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

by Henryk Sienkiewicz

  CHAPTER XLIX.

  Kmita, wishing to pass from Warsaw to Royal Prussia and Lithuania, hadreally no easy task in the very beginning, for not farther from Warsawthan Serotsk was a great Swedish force. Karl Gustav in his time hadcommanded it to take position there purposely to hinder the siege ofthe capital. But since Warsaw was captured, that army had nothingbetter to do than stop the divisions which Yan Kazimir might send toLithuania or Prussia. At the head of the Swedish force were two Polishtraitors, Radzeyovski and Radzivill, with Douglas, a skilful warrior,trained as no other of the Swedish generals in sudden warfare; withthem were two thousand chosen infantry and cavalry, with artillery ofequal number. When the leaders heard of Kmita's expedition, since itwas necessary for them in every event to approach Lithuania to saveTykotsin, besieged anew by Mazovians and men of Podlyasye, they spreadwidely their nets for Pan Andrei in the triangle on the Bug, betweenSerotsk on one side and Zlotorya on the other, and Ostrolenko at thepoint.

  Kmita had to pass through that triangle, for he was hurrying, and therelay his nearest road. He noticed in good season that he was in a net,but because he was accustomed to that method of warfare he was notdisconcerted. He counted on this,--that the net was too greatlyextended, and therefore the meshes in it were so widely stretched thathe would be able to pass through them. What is more, though they huntedhim diligently, not only did he double back, not only did he escape,but he hunted them. First, he passed the Bug behind Serotsk, pushedalong the bank of the river to Vyshkov in Branshchyk; he cut to piecesthree hundred horse sent on a reconnoissance, so that, as the princehad written, not a man returned to give account of the disaster.Douglas himself pushed him into Dlugosyodle; but Kmita, dispersing thecavalry, turned back, and instead of fleeing with all his might, wentstraight to the eyes of the enemy as far as the Narev, which he crossedby swimming. Douglas stood on the bank waiting for boats; but beforethey were brought Kmita returned in the dark through the river, andstriking the vanguard of the Swedes brought panic and disorder toDouglas's whole division.

  The old general was amazed at this movement; but next day his amazementwas greater, when he learned that Kmita had gone around the whole army,and doubling back to the spot from which they had started him like awild beast, had seized at Branshchyk Swedish wagons following the army,together with booty and money, cutting down at the same time fifty menof the infantry convoy.

  Sometimes the Swedes saw Kmita's Tartars for whole days with the nakedeye on the edge of the horizon, but could not reach them. Still PanAndrei carried off something every moment. The Swedish soldiers werewearied, and the Polish squadrons which held yet with Radzeyovski,though formed of dissenters, served unwillingly. But the populationserved Kmita with enthusiasm. He knew every movement of the smallestscouting-party, of each wagon which went forward or remained in therear. Sometimes it seemed that he was playing with the Swedes, but thatwas tiger-play. He spared no prisoners; he ordered the Tartars to hangthem, for the Swedes did the same. At times you would say thatirrepressible fury had come upon him, for he hurled himself with blindinsolence on superior forces.

  "An insane man leads that division!" said Douglas.

  "Or a mad dog!" said Radzeyovski.

  Boguslav thought he was one and the other, but underneath both aconsummate soldier. The prince related boastingly to the generals thathe had hurled that cavalier twice to the earth, with his own hand.

  In fact, Babinich attacked Boguslav most furiously. He sought himevidently; the pursued became himself the pursuer.

  Douglas divined that there must be some personal hatred in the matter.

  The prince did not deny this, though he gave no explanations. He paidBabinich with the same coin; for following the example of Hovanski, heput a price on his head; and when that availed nothing, he thought totake advantage of Kmita's hatred and through it bring him into a trap.

  "It is a shame for us to bother so long with this robber," said he toDouglas and Radzeyovski; "he is prowling around us like a wolf around asheepfold. I will go against him with a small division as a decoy; andwhen he strikes me I will detain him till you come up; then we will notlet the craw-fish out of the net."

  Douglas, whom this chase had long since annoyed, made only smallopposition, asserting that he could not and should not expose the lifeof such a great dignitary and relative of kings to the chance of beingseized by one marauder. But when Boguslav insisted, he agreed.

  It was determined that the prince should go with a detachment of fivehundred troopers, that each man should have behind him a foot soldierwith a musket. This stratagem was to lead Babinich into error.

