CHAPTER XXXV.
Almost twenty days passed. The king remained continually at thejunction of the rivers, and sent couriers to fortresses and commands inevery direction toward Cracow and Warsaw, with orders for all to hastento him with assistance. They sent him also provisions by the Vistula inas great quantities as possible, but insufficient. After ten days theSwedes began to eat horse-flesh; despair seized the king and thegenerals at thought of what would happen when the cavalry should losetheir horses, and when there would be no beasts to draw cannon. Fromevery side too there came unpleasant news. The whole country wasblazing with war, as if some one had poured pitch over it and set fire.Inferior commands and garrisons could not hasten to give aid, for theywere not able to leave the towns and villages. Lithuania, held hithertoby the iron hand of Pontus do la Gardie, rose as one man. Great Poland,which had yielded first of all, was the first to throw off the yoke,and shone before the whole Commonwealth as an example of endurance,resolve, and enthusiasm. Parties of nobles and peasants rushed not onlyon the garrisons in villages, but even attacked towns. In vain did theSwedes take terrible vengeance on the country, in vain did they cut offthe hands of prisoners, in vain did they send up villages in smoke, cutsettlements to pieces, raise gibbets, bring instruments of torture fromGermany to torture insurgents. Whoso had to suffer, suffered; whoso hadto die, died; but if he was a noble, he died with a sabre; if apeasant, with a scythe in his hand. And Swedish blood was flowingthroughout all Great Poland; the peasants were living in the forests,even women rushed to arms; punishments merely roused vengeance andincreased rage. Kulesha, Jegotski, and the voevoda of Podlyasye movedthrough the country like flames, and besides their parties all thepine-woods were filled with other parties. The fields lay untilled,fierce hunger increased in the land; but it twisted most the entrailsof the Swedes, for they were confined in towns behind closed gates, andcould not go to the open country. At last breath was failing in theirbosoms.
In Mazovia the condition was the same. There the Barkshoe peopledwelling in forest gloom came out of their wildernesses, blocked theroads, seized provisions and couriers. In Podlyasye a numerous smallnobility marched in thousands either to Sapyeha or to Lithuania.Lyubelsk was in the hands of the confederates. From the distant Russiascame Tartars, and with them the Cossacks constrained to obedience.
Therefore all were certain that if not in a week in a month, if not ina month in two, that river fork in which Karl Gustav had halted withthe main army of the Swedes would be turned into one great tomb to theglory of the nation; a great lesson for those who would attack theCommonwealth.
The end of the war was foreseen already; there were some who said thatone way of salvation alone remained to Karl,--to ransom himself andgive Swedish Livland to the Commonwealth.
But suddenly the fortune of Karl and the Swedes was bettered.Marienburg, besieged hitherto in vain, surrendered, March 20, toSteinbock. His powerful and valiant army had then no occupation, andcould hasten to the rescue of the king.
From another direction the Markgraf of Baden, having finished levies,was marching also to the river fork with ready forces, and soldiers yetunwearied.
Both pushed forward, breaking up the smaller bands of insurgents,destroying, burning, slaying. Along the road they gathered in Swedishgarrisons, took the smaller commands, and increased in power, as ariver increases the more it takes streams to its bosom.
Tidings of the fall of Marienburg, of the army of Steinbock, and themarch of the Markgraf of Baden came very quickly to the fork of theriver, and grieved Polish hearts. Steinbock was still far away; but themarkgraf, advancing by forced marches, might soon come up and changethe whole position at Sandomir.
The Polish leaders then held a council in which Charnyetski, Sapyeha,Michael Radzivill, Vitovski, and Lyubomirski, who had grown tired ofbeing on the Vistula, took part. At this council it was decided thatSapyeha with the Lithuanian army was to remain to watch Karl, andprevent his escape, Charnyetski was to move against the Markgraf ofBaden and meet him as quickly as possible; if God gave him victory, hewould return to besiege Karl Gustav.
