chance will be lost." Then he struck his sidewith his hand in sign of impatience. Just then was heard the tread ofhorses and the bass voice of Zagloba singing,--

  "Kaska to the bakehouse went her way, And Stah said to her, 'Take me in, let me in, My love. For the snow is falling, and the wind is blowing; Where shall I, poor fellow, put my head Till morning?'"

  "It is a good sign! They are returning joyously," cried Polyanovski.

  That moment the envoys, seeing Charnyetski, sprang from their saddles,gave their horses to an attendant, and went quickly to the entrance.Zagloba threw his cap suddenly into the air, and imitating the voice ofthe marshal so excellently that whoever was not looking on might bedeceived, cried,--

  "Vivat Pan Charnyetski, our leader!"

  The castellan frowned, and asked quickly: "Is there a letter for me?"

  "There is not," answered Zagloba; "there is something better. Themarshal with his army passes voluntarily under command of yourworthiness."

  Charnyetski pierced him with a look, then turned to Pan Yan, as ifwishing to say: "Speak you, for this one has been drinking!"

  Zagloba was in fact a little drunk; but Skshetuski confirmed his words,hence astonishment was reflected on the face of the castellan.

  "Come with me," said he to the two. "I beg you also," said he toPolyanovski and Pan Michael.

  All entered his room. They had not sat down yet when Charnyetski asked:"What did he say to my letter?"

  "He said nothing," answered Zagloba, "and why he did not will appear atthe end of my story; but now _incipiam_ (I will begin)."

  Here he told all as it had happened,--how he had brought the marshal tosuch a favorable decision. Charnyetski looked at him with growingastonishment, Polyanovski seized his own head, Pan Michael's mustacheswere quivering.

  "I have not known you hitherto, as God is dear to me!" criedCharnyetski, at last. "I cannot believe my own ears."

  "They have long since called me Ulysses," said Zagloba, modestly.

  "Where is my letter?"

  "Here it is."

  "I must forgive you for not delivering it. He is a finished rogue! Avice-chancellor might learn from him how to make treaties. As Godlives, if I were king, I would send you to Tsargrad."

  "If he were there, a hundred thousand Turks would be here now!" criedPan Michael.

  To which Zagloba said: "Not one, but two hundred thousand, as true as Ilive."

  "And did the marshal hesitate at nothing?" asked Charnyetski.

  "He? He swallowed all that I put to his lips, just as a fat gandergulps pellets; his eyes were covered with mist. I thought that fromdelight he would burst, as a Swedish bomb bursts. With flattery thatman might be taken to hell."

  "If it can only be ground out on the Swedes, if it can only be groundout, and I have hope that it will be," said Charnyetski, delighted."You are a man adroit as a fox; but do not make too much sport of themarshal, for another would not have done what he has to-day. Muchdepends on him. We shall march to Sandomir itself over the estates ofthe Lyubomirskis, and the marshal can raise with one word the wholeregion, command peasants to injure crossings, burn bridges, hideprovisions in the forests. You have rendered a service which I shallnot forget till death; but I must thank the marshal, for as I believehe has not done this from mere vanity."

  Then he clapped his hands and cried: "A horse for me at once! Let usforge the iron while it is hot!" Then he turned to the colonels: "Come,all of you gentlemen, with me, so that the suite may be the mostimposing."

  "And must I go too?" asked Zagloba.

  "You have built the bridge between me and the marshal, it is properthat you be the first to pass over. Besides, I think that they will seeyou gladly. Come, come, lord brother, or I shall say that you wished toleave a half-finished work."

  "Hard to refuse. I must draw my belt tighter, however, lest I shakeinto nothing. Not much strength is left me, unless I fortify it withsomething."

  "But with what?"

  "Much has been told me of the castellan's mead which I have not tastedas yet, and I should like to know if it is better than the marshal's."

  "We will drink a stirrup cup now, but after our return we shall notlimit
the cups in advance. You will find a couple of decanters of it inyour own quarters."

  Then the castellan commanded to bring goblets; they drank enough forbrightness and good humor, mounted and rode away.

  The marshal received Charnyetski with open arms, entertained him withfood and drink, did not let him go till morning; but in the morning thetwo armies were joined, and marched farther under command ofCharnyetski.