  "He will not restrain himself when he hears of only five hundredhorsemen, and he will attack undoubtedly," said the prince. "When theinfantry spit in his eyes, his Tartars will scatter like sand; he willfall himself, or we shall take him alive."

  This plan was carried out quickly and with great accuracy. First, newswas sent out, two days in advance, that a party of five hundred horsewas to march under Prince Boguslav. The generals calculated withcertainty that the local inhabitants would inform Babinich of this. Infact, they did inform him.

  The prince marched in the deep and dark night toward Vansosh andYelonka, passed the river at Cherevino, and leaving his cavalry in theopen field, stationed his infantry in the neighboring groves, whencethey might issue unexpectedly. Meanwhile Douglas was to push along bythe bank of the Narev, feigning to march on Ostrolenko. Radzeyovski wasin advance, with the lighter cavalry from Ksyenjopole.

  Neither of the three leaders knew well where Babinich was at thatmoment, for it was impossible to learn anything from the peasants, andthe cavalry were not able to seize Tartars. But Douglas supposed thatBabinich's main forces were in Snyadovo, and he wished to surroundthem, so that if Babinich should move on Boguslav, he would intercepthim on the side of the Lithuanian boundary and cut off his retreat.

  Everything seemed to favor the Swedish plans. Kmita was really inSnyadovo; and barely had the news of Boguslav's approach reached him,when he fell at once into the forest, so as to come out unexpectedlynear Cherevino.

  Douglas, turning aside from the Narev, struck in a few days upon thetraces of the Tartar march, and advanced by the same road, thereforefrom the rear after Babinich. Heat tormented the horses greatly, aswell as the men encased in iron armor; but the general advanced withoutregard to those hindrances, absolutely certain that he would come uponBabinich's army unexpectedly and in time of battle.

  Finally, after two days' march he came so near Cherevino that the smokeof the cottages was visible. Then he halted, and occupying all thepassages and narrow pathways, waited.

  Some officers wished to advance as a forlorn hope and strike at once;but Douglas restrained them, saying,--

  "Babinich, after attacking the prince, when he sees that he has to donot with cavalry alone, but also with infantry, will be obliged toretreat; and as he can retreat only by the old road, he will fall as itwere into our open arms."

  In fact, it seemed that all they had to do was to listen, and soonTartar howling would be heard, and the first discharges of musketry.

  Meanwhile one day passed, and in the forests of Cherevino it was assilent as if a soldier's foot had never been in it.

  Douglas grew impatient, and toward night sent forward a small party tothe field, enjoining on them the utmost caution.

  The party returned in the depth of the night, without having seen ordone anything. At daylight Douglas himself advanced with his wholeforce. After a march of some hours he reached a place filled withtraces of the presence of soldiers. His men found remnants of biscuits,broken glass, bits of clothing, and a belt with cartridges such as theSwedish infantry use; it became certain that Boguslav's infantry hadstopped in that place, but they were not visible anywhere. Farther onin the damp forest Douglas's vanguard found many tracks of heavycavalry horses, but on the edge tracks of Tartar ponies; still fartheron lay the carcass of a horse, from which the wolves had recently tornout the e
ntrails. About a furlong beyond they found a Tartar arrowwithout the point, but with the shaft entire. Evidently Boguslav wasretreating, and Babinich was following him.

  Douglas understood that something unusual must have happened. But whatwas it? To this there was no answer. Douglas fell to pondering.Suddenly his meditation was interrupted by an officer from thevanguard.

  "Your worthiness!" said the officer, "through the thicket about afurlong away are some men in a crowd. They do not move, as if they wereon watch. I have brought the guard to a halt, so as to report to you."

  "Cavalry or infantry?" asked Douglas.

  "Infantry. There are four or five of them in a group; it was notpossible to count them accurately, for the branches hide them. But theyseem yellow, like our musketeers."

  Douglas pressed his horse with his knees, pushed forward quickly to thevanguard, and advanced with it. Through the thickets, now thinner, wereto be seen in the remoter deep forest a group of soldiers perfectlymotionless, standing under a tree.

  "They are ours, they are ours!" said Douglas. "The prince must be inthe neighborhood."

  "It is a wonder to me," said the officer; "they are on watch, and noneof them calls, though we march noisily."

  Here the thickets ended, and the forest was clean of undergrowth. Themen approached and saw four persons standing in a group, one at theside of the other, as if they were looking at something on the ground.From the head of each one rose a dark strip directly upward.

  "Your worthiness!" said the officer at once, "these men are hanging."

  "That is true!" answered Douglas.