Corresponding orders were given at once. Next morning he trumpetssounded to horse so quietly that they were barely heard; Charnyetskiwished to depart unknown to the Swedes. At his recent camp-ground anumber of unoccupied parties of nobles and peasants took position atonce. They kindled fires and made an uproar, so that the enemy mightthink that no one had left the place; but Charnyetski's squadrons movedout one after another. First marched the Lauda squadron, which by rightshould have remained with Sapyeha; but since Charnyetski had fallengreatly in love with this squadron, the hetman was loath to take itfrom him. After the Lauda went the Vansovich squadron, chosen men ledby an old soldier half of whose life had been passed in shedding blood;then followed the squadron of Prince Dymitri Vishnyevetski, under thesame Shandarovski who at Rudnik had covered himself with immeasurableglory; then two regiments of Vitovski's dragoons, two regiments of thestarosta of Yavorov; the famed Stapkovski led one; then Charnyetski'sown regiment, the king's regiment under Polyanovski, and Lyubomirski'swhole force. No infantry was taken, because of haste; nor wagons, forthe army went on horseback.
All were drawn up together at Zavada in good strength and greatwillingness. Then Charnyetski himself went out in front, and after hehad arranged them for the march, he withdrew his horse somewhat and letthem pass so as to review well the whole force. The horse under himsniffed, threw up his head and nodded, as if wishing to greet thepassing regiments; and the heart swelled in the castellan himself. Abeautiful view was before him. As far as the eye reached a river ofhorses, a river of stern faces of soldiers, welling up and down withthe movement of the horses; above them still a third river of sabresand lances, glittering and gleaming in the morning sun. A tremendouspower went forth from them, and Charnyetski felt the power in himself;for that was not some kind of collection of volunteers, but men forgedon the anvil of battle, trained, exercised, and in conflict so"venomous" that no cavalry on earth of equal numbers could withstandthem. Therefore Charnyetski felt with certainty, without doubt, that hewould bear asunder with sabres and hoofs the army of the Markgraf ofBaden; and that victory, felt in advance, made his face so radiant thatit gleamed on the regiments.
"With God to victory!" cried he at last.
"With God! We will conquer!" answered mighty voices.
And that shout flew through all the squadrons like deep thunder throughclouds. Charnyetski spurred his horse to come up with the Laudasquadron, marching in the van.
The army moved forward.
They advanced not like men, but like a flock of ravening birds whichhaving wind of a battle from afar, fly to outstrip the tempest. Never,even among Tartars in the steppes, had any man heard of such a march.The soldiers slept in the saddles; they ate and drank withoutdismounting; they fed the horses from their hands. Rivers, forests,villages, were left behind them. Scarcely had peasants hurried out fromtheir cottages to look at the army when the army had vanished behindclouds of dust in the distance. They marched day and night, restingonly just enough to escape killing the horses.
At Kozyenitsi they came upon eight Swedish squadrons under Torneskiold.The Lauda men, marching in the van, first saw the enemy, and withouteven drawing breath sprang at them straightway and into the fire. Nextadvanced Shandarovski, then Vansovich, and then Stapkovski.
The Swedes, thinking that they had to deal with some mere commonparties, met them in the open field, and two hours later there was nota living man left to go to the markgraf and tell him that Charnyetskiwas coming. Those eight squadrons were simply swept asunder on sabres,without leaving a witness of defeat. Then the Poles moved straight onto Magnushev, for spies informed them that the markgraf was at Varkawith his whole army.
Volodyovski was sent in the night with a party to learn how the armywas disposed, and what its power was.
Zagloba complained greatly of that expedition, for even the famedVishnyevetski had never made such marches
as this; therefore the oldman complained, but he chose to go with Pan Michael rather than remainwith the army.
"It was a golden time at Sandomir," said he, stretching himself in thesaddle; "a man ate, drank, and looked at the besieged Swedes in thedistance; bat now there is not time even to put a canteen to yourmouth. I know the military arts of the ancients, of the great Pompeyand Caesar; but Charnyetski has invented a new style. It is contrary toevery rule to shake the stomach so many days and nights. Theimagination begins to rebel in me from hunger, and it seems to mecontinually that the stars are buckwheat pudding and the moon cheese.To the dogs with such warfare! As God is dear to me, I want to gnaw myown horses' ears off from hunger."
"To-morrow, God grant, we shall rest after finishing the Swedes."