  Near Syenyava the Poles attacked the Swedes again with such effect thatthey cut the rearguard to pieces and brought disorder into the mainarmy. Only at daybreak did the artillery disperse them. At Lejaysk,Charnyetski attacked with still greater vigor. Considerable detachmentsof the Swedes were mired in soft places, caused by rains andinundations, and those fell into the hands of the Poles. The roadsbecame of the worst for the Swedes. Exhausted, hungry, and tortured bydesire of sleep, the regiments barely marched. More and more soldiersstopped on the way. Some were found so terribly reduced that they nolonger wished to eat or drink, they only begged for death. Others laydown and died on hillocks; some lost presence of mind, and looked withthe greatest indifference on the approaching pursuers. Foreigners, whowere counted frequently in the ranks of the Swedes, began to disappearfrom the camp and go over to Charnyetski. Only the unbroken spirit ofKarl Gustav held the remnant of its dying strength in the whole army.

  For not only did an enemy follow the army; various "parties" underunknown leaders and bands of peasants crossed its road continually.Those bodies, unformed and not very numerous, could not, it is true,strike it with offensive warfare, but they wearied it mortally. Andwishing to instil into the Swedes the conviction that Tartars hadalready come with assistance, all the Polish troops gave forth theTartar shout; therefore "Allah! Allah!" was heard night and day withouta moment's cessation. The Swedish soldiers could not draw breath, couldnot put aside their armor for an instant. More than once a few menalarmed the whole camp. Horses fell by tens, and were eatenimmediately; for the transport of provisions had become impossible.From time to time the Polish horsemen found Swedish corpses terriblydisfigured; here they recognized at once the hands of peasants. Thegreater part of the villages in the triangle between the San and theVistula belonged to the marshal and his relatives; therefore all thepeasants in those parts rose up as one man, for the marshal, unsparingof his own fortune, had announced that whoever took up arms would befreed from subjection. Scarcely had this news gone the round of theregion when the peasants put their scythes on staffs and began to bringSwedish heads into camp: they brought them in every day tillLyubomirski was forced to prohibit that custom as unchristian. Thenthey brought in gloves and boots. The Swedes, driven to desperation,flayed those who fell into their hands; and the war became more andmore dreadful. Some of the Polish troops adhered yet to the Swedes, butthey adhered only through fear. On the road to Lejaysk many of themdeserted; those who remained made such tumults in the camp daily thatKarl Gustav gave orders to shoot a number of officers. This was thesignal for a general withdrawal, which was effected sabre in hand. Few,if any, Poles remained; but Charnyetski, gaining new strength, attackedwith still greater vigor.

  The marshal gave most effectual assistance. During this period, whichby the way was short, the nobler sides of Lyubomirski's nature gained,perhaps, the upper hand over his pride and self-love; therefore heomitted no toil, he spared neither his health nor his person, he ledsquadrons frequently, gave the enemy no rest; and as he was a goodsoldier he rendered good services. These, added to his later ones,would have secured him a glorious memory in the nation, were it not forthat shameless rebellion which toward the end of his career he raisedin order to hinder the reform of the Commonwealth.

  But at this time he did everything to win glory, and he covered himselfwith it as with a robe. Pan Vitovski, the castellan of Sandomir, an oldand experienced soldier, vied with him. Vitovski wished to equalCharnyetski himself; but he could not, for God had denied himgreatness.

  All three crushed the Swedes more and more, and with such effect thatthe infantry and cavalry regiments, to whom it came to form therearguard on the retreat, marched with so much fear that a panic aroseamong them from the slightest cause. Then Karl Gustav decided to marchalways with the rearguard, so as to give courage by his presence.

  But in the very beginning he almost paid for this position withhis life. It happened that having with him a detachment of thelife-guards,--the largest of all the regiments, for the soldiers in itwere selected from the whole Scandinavian people,--the king stopped forrefreshment at the village of Rudnik. When he had dined with the parishpriest he decided to sleep a little, since he had not closed his eyesthe night preceding. The life-guards surrounded the house, to watchover the safety of the king. Meanwhile the priest's horse-boy stoleaway from the village, and coming up to a mare in the field, sprangupon her colt and raced off to Charnyetski.