  They sprang forward, and stood for a while near the corpses. Fourfoot-soldiers were hanging together by ropes, like a bunch of thrushes,their feet barely an inch above the ground, for they were on the lowerbranches.

  Douglas looked at them indifferently enough; then said as if tohimself, "Now we know that the prince and Babinich have passed thisway."

  Then he fell to thinking again, for he did not know well whether tocontinue on by the forest path or go out on the Ostrolenko highway.

  Half an hour later they found two other corpses. Evidently they weremarauders or sick men whom Babinich's Tartars had seized while pursuingthe prince.

  "But why did the prince retreat?"

  Douglas knew him too well--that is, both his daring and his militaryexperience--to admit even for a moment that the prince had notsufficient reasons. Therefore something must have intervened.

  Only next day was the affair explained. Pan Byes Kornie had come fromPrince Boguslav, with a party of thirty horse, to report that YanKazimir had sent beyond the Bug against Douglas the full hetman PanGosyevski, with six thousand Lithuanians and Tartar horse.

  "We learned this," said Pan Byes, "before Babinich came up; for headvanced very carefully and attacked frequently, therefore annoyingly.Gosyevski is twenty or twenty-five miles distant. When the princereceived the tidings, he was forced to retreat in haste, so as to joinRadzeyovski, who might be cut to pieces easily. But by marching quicklywe made the junction. The prince sent out at once parties of a few tensof men in every direction, with a report to your worthiness. Many ofthem will fall into Tartar or peasant hands, but in such a war itcannot be otherwise."

  "Where are the prince and Radzeyovski?"

  "Ten miles from here, at the river."

  "Did the prince bring back all his forces?"

  "He was forced to leave the infantry, which is coming through thethickest forest, so as to escape the Tartars."

  "Such cavalry as the Tartar is made to go through the densest forests.I do not expect to see that infantry again. But no one is to blame, andthe prince acted like an experienced leader."

  "The prince threw out one party the most considerable to Ostrolenko, tolead Gosyevski into error. He will go to Ostrolenko at once, thinkingthat our whole force is there."

  "That is well!" said Douglas, comforted. "We will manage Gosyevski."

  And he marched without delay to join Boguslav and Radzeyovski. They metthat same day, to the great delight, especially, of Radzeyovski, whofeared captivity more than death, for he knew that as a traitor and theoriginator of all the misfortunes of the Commonwealth he would have togive a terrible answer. But now, after the junction with Douglas, theSwedish army had more than four thousand men; therefore it was able tooffer an effective resistance to the forces of the full hetman. He had,it is true, six thousand cavalry; but Tartars--except those ofBabinich, who were trained--could not be used in offensive battle, andPan Gosyevski himself, though a skilled and learned warrior, was notable, like Charnyetski, to inspire men with an enthusiasm which nothingcould resist.

  But Douglas was at a loss to understand why Yan Kazimir should send thefull hetman beyond the Bug. The Swedish king with the elector wasmarching on Warsaw; a general battle must therefore follow, sooner orlater. And though Yan Kazimir was at the head of a force superior innumbers to the Swedes and the Brandenburgers, still six thousand menformed too great a force for the King of Poland to set asidevoluntarily.

  It is true that Gosyevski had saved Babinich from trouble, but stillthe king did not need to send out a whole division to the rescue ofBabinich. Hence there was in this expedition some secret object, whichthe Swedish general, despite all his penetration, could not divine.

  In the letter of the King of Sweden sent a week later great alarm wasevident, and as it were astonishment caused by that expedition, but afew words explained the reasons of this. According to the opinion ofKarl Gustav, the hetman was not sent to attack Douglas's army, nor togo to Lithuania to aid the uprising there, for in Lithuania the Swedes,as it was, were not able to do anything but to threaten Royal Prussia,namely, the eastern part of it, which was completely stripped oftroops.

  "The calculation is," wrote the king, "to make the elector waver infaithfulness to the treaty of Marienburg and to us; which may easilyhappen, since the elector is ready to enter into alliance with Christagainst the Devil and at the same time with the Devil against Christ,so as to win something from both."

  The letter ended by enjoining on Douglas to strive with all his forcesnot to let the hetman go to Prussia, "who if he cannot reach there inthe course of a few weeks, will be forced beyond doubt to return toWarsaw."

  Douglas saw that the task given him did not surpass his powers at all.Not so long before he had met with a certain success in opposingCharnyetski himself; therefore Gosyevski was not terrible. The Swedishgeneral did not hope, it is true, to crush Gosyevski's division, but hefelt certain that he would be able to stop him and curb all hismovements.