"I would rather have the Swedes than this tediousness! O Lord! O Lord!when wilt Thou give peace to this Commonwealth, and to Zagloba a warmplace at the stove and heated beer, even without cream? Batter along,old man, on your nag, batter along, till you batter your body to death.Has any one there snuff? Maybe I could sneeze out this sleepinessthrough my nostrils. The moon is shining through my mouth, looking intomy stomach, but I cannot tell what the moon is looking for there; itwill find nothing. I repeat, to the dogs with such warfare!"
"If Uncle thinks that the moon is cheese, then eat it, Uncle," said RohKovalski.
"If I should eat you I might say that I had eaten beef; but I am afraidthat after such a roast I should lose the rest of my wit."
"If I am an ox and Uncle is my uncle, then what is Uncle?"
"But, you fool, do you think that Althea gave birth to a firebrandbecause she sat by the stove?"
"How does that touch me?"
"In this way. If you are an ox, then ask about your father first, notabout your uncle: for a bull carried off Europa, but her brother, whowas uncle to her children, was a man for all that. Do you understand?"
"To tell the truth, I do not; but as to eating I could eat somethingmyself."
"Eat the devil and let me sleep! What is it, Pan Michael? Why have wehalted?"
"Varka is in sight," answered Volodyovski. "See, the church tower isgleaming in the moonlight."
"But have we passed Magnushev?"
"Magnushev is behind on the right. It is a wonder to me that there isno Swedish party on this side of the river. Let us go to those thicketsand stop; perhaps God may send us some informant."
Pan Michael led his detachment to the thicket, and disposed it about ahundred yards from the road on each side, ordering the men to remainsilent, and hold the bridles closely so the horses might not neigh.
"Wait," said he. "Let us hear what is being done on the other side ofthe river, and perhaps we may see something."
They stood there waiting; but for a long time nothing was to be heard.The wearied soldiers began to nod in the saddles. Zagloba dropped onthe horse's neck and fell asleep; even the horses were slumbering. Anhour passed. The accurate ear of Volodyovski heard something like thetread of a horse on a firm road.
"Hold! silence!" said he to the soldiers.
He pushed out himself to the edge of the thicket, and looked along theroad. The road was gleaming in the moonlight like a silver ribbon;there was nothing visible on it, still the sound of horses came nearer.
"They are coming surely!" said Volodyovski.
All held their horses more closely, each one restraining his breath.Meanwhile on the road appeared a Swedish party of thirty horsemen. Theyrode slowly and carelessly enough, not in line, but in a stragglingrow. Some of the soldiers were talking, others were singing in a lowvoice; for the night, warm as in May, acted on the ardent souls of thesoldiers. Without suspicion they passed near Pan Michael, who wasstanding so hard by the edge of the thicket that he could catch theodor of horses and the smoke of pipes which the soldiers had lighted.
At last they vanished at the turn of the road. Volodyovski waited tillthe tramp had died in the distance; then only did he go to his men andsay to Pan Yan and Pan Stanislav,--
"Let us drive them now, like geese, to the camp of the castellan. Not aman must escape, lest he give warning."
"If Charnyetski does not let us eat then and sleep," said Zagloba, "Iwill resign his service and return to Sapyo. With Sapyo, when there isa battle, there is a battle; but when there is a respite, there is afeast. If you had four lips, he would give each one of them enough todo. He is the leader for me! And in truth tell me by what devil are wenot serving with Sapyo, since this regiment belongs to him by right?"
"Father, do not blaspheme against the greatest warrior in theCommonwealth," said Pan Yan.
"It is not I that blaspheme, but my entrails, on which hunger isplaying, as on a fiddle--"
"The Swedes will dance to the music," interrupted Volodyovski. "Now,gentlemen, let us advance quickly! I should like to come up with themexactly at that inn in the forest which we passed in coming hither."
And he led on the squadron quickly, but not too quickly. They rode intoa dense forest in which darkness enclosed them. The inn was less thantwo miles distant. When Volodyovski had drawn near, he went again at awalk, so as not to alarm the Swedes too soon. When not more than acannon-shot away, the noise of men was heard.
"They are there and making an uproar!" said Pan Michael.
