CHAPTER LV.
The prince had really set out for Zamost a few days before for thepurpose of making new levies of troops, and it was not expected that hewould return soon. Volodyovski, Zagloba, and Jendzian therefore startedon their journey unknown to any one and in the greatest secrecy,--towhich only one person in Zbaraj was admitted, Pan Longin; but he, boundby his word, was as silent as if enchanted.
Vershul and other officers who knew of the princess's death did notsuppose that the departure of the little knight with Zagloba had anyconnection with the betrothed of the unfortunate Skshetuski, andthought most likely that the two friends had gone to him the more sincethey had taken Jendzian, who was known to be a servant of Skshetuski.
They travelled straight to Hlebanovka, and there made preparations forthe journey. Zagloba bought first of all, with money borrowed from PanLongin, five Podolian horses, capable of long journeys. Horses of thisbreed were used by the Polish cavalry and the Cossacks; they couldchase a whole day after a Tartar pony, surpassed in speed even theTurkish horses, and endured better every change of weather and cold,and rainy nights. Five such coursers did Zagloba purchase; besides hegot sufficient Cossack clothing for himself and his comrades, as wellas for the princess. Jendzian busied himself with the packs; and whenall was provided and ready they started on the road, putting theirundertaking under the guardianship of God and Saint Nikolai, the patronof young ladies.
So disguised, it was easy to take them for Cossack atamans, andfrequently it happened that soldiers from Polish garrisons fastened onthem, and guards scattered as far as Kamenyets; but Zagloba explainedhimself to them easily. They went for a long time through a safecountry; for it was occupied by the squadrons of the commanderLantskoronski, which approached slowly toward Bar, in order to keep aneye on the Cossack bands gathering there. It was known universally thatnothing would come of the negotiations. War hung over the country,therefore, though the main forces had not moved yet. The Pereyaslavarmistice ended at Whitsuntide; partisan warfare, it is true, had notended at any time. Now it increased, and both sides were only waitingthe word.
At that time spring was rejoicing over the steppe. The earth which hadbeen trampled by the hoofs of horses was now covered with a brocade ofgrass and flowers which had grown up from the bodies of the slain.Above battle-fields the lark pierced the azure of the heavens; variousbirds coursed through the air with their cries; the overflowed watersrippled in pools under the warm breath of the wind, and in the eveningsthe frogs swimming in the tepid water carried on joyous converse tilllate at night.
It seemed that Nature herself was eager to heal the wounds and cure thepains, to hide the graves beneath flowers. It was bright in theheavens, and on the earth fresh, breezy, gladsome; and the wholesteppe, as if painted, glittered like an asphodel meadow, changed likethe rainbow or like a Polish girdle on which the skilled needlewomanhas joined all colors with exquisite taste. The steppe was full of theplay of birds, and the broad breeze passed over it, drying the waterand embrowning the faces of men.
At such a time every heart rejoices, and is filled with measurelesshope. Our knights therefore were full of just such hope. Volodyovskisang continually. Zagloba straightened himself on the horse, put hisshoulders with delight to the sun, and as soon as he was well warmed,said to the little knight,--
"I feel well; for, to tell the truth, next to mead and Hungarian winethere is nothing like the sun for old bones."
"It is good for everything," answered Volodyovski. "Just see howanimals love to warm themselves in the sun!"
"It is lucky that we are going for the princess at such a time, for inthe frosts of winter it would have been difficult to escape with thegirl."
"Let us only get her into our hands, and I am a rascal if any man getsher away from us. I tell you, Pan Michael, I have only one fear, andthat is in case of war the Tartars might move in those regions and snapus up; for we can get on with the Cossacks. We will give no accountwhatever to the peasants, for you have noticed that they take us forstarshini; the Zaporojians respect the batons, and the name of Bogunwill be a shield to us."
"I am acquainted with the Tartars, for while in the Lubni domains lifepassed in endless disputes with them. Vershul and I never had rest,"answered Pan Michael.
"And I know them," said Zagloba. "I have told you how I passed severalyears in their company and might have risen to great dignities amongthem, but since I didn't wish to become a mussulman I had to leave all.Besides, they wanted to inflict a martyr's death on me because I waspersuading their principal mulla to the true faith."
"But you said some other time that that was in Galats."
"Galats in its own way, and the Crimea in its own. But if you think theworld ends in Galats, then surely you don't know where pepper grows.There are more sons of Belial than Christians in this world."