  Charnyetski was ten miles distant at this time; but his vanguard,composed of the regiment of Prince Dymitri Vishnyevetski, was marchingunder Shandarovski, the lieutenant, about two miles behind the Swedes.Shandarovski was just talking to Roh Kovalski, who had ridden up thatmoment with orders from Charnyetski, when suddenly both saw the ladflying toward them at all horse speed.

  "What devil is that racing up so," asked Shandarovski, "and besides ona colt?"

  "Some village lad," said Kovalski.

  Meanwhile the boy had ridden to the front of the rank, and only stoppedwhen the colt, frightened at horses and men, stood on his hind legs anddug his hoofs into the earth. The youth sprang off, and holding thecolt by the mane, bowed to the knights.

  "Well, what have you to say?" asked the lieutenant, approaching him.

  "The Swedes are with us at the priest's house; they say that the kinghimself is among them!" said the youth, with sparkling eyes.

  "Many of them?"

  "Not more than two hundred horses."

  Shandarovski's eyes now flashed in their turn; but he was afraid of anambush, therefore he looked threateningly at the boy and asked,--

  "Who sent you?"

  "Who was to send me? I jumped myself on the colt, I came near falling,and lost my cap. It is well that the Swedish carrion did not see me!"

  Truth was beating out of the sunburned face of the youth; he hadevidently a great animosity against the Swedes,--he was panting, hischeeks were burning, he stood before the officers holding the mane ofthe colt with one hand, his hair disordered, the shirt open on hisbosom.

  "Where is the rest of the Swedish army?" asked the lieutenant.

  "At daybreak so many passed that we could not count them; those wentfarther, only cavalry remained. But there is one sleeping at thepriest's, and they say that he is the king."

  "Boy," answered Shandarovski, "if you are lying, your head will fall;but if you speak the truth, ask what you please."

  "As true as I live! I want nothing unless the great mighty lord officerwould command to give me a sabre."

  "Give him some blade," cried Shandarovski to his attendants, completelyconvinced now.

  The other officers fell to inquiring of the boy where the house was,where the village, what the Swedes were doing.

  "The dogs! they are watching. If you go straight they will see you; butI will take you behind the alder grove."

  Orders were given at once, and the squadron moved on, first at a trotand then at a gallop. The youth rode before the first rank bareback onhis colt without a bridle. He urged the colt with his heels, and everylittle while looked with sparkling eyes on the naked sabre.

  When the village was in sight, he turned out of the willows and led bya somewhat muddy road to the alder grove, in which it was stillmuddier; therefore they slackened the speed of the horses.

  "Watch!" said the boy; "they are about ten rods on the right from theend of the alder grove."

  They advanced now very slowly, for the road was difficult and heavy;the cavalry horses sank frequently to their knees. At last the aldergrove began to grow thinner, and they came to the edge of the openspace.

 
Not more than three hundred yards distant, they saw a broad squarerising somewhat, and in it the priest's house surrounded by poplars,among which were to be seen the tops of straw beehives. On the squarewere two hundred horsemen in rimmed helmets and breastplates.

  The great horsemen sat on enormous lean horses, and were inreadiness,--some with rapiers at their shoulders, others with musketson their thighs; but they were looking in another direction toward themain road, from which alone they expected the enemy. A splendid bluestandard with a golden lion was waving above their heads.

  Farther on, around the house stood guards by twos. One was turnedtoward the alder grove; but because the sun shone brightly and struckhis eyes, and in the alders, which were already covered with thickleaves, it was almost dark, he could not see the Polish horsemen.

  In Shandarovski, a fiery horseman, the blood began to boil like waterin a pot; but he restrained himself and waited till the ranks should bein order. Meanwhile Roh Kovalski put his heavy hand on the shoulder ofthe youth,--

  "Listen, horsefly!" said he; "have you seen the king?"

  "I saw him, great mighty lord!" whispered the lad.

  "How did he look? How can he be known?"

  "He is terribly black in the face, and wears red ribbons at his side."

  "Did you see his horse?"

  "The horse is black, with a white face."

  "Look out, and show him to me."

  "I will. But shall we go quickly?"

  "Shut your mouth!"

  Here they were silent; and Roh began to pray to the Most Holy Lady topermit him to meet Karl, and to direct his hand at the meeting.