The Swedes had, in fact, stopped at the inn, looking for some livingperson to give information. But the place was empty. Some of thesoldiers were shaking up the main building; others were looking in thecow-house, in the shed, or raising the thatch on the roof. One half ofthe men remained on the square holding the horses of those who weresearching.
Pan Michael's division approached within a hundred yards, and began tosurround the inn with a Tartar crescent. Those of the Swedes standingin front heard perfectly, and at last saw men and horses; since,however, it was dark in the forest they could not see what kind oftroops were coming; but they were not alarmed in the least, notadmitting that others than Swedes could come from that point. At lastthe movement of the crescent astonished and disturbed them. They calledat once to those who were in the buildings.
Suddenly a shout of "Allah!" was heard, and the sound of shots, in onemoment dark crowds of soldiers appeared as if they had grown out of theearth. Now came confusion, a flash of sabres, oaths, smothered shouts;but the whole affair did not last longer than the time needed to saythe Lord's Prayer twice.
There remained on the ground before the inn five bodies of men andhorses; Volodyovski moved on, taking with him twenty-five prisoners.
They advanced at a gallop, urging the Swedish horses with the sides oftheir sabres, and arrived at Magnushev at daybreak. In Charnyetski'scamp no one was sleeping; all were ready. The castellan himself cameout leaning on his staff, thin and pale from watching.
"How is it?" asked he of Pan Michael. "Have you many informants?"
"Twenty-five prisoners."
"Did many escape?"
"All are taken."
"Only send you, soldier, even to hell! Well done! Take them at once tothe torture, I will examine them."
Then the castellan turned, and when departing said,--
"But be in readiness, for perhaps we may move on the enemy withoutdelay."
"How is that?" asked Zagloba.
"Be quiet!" said Volodyovski.
The prisoners, without being burned, told in a moment what they knew ofthe forces of the markgraf,--how many cannons he had, what infantryand cavalry. Charnyetski grew somewhat thoughtful; for he learned thatit was really a newly levied army, but formed of the oldest soldiers,who had taken part in God knows how many wars. There were also manyGermans among them, and a considerable division of French; the wholeforce exceeded that of the Poles by several hundred. But it appearedfrom the statements of the prisoners that the markgraf did not evenadmit that Charnyetski was near, and believed that the Poles werebesieging Karl Gustav with all their forces at Sandomir.
The castellan had barely heard this when he sprang up and cried to hisattendant: "Vitovski, give command to sound
the trumpet to horse!"
Half an hour later the army moved and marched in the fresh springmorning through forests and fields covered with dew. At last Varka--orrather its ruins, for the place had been burned almost to the groundsix years before--appeared on the horizon.
Charnyetski's troops were marching over an open flat; therefore theycould not be concealed from the eyes of the Swedes. In fact they wereseen; but the markgraf thought that they were various "parties" whichhad combined in a body with the intent of alarming the camp.
Only when squadron after squadron, advancing at a trot, appeared frombeyond the forest, did a feverish activity rise in the Swedish camp.Charnyetski's men saw smaller divisions of horsemen and single officershurrying between the regiments. The bright-colored Swedish infantrybegan to pour into the middle of the plain; the regiments formed oneafter another before the eyes of the Poles and were numerous,resembling a flock of many-colored birds. Over their heads were raisedtoward the sun quadrangles of strong spears with which the infantryshielded themselves against attacks of cavalry. Finally, were seencrowds of Swedish armored cavalry advancing at a trot along the wings;the artillery was drawn up and brought to the front in haste. All thepreparations, all the movements were as visible as something on thepalm of the hand, for the sun had risen clearly, splendidly, andlighted up the whole country.
The Pilitsa separated the two armies.
On the Swedish bank trumpets and kettle-drums were heard, and theshouts of soldiers coming with all speed into line. Charnyetski orderedalso to sound the crooked trumpets, and advanced with his squadronstoward the river.
Then he rushed with all the breath of his horse to the Vansovichsquadron, which was nearest the Pilitsa.
"Old soldier!" cried he to Vansovich, "advance for me to the bridge,there dismount and to muskets! Let all their force be turned on you!Lead on!"
Vansovich merely flushed a little from desire, and waved his baton. Themen shouted and shot after him like a cloud of dust driven by wind.