Here Jendzian broke into the conversation. "Not only may we receiveharm from Tartars," said he, "but I have not informed you that Boguntold me that unclean powers are guarding that ravine. The giantessherself who guards the princess is a powerful witch, intimate withdevils who may warn her against us. I have, it is true, a bullet, whichI moulded on consecrated wheat, for a common one would not take her;but besides there are probably whole regiments of vampires who guardthe entrance. It is for your heads to see that no harm comes to me; ifit should, my reward would be lost."
"Oh, you drone!" said Zagloba. "We have nothing to think of but yoursafety. The devil won't twist your neck; and even if he should it isall one, for you will go to hell anyhow for your covetousness. I'm tooold a sparrow to be caught with chaff; and beat into yourself that ifshe is a powerful witch I am a more powerful wizard, for I learned theblack art in Persia. She serves the devils, and they serve me, and Icould plough with them as with oxen; but I don't want to do so, keepingin mind, as I do, the salvation of my own soul."
"That is well, my master; but for this time use your power, for it isalways better to be on the safe side."
"But I have more confidence in our just cause and the protection ofGod," said Volodyovski. "Let the devils be the guard of Horpyna andBogun, but with us are the angels of heaven, whom the best brigade inhell cannot withstand. On our behalf I make an offering of seven whitewax candles to Saint Michael the Archangel."
"Then I will add one more," said Jendzian, "so that Pan Zaglobashouldn't frighten me with damnation."
"I will be the first to pack you off to hell," said the noble, "if itshould appear that you don't know the places well."
"Why shouldn't I know? If we only reach Valadinka, I can find the placewith my eyes bound. We will go along the shore toward the Dniester, andon the right hand will be the ravine, which we shall recognize by this,that the entrance to it is closed with a rock. At the first glance itwill seem altogether impossible of entrance, but in the rock is anopening through which two horses can pass abreast. Once inside, no onecan escape us, for that is the only entrance and exit. All around, thesides are so high that a bird can barely fly over them. The witch killspeople who enter without permission, and there are many bones of meninside. Bogun gave orders not to notice these, but to ride on andshout: 'Bogun! Bogun!' Then she will come out to us with friendship.Besides Horpyna, there is Cheremis, who is a good marksman. We mustkill them both."
"I say nothing about Cheremis, but it will be enough to tie the woman."
"How could you tie her? She is so strong that she tears armor to pieceslike a shirt, and a horseshoe crumbles in her hand. Pan Podbipientamight possibly overpower her, but not we. But leave the matter; I havea consecrated bullet. Let the black hour come on that she-devil;otherwise she would fly after us like a wolf, and would howl to theCossacks, and we should fail to bring back not only the young lady, butour own heads."
In such conversation and counsels their time passed on the road.They travelled hurriedly, passing villages, hamlets, farms, andgrave-mounds. They went through Yarmolintsi to Bar, from where theywere to advance in the direction of Yampol and the
Dniester. They wentthrough the neighborhood in which Volodyovski had defeated Bogun andfreed Zagloba from his hands; they even came to the same farm andstopped there over night. Sometimes they slept under the open sky inthe steppes, and Zagloba enlivened these halting-places by narrativesof his previous adventures, some of which had happened and some ofwhich had never taken place. But the conversations were mostly aboutthe princess and her coming liberation from captivity with the witch.
Issuing at length from the regions held in curb by the garrisons andsquadrons of Lantskoronski, they entered the Cossack country, in whichnothing remained of the Poles, for those who had not fled wereexterminated by fire and sword. May had departed, followed by a sultryJune, while they had barely finished a third of the journey, for theroad was long and difficult. Happily no danger threatened them from theside of the Cossacks. They gave no account of themselves to the peasantparties, who usually took them for Zaporojian starshini. Still, theywere asked from time to time who they were. Zagloba, if the inquirerwas from the lower country, showed Bogun's baton; if a common murdererfrom the mob, then, without getting from the horse, he struck the manwith his foot in the breast and knocked him to the ground. Thebystanders, seeing this, opened a way for them, thinking that they werenot only their own, but also very distinguished, since they struckpeople,--"perhaps Krivonos, Burlai, or Father Hmelnitski himself."
Zagloba complained greatly of the fame of Bogun, for the Zaporojiansannoyed him too much with inquiries about the chief, through whichdelays on the road were not infrequent. And generally there was no endto the questions,--whether he was well, or alive, for the report of hisdeath had spread as far as Yagorlik and the Cataracts. But when thetravellers declared that he was well and free, and that they were hismessengers, they were kissed and honored; all hearts were open to them,and even purses, of which the cunning servant of Skshetuski did notomit to take advantage.