  The silence continued still a moment, then the horse under Shandarovskihimself snorted. At that the horseman on guard looked, quivered as ifsomething had been thrown at his saddle, and fired his pistol.

  "Allah! Allah! Kill, slay! Uha-u, slay!" was heard in the alder grove;and the squadron, coming out of the shadow like lightning, rushed atthe Swedes.

  They struck into the smoke before all could turn front to them, and aterrible hewing began; only sabres and rapiers were used, for no manhad time to fire. In the twinkle of an eye the Poles pushed the Swedesto the fence, which fell with a rattle under the pressure of thehorses' rumps, and the Poles began to slash them so madly that theywere crowded and confused. Twice they tried to close, and twice tornasunder they formed two separate bodies which in a twinkle divided intosmaller groups; at last they were scattered as peas thrown by a peasantthrough the air with a shovel.

  All at once were heard despairing voices: "The king, the king! Save theking!"

  But Karl Gustav, at the first moment of the encounter, with pistols inhand and a sword in his teeth, rushed out. The trooper who held thehorse at the door gave him the beast that moment; the king sprang on,and turning the corner, rushed between the poplars and the beehives toescape by the rear from the circle of battle.

  Reaching the fence he spurred his horse, sprang over, and fell into thegroup of his men who were defending themselves against the right wingof the Poles, who had just surrounded the house and were fighting withthe Swedes behind the garden.

  "To the road!" cried Karl Gustav. And overturning with the hilt of hissword the Polish horseman who was raising his sabre above him, with onespring he came out of the whirl of the fight; the Swedes broke thePolish rank and sprang after him with all their force, as a herd ofdeer hunted by dogs rush whither they are led by their leader.

  The Polish horsemen turned their horses after them, and the chasebegan. Both came out on the highroad from Rudnik to Boyanovka. Theywere seen from the front yard where the main battle was raging, andjust then it was that the voices were heard crying,--

  "The king, the king! Save the king!"

  But the Swedes in the front yard were so pressed by Shandarovski thatthey could not think even of saving themselves; the king raced on thenwith a party of not more than twelve men, while after him were chasingnearly thirty, and at the head of them all Roh Kovalski.

  The lad who was to point out the king was involved somewhere in thegeneral battle, but Roh himself recognized Karl Gustav by the knot ofred ribbons. Then he thought that his opportunity had come; he bent inthe saddle, pressed his horse with the spurs, and rushed on like awhirlwind.

  The pursued, straining the last strength from their horses, stretchedalong over the broad road. But the swifter and lighter Polish horsesbegan soon to gain on them. Roh came up very quickly with the hindmostSwede; he rose in his stirrups for a better blow, and cut terribly;with one awful stroke he took off the arm and the shoulder, and rushedon like the wind, fastening his eyes again on the king.

  The next horseman was black before his eyes; he hurled him down. Hesplit the head and the helmet of the third, and tore farther, havingthe king, and the king only, in his eye. Now the horses of the Swedesbegan to pant and fall; a crowd of Polish horsemen overtook them andcut down the riders in a twinkle.

  Roh had already passed horses and men, so as not to lose time; thedistance between him and Karl Gustav began to decrease. There were onlytwo men between him and the king.

  Now an arrow, sent from a bow by some one of the Poles, sang near theear of Pan Roh, and sank in the loins of the rider rushing before him.The man trembled to the right and the left; at last he bent backward,bellowed with an unearthly voice, and fell from the saddle.

  Between Roh and the king there was now only one man. But that one,wishing evidently to save the king, instead of helping turned hishorse. Kovalski came up, and a cannonball does not sweep a man from thesaddle as he hurled him to the ground; then, giving a fearful shout, herushed forward like a furious stag.

  The king might perhaps have met him, and would have perishedinevitably; but others were flying on behind Roh, and arrows began towhistle; any moment one of them might wound his horse. The king,therefore, pressed his heels more closely, bent his head to the mane,and shot through the space in front of him like a sparrow pursued by ahawk.

  But Roh began not only to prick his own horse with the spurs, but tobeat him with the side of the sabre; and so they sped on one after theother. Trees, stones, willows, flashed before their eyes; the windwhistled in their ears. The king's hat fell from his head; at last hethrew down his purse, thinking that the pitiless rider might be temptedby it and leave the pursuit; but Kovalski did not look at the purse,and rolled his horse on with more and more power till the beast wasgroaning from effort.