When they came within three hundred yards of the bridge, they slackenedthe speed of their horses; then two thirds of them sprang from thesaddles and advanced on a run to the bridge.
But the Swedes came from the other side; and soon muskets began toplay, at first slowly, then every moment more briskly, as if a thousandflails were beating irregularly on a barn-floor. Smoke stretched overthe river. Shouts of encouragement were thundering from one and theother command. The minds of both armies were bent to the bridge, whichwas wooden, narrow, difficult to take, but easy to defend. Still overthis bridge alone was it possible to cross to the Swedes.
A quarter of an hour later Charnyetski pushed forward Lyubomirski'sdragoons to the aid of Vansovich.
But the Swedes now attacked the opposite front with artillery. Theydrew up new pieces one after another, and bombs began to fly with ahowl over the heads of Vansovich's men and the dragoons, to fall in themeadow and dig into the earth, scattering mud and turf on thosefighting.
The markgraf, standing near the forest in the rear of the army, watchedthe battle through a field-glass. From time to time he removed theglass from his eyes, looked at his staff, shrugged his shoulders andsaid with astonishment: "They have gone mad; they want absolutely toforce the bridge. A few guns and two or three regiments might defend itagainst a whole army."
Vansovich advanced still more stubbornly with his men; hence thedefence grew still more resolute. The bridge became the central pointof the battle, toward which the whole Swedish line was approaching andconcentrating. An hour later the entire Swedish order of battle waschanged, and they stood with flank to their former position. The bridgewas simply covered with a rain of fire and iron. Vansovich's men werefalling thickly; meanwhile orders came more and more urgent to advanceabsolutely.
"Charnyetski is murdering those men!" cried Lyubomirski on a sudden.
Vitovski, as an experienced soldier, saw that evil was happening, andhis whole body quivered with impatience; at last he could endure nolonger. Spurring his horse till the beast groaned piteously, he rushedto Charnyetski, who during all this time, it was unknown why, waspushing men toward the river.
"Your grace," cried Vitovski, "blood is flowing for nothing; we cannotcarry that bridge!"
"I do not want to carry it!" answered Charnyetski.
"Then what does your grace want? What must we do?"
"To the river with the squadrons! to the river! And you to your place!"
Here Charnyetski's eyes flashed such lightnings that Vitovski withdrewwithout saying a word.
Meanwhile the squadrons had come within twenty paces of the bank, andstood in a long line parallel with the bed of the river. None of theofficers or the soldiers had the slightest suspicion of what they weredoing.
In a flash Charnyetski appeared like a thunderbolt before the front ofthe squadrons. There was fire in his face, lightning in his eyes. Asharp wind had raised the burka on his shoulders so that it was likestrong wings: his horse sprang and reared, casting fire from hisnostrils. The castellan dropped his sword on its pendant, took the rapfrom his head, and with hair erect shouted to his division,--
"Gentlemen! the enemy defends himself with this water, and jeers at us!He has sailed through the sea to crush our fatherland, and he thinksthat we in defence of it cannot swim through this river!"
Here he hurled his cap to the earth, and seizing his sabre pointed withit to the swollen waters. Enthusiasm bore him away, for he stood in thesaddle and shouted more mightily still,--
"To whom God, faith, fatherland, are all, follow me!"
And pressing the horse with the spurs so that the steed sprang as itwere into space, he rushed into the river. The wave plashed around him;man and horse were hidden under water, but they rose in the twinkle ofan eye.
"After my master!" cried Mihalko, the same who had covered himself withglory at Rudnik; and he sprang into the water.
"After me!" shouted Volodyovski, with a shrill but thin voice; and hesprang in before he had finished shouting.
"O Jesus! O Mary!" bellowed Zagloba, raising his horse for the leap.
With that an avalanche of men and horses dashed into the river, so thatit struck both banks with wild impetus. After the Lauda squadron wentVishnyevetski's, then Vitovski's, then Stapkovski's, after that all theothers. Such a frenzy seized the men that the squadrons crowded oneanother in emulation; the shouts of command were mingled with the roarof the soldiers; the river overflowed the banks and foamed itself intomilk in a moment. The current bore the regiments down somewhat; but thehorses, pricked with spurs, swam like a countless herd of dolphins,snorting and groaning. They filled the river to such a degree that themass of heads of horses and riders formed as it were a bridge on whicha man might have passed with dry foot to the other bank.