In Yampol they were received by Burlai who with Zaporojian troops andthe rabble was waiting for the Tartars of Budjak. This was an old anddistinguished colonel. Years before he had taught Bogun his militarycraft. He went on expeditions over the Black Sea with him, and in oneof these expeditions the two had plundered Sinope in company. He lovedhim therefore as a son, and received his messengers with gladness, notexhibiting the least distrust, especially since he had seen Jendzianwith Bogun the previous year. But when he learned that Bogun was aliveand going to Volynia, from joy he gave a feast to the messengers anddrank with them himself.
Zagloba was afraid that Jendzian, when he had drunk wine, might saysomething dangerous; but it turned out that the youth, cunning as afox, knew how to manage, so that speaking the truth only whenpracticable, he did not imperil their affair, but won still greaterconfidence. It was strange, however, for our knights to hear thoseconversations carried on with such terrible sincerity in which theirown names were repeated so often.
"We heard," said Burlai, "that Bogun was slain in a duel. And don't youknow who cut him?"
"Volodyovski, an officer of Prince Yeremi," answered Jendzian, calmly.
"If I could get my hands on Volodyovski, I would pay him for ourfalcon. I'd pull him out of his skin."
Volodyovski at this moved his oat-colored mustaches, and looked atBurlai with such a look as a hound gives a wolf which he is notpermitted to seize by the throat; and Jendzian said,--
"That's why I give you his name, Colonel."
"The devil will have real fun with that fellow Jendzian," thoughtZagloba.
"But," continued Jendzian, "he is not so much to blame himself, forBogun challenged him without knowing what a sabre he was summoning.There was another noble there, the greatest enemy of Bogun, who hadonce snatched the princess from his hands."
"And who is he?"
"Oh, he is an old sot who used to hang around our ataman in Chigirinand pretend to be his best friend."
"He'll hang yet!" shouted Burlai.
"I'm a fool if I don't cut the ears off that puppy!" muttered Zagloba.
"They so cut him up," continued Jendzian, "that another in his placewould have been eaten by the crows long ago; but there is a horned soulin our ataman, and he recovered, though he barely dragged himself toVlodava; and there he would have failed surely but for us. We helpedhim off to Volynia, where our people have the upper hand, and he sentus here for the princess."
"These women will be the death of him," muttered Burlai. "I told himthat long ago. Would it not have been better for him to take a girl inCossack fashion, and then a stone around her neck and into the water,as we did in the Black Sea?"
Here Volodyovski scarcely restrained himself, so wounded was he in hisfeeling for the sex; but Zagloba laughed, and said: "Surely it wouldhave been better."
"But you were old friends," said Burlai, "you did not desert him inneed; and you, boy [here lie turned to Jendzian], you are the best ofthem all, for I saw in Chigirin how you nursed and cared for ourfalcon. I am your friend for that. Tell me what you want,--men orhorses? I'll give them to you, so that no harm may meet you on thereturn."
"We do not need men," said Zagloba, "for we shall go through our owncountry and among our own people, and God keep us from evil adventure!It is worse with a large party than with a small one; but some of theswiftest horses would be of service."
"I'll give you such that the ponies of the Khan would not overtakethem."
Jendzian now spoke up, not to lose an opportunity: "And give us alittle money, Ataman, for we have none, and beyond Bratslav a measureof oats is a thaler."
"Then come with me to the storeroom," said Burlai.
Jendzian didn't let this be said twice, and disappeared through thedoor with the old colonel; and when after a while he returned joy wasbeaming from his round face, and his blue coat was bulging out over hisstomach.
"Well, go with God," said the old Cossack; "and when you get the girlstop in to see me, so that I may look at Bogun's cuckoo."
"Impossible, Colonel," said the youth, boldly; "for that Pole isterribly afraid, and once stabbed herself with a knife. We are afraidthat something evil may happen to her. Better let the ataman manage herhimself."
"He will manage her; she won't be afraid of him. The Pole iswhite-handed, doesn't like the Cossacks," muttered Burlai. "Go! God bewith you! You haven't far now."