  Roh had evidently forgotten himself altogether; for racing onward hebegan to shout in a voice in which besides threats there was also aprayer,--

  "Stop, for God's mercy!"

  Then the king's horse stumbled so violently that if the king had notheld the bridle with all his power the beast would have fallen. Rohbellowed like an aurochs; the distance dividing him from Karl Gustavhad decreased notably.

  After a while the steed stumbled a second time, and again before theking brought him to his feet Roh had approached a number of yards.

  Then he straightened himself in the saddle as if for a blow. He wasterrible; his eyes were bursting out, his teeth were gleaming fromunder his reddish mustaches. One more stumble of the horse, anothermoment, and the fate of the Commonwealth, of all Sweden, of the entirewar would have been decided. But the king's horse began to run again;and the king, turning, showed the barrels of two pistols, and twice didhe fire.

  One of the bullets shattered the knee of Kovalski's horse; he reared,then fell on his forefeet, and dug the earth with his nose.

  The king might have rushed that moment on his pursuer and thrust himthrough with his rapier; but at the distance of two hundred yards otherPolish horsemen were flying forward; so he bent down again in hissaddle, and shot on like an arrow propelled from the bow of a Tartar.

  Kovalski freed himself from his horse. He looked for a whileunconsciously at the fleeing man, then staggered like one drunk, sat onthe road, and began to roar like a bear.

  But the king was each instant farther, farther, farther! He began todiminish, to melt, and the
n vanished in the dark belt of pine scrub.

  Meanwhile, with shouting and roaring, came on Kovalski's companions.There were fifteen of them whose horses held out. One brought theking's purse, another his hat, on which black ostrich feathers werefastened with diamonds. These two began to cry out,--

  "These are yours, comrade! they belong to you of right."

  Others asked: "Do you know whom you were chasing? That was Karlhimself."

  "As God is true! In his life he has never fled before any man as beforeyou. You have covered yourself with immense glory!"

  "And how many men did you put down before you came up with the king?"

  "You lacked only little of freeing the Commonwealth in one flash, withyour sabre."

  "Take the purse!"

  "Take the hat!"

  "The horse was good, but you can buy ten such with these treasures."

  Roh gazed at his comrades with dazed eyes; at last he sprang up andshouted,--

  "I am Kovalski, and this is Pani Kovalski! Go to all the devils!"

  "His mind is disturbed!" cried they.

  "Give me a horse! I'll catch him yet," shouted Roh.

  But they took him by the arms, and though he struggled they brought himback to Rudnik, pacifying and comforting him along the road.

  "You gave him Peter!" cried they. "See what has come to this victor,this conqueror of so many towns and villages!"

  "Ha, ha! He has found out Polish cavaliers!"

  "He will grow tired of the Commonwealth. He has come to closequarters."

  "Vivat, Roh Kovalski!"

  "Vivat, vivat, the most manful cavalier, the pride of the whole army!"

  And they fell to drinking out of their canteens. They gave Roh one, andhe emptied the bottle at a draught.

  During the pursuit of the king along the Boyanovka road the Swedesdefended themselves in front of the priest's house with bravery worthyof their renowned regiment. Though attacked suddenly and scattered veryquickly, they rallied as quickly around their blue standard, for thereason that they were surrounded by a dense crowd. Not one of themasked for quarter, but standing horse to horse, shoulder to shoulder,they thrust so fiercely with their rapiers that for a time victoryseemed to incline to their side. It was necessary either to break themagain, which became impossible since a line of Polish horsemensurrounded them completely, or to cut them to pieces. Shandarovskirecognized the second plan as the better; therefore encircling theSwedes with a still closer ring, he sprang on them like a woundedfalcon on a flock of long-billed cranes. A savage slaughter and pressbegan. Sabres rattled against rapiers, rapiers were broken on the hiltsof sabres. Sometimes a horse rose, like a dolphin above the sea waves,and in a moment fell in the whirl of men and horses. Shouts ceased;there were heard only the cry of horses, the sharp clash of steel,gasping from the panting breasts of the knights; uncommon fury hadmastered the hearts of Poles and Swedes. They fought with fragments ofsabres and rapiers; they closed with one another like hawks, caught oneanother by the hair, by mustaches, gnawed with their teeth; those whohad fallen from their horses and were yet able to stand stabbed withtheir knives horses in the belly and men in the legs; in the smoke, inthe steam from horses, in the terrible frenzy of battle, men wereturned into giants and gave the blows of giants; arms became clubs,sabres lightning. Steel helmets were broken at a blow, like earthenpots; heads were cleft; arms holding sabres were swept away. They hewedwithout rest; they hewed without mercy, without pity. From under thewhirl of men and horses blood began to flow along the yard in streams.