Charnyetski swam over first; but before the water had dropped from himthe Lauda squadron had followed him to land; then he waved his baton,and cried to Volodyovski,--
"On a gallop! Strike!"
And to the Vishnyevetski squadron under Shandarovski,--
"With them!"
And so he sent the squadrons one after another, till he had sent all.He stood at the head of the last himself, and shouting, "In the name ofGod! with luck!" followed the others.
Two regiments of Swedish cavalry posted in reserve saw what washappening; but such amazement had seized the colonels that before theycould move from their tracks the Lauda men, urging their horses to thehighest speed, and sweeping with irresistible force, struck the firstregiment, scattered that, as a whirlwind scatters leaves, hurled itagainst the second, brought that to disorder; then Shandarovski cameup, and a terrible slaughter began, but of short duration; after awhile the Swedish ranks were broken, and a disordered throng plungedforward toward the main army.
Charnyetski's squadron pursued them with a fearful outcry, slashing,thrusting, strewing the field with corpses.
At last it was clear why Charnyetski had commanded Vansovich to carrythe bridge, though he had no thought of cr
ossing it. The chiefattention of the whole army had been concentrated on that point;therefore no one defended, or had time to defend, the river itself.Besides nearly all the artillery and the entire front of the Swedisharmy was turned toward the bridge; and now when three thousand cavalrywere rushing with all impetus against the flank of that army, it wasneedful to change the order of battle, to form a new front, to defendthemselves even well or ill against the shock. Now rose a terriblehaste and confusion; infantry and cavalry regiments turned with allspeed to face the enemy, straining themselves in their hurry, knockingone against another, not understanding commands in the uproar, actingindependently. In vain did the officers make superhuman efforts; invain did the markgraf move straightway the regiments of cavalry postedat the forest; before they came to any kind of order, before theinfantry could put the butt ends of their lances in the ground to holdthe points to the enemy, the Lauda squadron fell, like the spirit ofdeath, into the very midst of their ranks; after it a second, a third,a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth squadron. Then began the day ofjudgment! The smoke of musketry fire covered, as if with a cloud, thewhole scene of conflict; and in that cloud screams, seething, unearthlyvoices of despair, shouts of triumph, the sharp clang of steel, as ifin an infernal forge, the rattling of muskets; at times a flag shoneand fell in the smoke; then the gilded point of a regimental banner,and again you saw nothing; but a roar was heard more and more terrible,as if the earth had broken on a sudden under the river, and its waterswere tumbling down into fathomless abysses.
Now on the flank other sounds were heard. This was Vansovich, who hadcrossed the bridge and was marching on the new flank of the enemy.After this the battle did not last long.
From out that cloud large groups of men began to push, and run towardthe forest in disorder, wild, without caps, without helmets, withoutarmor. Soon after them burst out a whole flood of people in the mostdreadful disorder. Artillery, infantry, cavalry mingled together fledtoward the forest at random, in alarm and terror. Some soldiers criedin sky-piercing voices; others fled in silence, covering their headswith their hands. Some in their haste threw away their clothing; othersstopped those running ahead, fell down themselves, trampled oneanother; and right there behind them, on their shoulders and heads,rushed a line of Polish cavaliers. Every moment you saw whole ranks ofthem spurring their horses and rushing into the densest throngs of men.No one defended himself longer; all went under the sword. Body fellupon body. The Poles hewed without rest, without mercy, on the wholeplain; along the bank of the river toward the forest, as far as the eyecould reach you saw merely pursued and pursuing; only here and therescattered groups of infantry offered an irregular, despairingresistance; the cannons were silent. The battle ceased to be a battle;it had turned into a slaughter.
All that part of the army which fled toward the forest was cut topieces; only a few squadrons of Swedish troopers entered it. After themthe light squadrons of Poles sprang in among the trees.
But in the forest peasants were waiting for that unslain remnant,--thepeasants who at the sound of the battle had rushed together from allthe surrounding villages.