From Yampol to Valadinka it was not so very far; but the road wasdifficult, or rather a continual absence of roads stretched before theknights; for at that time those regions were still a desert, withrarely a house or a dwelling. They went then from Yampol somewhat tothe west, withdrawing from the Dniester, to go afterward with thecourse of the Valadinka toward Kashkoff; for only thus could theystrike the ravine. Light was growing in the heavens; for the feast atBurlai's had lasted till late at night, and Zagloba calculated thatthey would not find the ravine before sundown; but that was exactlywhat he wanted, for he wished after freeing Helena, to leave the nightbehind him. While they were travelling they spoke of how fortune hadfavored them so far in everything along the whole road; and Zagloba,mentioning the feast with Burlai, said,--
"See how those Cossacks who live in brotherhood uphold one another inevery trouble! I do not speak of the mob,--whom they despise, and forwhom, if the devil helps them to throw off our dominion, they will bestill worse masters than the Poles; but in the Brotherhood one is readyto jump into the fire for another, not like our nobles."
"Not at all, my master," said Jendzian. "I was among them a long time,and I saw how they tear one another like wolves; and if Hmelnitski weregone, who sometimes by power, sometimes by policy, keeps them in check,they would devour one another. But this Burlai is a great warrior amongthem, and Hmelnitski himself respects him."
"But you feel contempt for the man, of course, since he let you robhim. Oh, Jendzian, you will not die your own death!"
"What is written for each man, my master, that he'll have; but todeceive an enemy is praiseworthy, and pleasing to God."
"I do not blame you for that, but for greed, which is the feeling of apeas
ant, unworthy of a noble; for this you will be damned withoutfail."
"I will not spare money for candles in the church when I succeed ingaining anything, so that God too should have some profit from me andbless me; and it is no sin to help my parents."
"What a rascal, what a finished scoundrel!" cried Zagloba toVolodyovski. "I thought my tricks would go with me to the grave; but Isee that this is a still greater rogue. So through the cunning of thisyouth we shall free our princess from Bogun's captivity, with Bogun'spermission, and on Burlai's horses! Has any man ever seen such a thing?And to look at him you wouldn't give three copper coins for thefellow!"
Jendzian laughed with satisfaction, and said: "Will that be bad for us,my master?"
"You please me, and were it not for your greed I should take you intomy service; but since you have tricked Bogun in such style, I forgiveyou for having called me a sot."
"It was not I who called you that, but Bogun."
"Well, God has punished him."
In such conversation the morning passed; but when the sun had rolled uphigh on the vault of heaven they became serious, for in a few hoursthey were to see Valadinka. After a long journey they were near theirobject at last; and disquiet, natural in such cases, crept into theirhearts. Was Helena still alive? And if alive, would they find her?Horpyna might have taken her out, or might at the last moment havehidden her somewhere else among the secret places of the ravine, orhave killed her. Obstacles were not all overcome yet, dangers were notall passed. They had, it is true, all the tokens by which Horpyna wasto recognize them as Bogun's messengers, carrying out his will; butwould the devils or the spirits forewarn her? Jendzian feared thismost; and even Zagloba, though pretending to be an expert in the blackart, did not think of this without alarm. In such a case they wouldfind the ravine empty or (what was worse) Cossacks from Rashkoffambushed in it. Their hearts beat more strongly; and when finally,after some hours yet of travelling, they saw from the lofty rim of theravine the glittering ribbon of water, the plump face of Jendzian paleda little.
"That is the Valadinka," said he, in a suppressed voice.
"Already?" inquired Zagloba, in an equally low voice. "Are we so nearas that?"
"May God guard us!" replied Jendzian. "Oh, my master, begin yourexorcisms, for I am awfully afraid."
"Exorcisms are folly. Let us bless the river and the secretplaces,--that will help more."
Volodyovski was the calmest of all, but he kept silent, examininghowever his pistols carefully, and added new powder; then he felt tosee if his sabre would come out of the scabbard easily.
"I have a consecrated bullet too in this pistol here," said Jendzian."In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Let us move on!"
"Move on! move on!" said Volodyovski.
After a time they found themselves on the bank of the little river, andturned their horses in the direction of its course. Here Volodyovskistopped them, and said,--
"Let Jendzian take the baton, for the witch knows him, and let him bethe first to talk with her, so that she may not get frightened at usand run off with the princess into some hiding-place."
"I will not go first, no matter what you do," said Jendzian.
"Then go last, you drone!"