  The great blue standard was waving yet above the Swedish circle, butthe circle diminished with each moment. As when harvesters attack grainfrom two sides, and the sickles begin to glitter, the standing graindisappears and the men see one another more nearly each moment, thusdid the Polish ring become ever narrower, and those fighting on oneside could see the bent sabres fighting on the opposite side.

  Pan Shandarovski was wild as a hurricane, and ate into the Swedes as afamished wolf buries his jaws in the flesh of a freshly killed horse;but one horseman surpassed him in fury, and that was the youth who hadfirst let them know that the Swedes were in Rudnik, and now had sprungin with the whole squadron on the enemy. The priest's colt, three yearsold, which till that time had walked quietly over the land, shut in bythe horses, could not break out of the throng; you would have said hehad gone mad, like his master. With ears thrown back, with eyesbursting out of his bead, with erect mane, he pushed forward, bit, andkicked; but the lad struck with his sabre as with a flail; he struck atrandom, to the right, to the left, straight ahead; his yellow forelockwas covered with blood, the points of rapiers had been thrust into hisshoulders and legs, his face was cut; but these wounds only roused him.He fought with madness, like a man who has despaired of life and wishesonly to avenge his own death.

  But now the Swedish body had decreased like a pile of snow on which menare throwing hot water from every side. At last around the king'sstandard less than twenty men remained. The Polish swarm had coveredthem completely, and they were dying gloomily, with set teeth; no handwas stretched forth, no man asked for mercy. Now in the crowd wereheard voices: "Seize the standard! The standard!"

  When he heard this, the lad pricked his colt and rushed on like aflame. When every Swede had two or three Polish horsemen against him,the lad slashed the standard-bearer in the mouth; he opened his arms,and fell on the horse's mane. The blue standard fell with him.

  The nearest Swede, shouting terribly, grasped after the staff at once;but the boy caught the standard itself, and pulling, tore it off in atwinkle, wound it in a bundle, and holding it with both hands to hisbreast, began to shout to the sky,--

  "I have it, I won't give it! I have it, I won't give it!"

  The last remaining Swedes rushed at him with rage; one thrust the flagthrough, and cut his shoulder.

  Then a number of men stretched their bloody hands to the lad, andcried: "Give the standard, give the standard!"

  Shandarovski sprang to his aid, and commanded: "Let him alone! He tookit before my eyes; let him give it to Charnyetski himself."

  "Charnyetski is coming!" cried a number of voices.

  In fact, from a distance trumpets were heard; and on the road from theside of the field appeared a whole squadron, galloping to the priest'shouse. It was the Lauda squadron; and at the head of it rodeCharnyetski himself. When the men had ridden up, seeing that all wasover, they halted; and Shandarovski's soldiers began to hurry towardthem.

  Shandarovski himself hastened with a report to the castellan; but hewas so exhausted that at first he could not catch breath, for hetrembled as in a fever, and the voice broke in his throat every moment.

  "The king himself was here: I don't know--whether he has escaped!"

  "He has, he has!" answered those who had seen the pursuit.

  "The standard is taken! There are many killed!"

  Charnyetski, without saying a word, hurried to the scene of thestruggle, where a cruel and woful sight presented itself. More than twohundred bodies of Swedes and Poles were lying like a pavement, one atthe side of the other, and often one above the other. Sometimes oneheld another by the hair; some had died biting or tearing one anotherwith their nails; and some again were closed as in a brotherly embrace,or they lay one with his head on the breast of his enemy. Many faceswere so trampled that there remained nothing human in them; those notcrushed by hoofs had their eyes open full of terror, the fierceness ofbattle, and rage. Blood spattered on the softened earth under the feetof Charnyetski's horse, which were soon red above the fetlocks; theodor of blood and the sweat of horses irritated the nostrils andstopped breath in the breast.