The most terrible pursuit, however, continued on the road to Warsaw,along which the main forces of the Swedes were fleeing. The youngMarkgraf Adolph struggled twice to cover the retreat; but beaten twice,he fell into captivity himself. His auxiliary division of Frenchinfantry, composed of four hundred men, threw away their arms; threethousand chosen soldiers, musketeers and cavalry, fled as far asMnishev. The musketeers were cut down in Mnishev; the cavalry werepursued toward Chersk, until they were scattered completely through theforest, reeds, and brush; there the peasants hunted them out one by oneon the morrow.
Before the sun had set, the army of Friederich, Markgraf of Baden, hadceased to exist.
On the first scene of battle there remained only the standard-bearerswith their standards, for all the troops had followed the enemy. Andthe sun was well inclined to its setting when the first bodies ofcavalry began to appear from the side of the forest and Mnishev. Theyreturned with singing and uproar, hurling their caps in the air, firingfrom pistols. Almost all led with them crowds of bound prisoners. Thesewalked at the sides of the horses they were without caps, withouthelmets, with heads drooping on their breasts, torn, bloody, stumblingevery moment against the bodies of fallen comrades. The field of battlepresented a terrible sight. In places, where the struggle had beenfiercest, there lay simply piles of bodies half a spear-length inheight. Some of the infantry still held in their stiffened hands longspears. The whole ground was covered with spears. In places they weresticking still in the earth; here and there pieces of them formed as itwere fences and pickets. But on all sides was presented mostly adreadful and pitiful mingling of bodies, of men mashed with hoofs,broken muskets, drums, trumpets, caps, belts, tin boxes which theinfantry carried; hands and feet sticking out in such disorder from thepiles of bodies that it was difficult to tell to what body theybelonged. In those places specially where the infantry defended itselfwhole breastworks of corpses were lying.
Somewhat farther on, near the river, stood the artillery, now cold,some pieces overturned by the onrush of men, others as it were ready tobe fired. At the sides of them lay the cannoneers now held in eternalsleep. Many bodies were hanging across the guns and embracing them withtheir arms, as if those soldiers wished still to defend them afterdeath. The brass, spotted with blood and brains, glittered with illomen in the beams of the setting sun. The golden rays were reflected instiffened blood, which here and there formed little lakes. Itsnauseating odor was mingled over the whole field with the smell ofpowder, the exhalation from bodies, and the sweat of horses.
Before the setting of the sun Charnyetski returned with the king'sregiment, and stood in the middle of the field. The troops greeted himwith a thundering shout. Whenever a detachment came up it cheeredwithout end. He stood in the rays of the sun, wearied beyond measure,but all radiant, with bare head, his sword hanging on his belt, and heanswered to every cheer,--
"Not to me, gentlemen, not to me, but to the name of God!"
At his side were Vitovski and Lyubomirski, the latter as bright as thesun itself, for he was in gilded plate armor, his face splashed withblood; for he had worked terribly and labored with his own hand as asimple soldier, but discontented and gloomy, for even his own regimentsshouted,--
"Vivat Charnyetski, _dux et victor_ (commander and conqueror)!"
Envy began then to dive into the soul of the marshal.
Meanwhile new divisions rolled in from every side of the field; eachtime an officer came up and threw a banner, captured from the enemy, atCharnyetski's feet. At sight of this rose new shouts, new cheers,hurling of caps into the air, and the firing of pistols.
The sun was sinking lower and lower.
Then in the one church that remained after the fire in Varka theysounded the Angelus; that moment all uncovered their heads. FatherPyekarski, the company priest, began to intone: "The Angel of the Lordannounced unto the Most Holy Virgin Mary!" and a thousand iron breastsanswered at once, with deep voices: "And she conceived of the HolyGhost!"
All eyes were raised to the heavens, which were red with the eveningtwilight; and from that bloody battle-field began to rise a pious hymnto the light playing in the sky before night.
Just as they had ceased to sing, the Lauda squadron began to come up ata trot; it had chased the enemy farthest. The soldiers throw morebanners at Charnyetski's feet. He rejoiced in heart, and seeingVolodyovski, urged his horse toward him and asked,--
"Have many of them escaped?"