Having said this, Volodyovski went first, after him Zagloba, and in therear with the pack-horses clattered Jendzian, looking around withapprehension on every side. The hoofs of the horses rattled over thestones, around about reigned the dull silence of the desert; butgrasshoppers and crickets hidden in the cliff chirped, for it was asultry day, though the sun had passed the meridian considerably. Nighthad come at last to the eminence, rounded like an upturned shield, onwhich rocks fallen apart and burnt from the sun presented forms likeruins, tumble-down houses, and church-steeples; you might have thoughtit a castle or a place stormed by an enemy.
Jendzian looked at Zagloba and said: "This is the Devil's Mound; I knowit from what Bogun told me. No living thing passes here by night."
"If it does not, it can," answered Zagloba. "Tfu! what a cursed land!But at least we are on the right road."
"The place is not far," said Jendzian.
"Praise be to God!" answered Zagloba; and his mind was turned to theprincess.
He had wonderful thoughts, and seeing those wild banks of theValadinka, that desert and silent wilderness, he scarcely believed thatthe princess could be so near,--she for whose sake he had passedthrough so many adventures and dangers, and loved so that when the newsof her death came he knew not what to do with his life and his old age.But on the other hand a man becomes intimate, even with misfortune.Zagloba, who had grown familiar with the thought that she had beentaken away and was far off in Bogun's power, did not dare to say now tohimself: "The end of grief and search has come, the hour of success andpeace has arrived." Besides other thoughts crowded to his brain: "Whatwill she say when she sees him? Will she not dissolve into tears whenlike a thunderbolt comes to her that rescue, after such long andpainful captivity? God has his wonderful ways," thought Zagloba, "andso succeeds in correcting everything that from this come the triumph ofvirtue and the shame of injustice. It was God who first gave Jendzianinto the hands of Bogun, and then made friends of them. God arrangedthat War, the stern mother, called away the wild ataman from thefastnesses to which like a wolf he had carried his plunder. Godafterward delivered him into the hands of Volodyovski, and againbrought him into contact with Jendzian. All is so arranged that now,when Helena may have lost her last hope and when she expects aid fromno side, aid is at hand! Oh, cease your weeping, my daughter! Soon willjoy come to you without measure! Oh, she will be grateful, clasp herhands, and return thanks!" Then she stood before the eyes of Zagloba asif living, and he was filled with emotion and lost altogether inthinking of what would happen in an hour.
Jendzian pulled him by the sleeve from behind. "My master!"
"Well!" said Zagloba, displeased that the course of his thoughts wasinterrupted.
"Did you not see a wolf spring across before us?"
"What of that?"
"But was it only a wolf?"
"Kiss him on the snout."
At this moment Volodyovski reined in his horse. "Have we lost theroad," he asked, "for it should be here?"
"No, we have not," answered Jendzian; "we are going as Bogun directed.I wish to God it were all over."
"It will not be long, if we ride well."
"I want to tell you another thing. When I am talking to the witch keepan eye on Cheremis; he must be a terribly nasty fellow, but shootsfearfully with his musket."
"Oh, cavalry, don't be afraid!"
They had barely gone some yards when the horses pricked up their earsand snorted. Jendzian's skin began to creep at once; for he expectedthat at any moment the howling of vampires might be heard from thecliffs in the rocks, or some unknown and repulsive form would creepout. But it appeared that the horses snorted only because they werepassing near the retreat of that wolf who had so disturbed the youth alittle while before. Round about was silence; even the grasshoppers hadceased chirping, for the sun had already inclined to the other side ofthe sky. Jendzian made the sign of the cross and calmed himself.
Volodyovski held in his horse suddenly. "I see the ravine," said he,"in the throat of which a rock is thrust, and in the rock there is abreach."
"In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!" muttered Jendzian.
"After me!" commanded Pan Michael, turning his horse. Soon they were atthe breach, and passed through as under a stone arch. Before themopened a deep ravine, thickly overgrown with bushes at the sides,widening in the distance to a broad half-circle,--a small plain,enclosed as it were by gigantic walls.
Jendzian began to shout as loud as the power in his breast permitted:"Bogun! Bogun! Witch, come out! Bogun! Bogun!"
They halted and remained for some time in silence; then the youth beganto shout again: "Bogun! Bogun!"
From a distance came the barking of dogs.
"Bogun! Bogun!"
O
n the left rim of the ravine on which the ruddy and golden rays of thesun were falling the thick branches of the plum and wild-cherry treesbegan to rustle; and after a while there appeared, almost at the verysource of the spring, a human form, which bending forward and coveringits eyes with its hand looked carefully at the travellers.