  The castellan looked on those corpses of men as the agriculturist lookson bound sheaves of wheat which are to fill out his stacks.Satisfaction was reflected on his face. He rode around the priest'shouse in silence, looked at the bodies lying on the other side, beyondthe garden; then returned slowly to the chief scene.

  "I see genuine work here, and I am
satisfied with you, gentlemen."

  They hurled up their caps with bloody hands.

  "Vivat Charnyetski!"

  "God grant another speedy meeting. Vivat! vivat!"

  And the castellan said: "You will go to the rear for rest. But who tookthe standard?"

  "Give the lad this way!" cried Shandarovski; "where is he?"

  The soldiers sprang for him, and found him sitting at the wall of thestable near the colt, which had fallen from wounds and was justbreathing out his last breath. At the first glance it did not seem thatthe lad would last long, but he held the standard with both hands tohis breast.

  They bore him away at once, and brought him before Charnyetski. Theyouth stood there barefoot, with disordered hair, with naked breast,his shirt and his jacket in shreds, smeared with Swedish blood and hisown, tottering, bewildered, but with unquenched fire in his eyes.

  Charnyetski was astounded at sight of him. "How is this?" asked he."Did he take the royal standard?"

  "With his own hand and his own blood," answered Shandarovski. "He wasthe first also to let us know of the Swedes; and afterward, in thethickest of the whirl, he did so much that he surpassed me and us all."

  "It is truth, genuine truth, as if some one had written it!" criedothers.

  "What is thy name?" asked Charnyetski of the lad.

  "Mihalko."

  "Whose art thou?"

  "The priest's."

  "Thou hast been the priest's, but thou wilt be thy own!" saidCharnyetski.

  Mihalko heard not the last words, for from his wounds and the loss ofblood he tottered and fell, striking the castellan's stirrup with hishead.

  "Take him and give him every care. I am the guaranty that at the firstDiet he will be the equal of you all in rank, as to-day he is the equalin spirit."

  "He deserves it! he deserves it!" cried the nobles.

  Then they took Mihalko on a stretcher, and bore him to the priest'shouse.

  Charnyetski listened to the further report, which not Shandarovskigave, but those who had seen the pursuit of the king by Roh Kovalski.He was wonderfully delighted with that narrative, so that he caught hishead, and struck his thighs with his hands; for he understood thatafter such an adventure the spirit must fall considerably in KarlGustav.

  Zagloba was not less delighted, and putting his hands on his hips, saidproudly to the knights,--

  "Ha! he is a robber, isn't he? If he had reached Karl, the devilhimself could not have saved the king! He is my blood, as God is dearto me, my blood!"

  In course of time Zagloba believed that he was Roh Kovalski's uncle.

  Charnyetski gave orders to find the young knight; but they could notfind him, for Roh, from shame and mortification, had crept into a barn,and burying himself in the straw, had fallen asleep so soundly that hecame up with the squadron only two days later. But he still sufferedgreatly, and dared not show himself before the eyes of his uncle. Hisuncle, however, sought him out, and began to comfort him,--

  "Be not troubled, Roh!" said he. "As it is, you have covered yourselfwith great glory; I have myself heard the castellan praise you: 'To theeye a fool,' said he, 'so that he looks as though he could not countthree, and I see that he is a fiery cavalier who has raised thereputation of the whole army.'"

  "The Lord Jesus has not blessed me," said Roh; "for I got drunk the daybefore, and forgot my prayers."

  "Don't try to penetrate the judgments of God, lest you add blasphemy toother deeds. Whatever you can take on your shoulders take, but takenothing on your mind; if you do, you will fail."

  "Rut I was so near that the sweat from his horse was flying to me. Ishould have cut him to the saddle! Uncle thinks that I have no reasonwhatever!"

  "Every creature," said Zagloba, "has its reason. You are a sprightlylad, Roh, and you will give me comfort yet more than once. God grantyour sons to have the same reason in their fists that you have!"

  "I do not want that! I am Kovalski, and this is Pani Kovalski."