Pan Michael shook his head as a sign that not many had escaped, but hewas so near being breathless that he was unable to utter one word; hemerely gasped with open mouth, time after time, so that his breast washeaving. At last he pointed to his lips, as a sign that he could notspeak. Charnyetski understood him and pressed his head.
"He has toiled!" said he; "God grant us more such."
Zagloba hurried to catch his breath, and said, with chat
tering teethand broken voice,--
"For God's sake! The cold wind is blowing on me, and I am all in asweat. Paralysis will strike me. Pull the clothes off some fat Swedeand give them to me, for everything on me is wet,--wet, and it is wetin this place. I know not what is water, what is my own sweat, and whatis Swedish blood. If I have ever expected in my life to cut down somany of those scoundrels, I am not fit to be the crupper of a saddle.The greatest victory of this war! But I will not spring into water asecond time. Eat not, drink not, sleep not, and then a bath! I have hadenough in my old years. My hand is benumbed; paralysis has struck mealready; gorailka, for the dear God!"
Charnyetski, hearing this, and seeing the old man really coveredcompletely with the blood of the enemy, took pity on his age and gavehim his own canteen.
Zagloba raised it to his mouth, and after a while returned it empty;then he said,--
"I have gulped so much water in the Pilitsa, that we shall soon see howfish will hatch in my stomach; but that gorailka is better than water."
"Dress in other clothes, even Swedish," said Charnyetski.
"I'll find a big Swede for Uncle!" said Roh.
"Why should I have bloody clothes from a corpse?" said Zagloba; "takeoff everything to the shirt from that general whom I captured."
"Have you taken a general?" asked Charnyetski, with animation.
"Whom have I not taken, whom have I not slain?" answered Zagloba.
Now Volodyovski recovered speech: "We have taken the younger markgraf,Adolph; Count Falckenstein, General Wegier, General Poter Benzij, notcounting inferior officers."
"But the Markgraf Friederich?" asked Charnyetski.
"If he has not fallen here, he has escaped to the forest; but if he hasescaped, the peasants will kill him."
Volodyovski was mistaken in his previsions. The Markgraf Friederichwith Counts Schlippenbach and Ehrenhain, wandering through the forest,made their way in the night to Chersk; after sitting there in theruined castle three days and nights in hunger and cold, they wanderedby night to Warsaw. That did not save them from captivity afterward;this time, however, they escaped.
It was night when Charnyetski came to Varka from the field. That wasperhaps the gladdest night of his life, for such a great disaster theSwedes had not suffered since the beginning of the war. All theartillery, all the flags, all the officers, except the chief, werecaptured. The army was cut to pieces, driven to the four winds; theremnants of it were forced to fall victims to bands of peasants. Butbesides, it was shown that those Swedes who held themselves invinciblecould not stand before regular Polish squadrons in the open field.Charnyetski understood at last what a mighty result this victory wouldwork in the whole Commonwealth,--how it would raise courage, how itwould rouse enthusiasm; he saw already the whole Commonwealth, in nodistant future, free from oppression, triumphant. Perhaps, too, he sawwith the eyes of his mind the gilded baton of the grand hetman on thesky.
He was permitted to dream of this, for he had advanced toward it as atrue soldier, as a defender of his country, and he was of those whogrow not from salt nor from the soil, but from that which pains them.
Meanwhile he could hardly embrace with his whole soul the joy whichflowed in upon him; therefore he turned to Lyubomirski, riding at hisside, and said,--
"Now to Sandomir! to Sandomir with all speed! Since the army knows nowhow to swim rivers, neither the San nor the Vistula will frighten us!"
Lyubomirski said not a word; but Zagloba, riding a little apart inSwedish uniform, permitted himself to say aloud,--
"Go where you like, but without me, for I am not a weathercock to turnnight and day without food or sleep."
Charnyetski was so rejoiced that he was not only not angry, but heanswered in jest,--
"You are more like the belfry than the weathercock, since, as I see,you have sparrows in your head. But as to eating and rest it belongs toall."
To which Zagloba said, but in an undertone. "Whoso has a beak on hisface has a sparrow on his mind."
The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 2 (of 2) Page 35