  In fact, from that moment began very skilful approaches of the twoarmies, which, avoiding on both sides a general battle, endeavored eachto flank the other. Both leaders emulated each other; but theexperienced Douglas was in so far superior that he did not letGosyevski advance beyond Ostrolenko. But Babinich, saved fromBoguslav's attack, did not hasten to join the Lithuanian division, forhe occupied himself with great zeal on that infantry which Boguslav inhis hurried march to Radzeyovski was forced to leave behind. Babinich'sTartars, guided by local woodmen, pursued night and day, finishingevery moment the incautious or those who dropped into the rear. Lack ofprovisions forced the Swedes at last to separate into small detachmentswhich could find food more easily; this was all that Babinich waswaiting for.

  He divided his forces into three commands, under lead of Akbah Ulan,Soroka, and himself, and in a few days he destroyed the greater part ofthat infantry. It was an untiring hunt after men in forest thickets, inwillows, in reeds,--a hunt full of noise, uproar, shouting, shooting,and death.

  Widely did it spread the glory of Babinich's name among the Mazovians.Bands collected and joined Gosyevski at Ostrolenko itself, when thefull hetman, whose march was only a demonstration, received a commandfrom the king to march back to Warsaw. For a short period only couldBabinich rejoice with his acquaintances; namely, with Zagloba andVolodyovski, who at the head of the Lauda squadron attended the hetman.But they greeted one another very cordia
lly, for great friendship andintimacy existed already between them. The young colonels were sharplyannoyed that they could not act now against Boguslav; but Zaglobaconsoled them by pouring frequently into their glasses, and saying,--

  "That is nothing! My head has been working since May over stratagems,and I have never racked it over anything in vain. I have a numberready,--very excellent stratagems; but there is no time to apply them,unless at Warsaw, whither we are all marching."

  "I must go to Prussia," said Babinich, "and cannot be at Warsaw."

  "Can you reach Prussia?" asked Volodyovski.

  "As God is in heaven, I shall spring through; and I promise yousacredly to make not the worst cabbage-hash, for I shall say to myTartars, 'Riot, my soul!' They would be glad even here to draw theknife across people's throats; but I have told them that pay for everyviolence is the rope. But in Prussia I will give way even to my ownwill. Why should I not spring through? You were not able; but that isanother thing, for it is easier to stop a large force than such a partyas mine, with which it is easy to hide. More than once was I sitting inthe rushes, and Douglas's men passed right there, knowing nothing ofme. Douglas too will surely follow you, and leave the field free tome."

  "But, as we hear, you have wearied him out too," said Pan Michael, withsatisfaction.

  "Ah, the scoundrel!" added Zagloba. "He had to change his shirt everyday, he sweated so. You never stole up to Hovanski better than to him,and I must acknowledge that I could not have done better myself,though, in his time, Konyetspolski said that Zagloba in partisanwarfare was unsurpassed."

  "It seems to me," said Pan Michael to Kmita, "that if Douglas returnshe will leave Boguslav here to attack you."

  "God grant it! I have the same hope," answered Kmita, quickly. "Were Ito seek him, and he me, we should find each other. He will not passthrough me a third time; and if he does, then I shall not rise again. Iremember your secrets well; and all the Lubni thrusts I have in memorylike 'Our Father.' Every day, too, I try them with Soroka, so as totrain my hand."

  "What are stratagems good for?" exclaimed Pan Michael; "the sabre isthe main thing."

  This maxim touched Zagloba somewhat; therefore he said at once: "Everywindmill thinks that the main thing is to whirl its wings. Do you knowwhy, Michael? Because it has chaff under its roof; that is, in itshead. Military art rests on stratagems; if not, Roh Kovalski might begrand hetman and you full hetman."

  "And what is Pan Kovalski doing?" asked Kmita.

  "Pan Kovalski has now an iron helmet on his head, and justly, forcabbage is best out of a pot. He has grown rich on plunder in Warsaw,has come into good repute, and gone to the hussars, to PrincePolubinski, and all so as to be able to put a spear into Karl Gustav.He comes every day to our tent, and stares to see if the neck of thedecanter is sticking out of the straw. I cannot break that lad ofdrinking. Good example goes for nothing; but I prophesied to him thatthis desertion of the Lauda squadron would turn out evil. The rogue!the thankless fellow! in return for all the benefits which I have shownhim, such a son for a lance!"

  "But did you rear him?"

  "My dear sir, do not make me a bear-trainer! To Sapyeha, who asked methe same question. I answered that he and Roh had the same preceptor,but not me; for I in youthful years was a cooper, and knew how to setstaves very well."[10]

  "To begin with, you would not dare to tell that to Sapyeha," saidVolodyovski; "and secondly, though you grumble at Kovalski, you lovehim as the apple of your eye."

  "I prefer him to you, Pan Michael; for I could never endure May-bugs,nor soapy little fellows who at the sight of the first woman who comesalong play antics like German dogs."

  "Or like those monkeys in the Kazanovski Palace, with which you werecarrying on war."

  "Oh, laugh, laugh! You can take Warsaw without me next time."

  "Was it you, then, who took Warsaw?"

  "But who captured the Cracow Gate? Who invented captivity for thegenerals? They are sitting now on bread and water in Zamost; and whenWittemberg looks at Wrangel, he says, 'Zagloba put us here!' and bothfall to weeping. If Sapyeha were not ill, and if he were present, hewould tell you who first drew the Swedish claw from the skin ofWarsaw."

  "For God's sake!" said Kmita, "do this for me,--send news of thatbattle for which they are preparing at Warsaw. I shall be counting thedays and nights on my fingers till I know something certain."

  Zagloba put his finger to his forehead. "Listen to my forecast," saidhe, "for what I tell you will be accomplished as surely as that thisglass is standing before me-- Is it not standing before me?"

  "It is, it is! Speak on."

  "We shall either lose this general battle, or we shall win it--"

  "Every man knows that!" put in Volodyovski.

  "You might be silent, Michael, and learn something. Supposing that welose this battle, do you know what will happen? You see you do notknow, for you are moving those little awls under your nose like arabbit. Well, I will tell you that nothing will happen--"

  Kmita, who was very quick, sprang up, struck his glass on the table,and said,--

  "You are beating around the bush!"

  "I say nothing will happen!" repeated Zagloba. "You are young,therefore you do not know. As affairs now stand, our king, our dearcountry, our armies may lose fifty battles one after another, and thewar will go on in the old fashion,--the nobles will assemble, and withthem the lower ranks. But if they do not succeed one time, they willanother, until the enemy's force has melted away. But when the Swedeslose one great battle, the Devil will take them without salvation, andwith them the elector to boot."

  Here Zagloba grew animated, emptied his glass, struck it on the table,and continued,--

  "Listen,--for you will not hear this from every mouth, for notevery one knows how to take a general view of things. Many a man isthinking, 'What is waiting for us now? how many battles, how manydefeats,'--which, in warring with Karl, are not unlikely,--'how manytears, how much bloodshed, how many grievous paroxysms?' And many a onewill doubt and blaspheme against the mercy of God and the Most HolyMother. But I tell you this: do you know what is waiting for thosevandal enemies?--destruction; do you know what is waiting forus?--victory! If they beat us one hundred times, very well; but we willbeat them the hundred and first time, and that will be the end."

  When he had said this, Zagloba closed his eyes for a moment, but soonopened them. He looked ahead with gleaming vision, and suddenly shoutedwith the whole force of his breast: "Victory! victory!"

  Kmita was flushed from delight: "In God's name, he is right, he speaksjustly. It cannot be otherwise! Such an end has to come!"

  "It must be acknowledged that you are not lacking here," saidVolodyovski, putting his finger on his forehead. "The Commonwealth maybe occupied; but to stay in it is impossible, so at last the Swedeswill have to go out."

  "Well, is that it? I am not lacking!" said Zagloba, rejoiced at thepraise. "If that is true, then I will prophesy further. God is with thejust!" Here he turned to Kmita. "You will finish the traitor Radzivill;you will go to Taurogi, recover the maiden, marry her, rear posterity.May I have the pip on my tongue if this will not happen as I say! Butfor God's sake, don't smother me!"

  Zagloba was rightfully cautious, for Kmita seized him in his arms,raised him, and began to hug him so that the old man's eyes werebursting out. He had barely come to his feet and recovered breath, whenPan Michael, greatly delighted, seized him by the hand,--

  "It is my turn! Tell what awaits me."

  "God bless you, Michael! your pretty tufted lark will hatch out a wholebrood,--never fear. Uf!"

  "Vivat!" cried Volodyovski.

  "But first, we will make an end of the Swedes," added Zagloba.

  "We will, we will!" cried the young colonels, shaking their sabres.

  "Vivat! victory!"