"That's Horpyna," said Jendzian; and putting his palms around hismouth, he began to shout a third time: "Bogun! Bogun!"
Horpyna began to descend, bending back to keep her balance. She came onquickly, and after her rolled along a sort of dumpy little man with along Turkish gun in his hand. Twigs broke under the weighty step of thewitch; stones rolled from under them and rattled to the bottom of theravine. Bent in that fashion, in the ruddy glare she seemed really somegigantic superhuman creature.
"Who are you?" called she in a loud voice, when she had reached thebottom.
"How are you, bass-viol!" said Jendzian, to whom his usual deliberationreturned at the sight of human beings instead of spirits.
"You are Bogun's servant? I know you, you fellow; but who are these?"
"Friends of Bogun."
"Ah, she is a handsome witch," muttered Pan Michael, under hismustaches.
"And what have you come for?"
"Here is the baton, the knife, and the ring for you,--you know whatthey mean?"
The giantess took them in her hands and began to examine themcarefully; then she said,--
"They are the same! You have come for the princess?"
"Yes! Is she well?"
"She is. Why didn't Bogun himself come?"
"Bogun is wounded."
"Wounded? I saw that in the mill."
"If you saw it, why do you ask? You lie, you bugle-horn!" saidJendzian, confidently.
The witch showed in a smile teeth white as the teeth of a wolf, anddoubling her hand nudged Jendzian in the side: "You are a boy, you area fellow, you are."
"Be off!"
"You won't give a kiss, will you? And when will you take the princess?"
"Right away; we will only rest the horses."
"Well, take her! I will go with you."
"What do you want to go for?"
"Death is fated for my brother; the Poles will empale him on a stake. Iwill go with you."
Jendzian bent toward the saddle as if for easier conversation with thegiantess, and his hand rested unobserved on the butt of a pistol.
"Cheremis! Cheremis!" said he, wishing to turn the attention of hiscomrades on the dwarf.
"Why do you call him? His tongue is cut out."
"I am not calling him, I'm only admiring his beauty. You will not leavehim,--he is your husband."
"He is my dog!"
"And there are only two of you in the ravine?"
"Two,--the princess is the third."
"That's well. You will not leave him?"
"I will go with you," said she.
"But I tell you that you will remain."
There was something in the voice of the youth of such a character thatthe giantess turned on the spot with an alarmed face, for suspicionsuddenly entered her mind.
"What do you mean?" asked she.
"This is what I mean!" answered Jendzian; and he thundered at her fromthe pistol so near that the smoke covered her completely for a moment.
Horpyna pushed back with open arms; her eyes protruded, a kind ofunearthly yell rose out of her throat; she tottered and fell on herback, full length.
At the same moment Zagloba cut Cheremis through the head with a sabreso that the bone gritted under its edge. The deformed dwarf uttered nogroan; he merely wound himself in a lump like a worm, and began toquiver. But the fingers of his hand opened and closed in successionlike the claws of a dying wild-cat.
Zagloba wiped the steaming sabre with the skirt of his coat. Jendzian,springing from the horse and taking up a stone, threw it on the broadbreast of Horpyna; then he began to look for something in his bosom.
The enormous body of the witch dug the ground yet with its feet,convulsions twisted her face terribly, on her grinning teeth came out abloody foam, and dull rattles issued from her throat.
Meanwhile the youth got from his bosom a piece of consecrated chalk,drew a cross with it on the stone, and said: "Now she will not rise!"Then he sprang into the saddle.
"To horse!" commanded Volodyovski.
They rushed like a whirlwind along the brook running through the middleof the ravine; they passed the oaks scattered thinly along the road,and a cottage appeared before their eyes. Farther on was the loftymill, the moist wheel of which glittered like a ruddy star in the raysof the sun. Under the cottage two enormous black dogs, tied with ropesat the corner, sprang at the men, barking with rage and howling.
Volodyovski, riding in advance, arrived first, sprang from his horse,ran to the entrance, kicked in the door, and rushed to the anteroomwith clattering sabre.
In the anteroom on the right through an open door was seen a wide room,with shavings scattered about and a smoking fireplace; on the left thedoor was closed. "She must be there!" thought Volodyovski; and hesprang toward the door. He pushed; it opened. He stepped on thethreshold and stood there as if fastened.
In the depth of the room, with head resting on the edge of a couch, wasHelena Kurtsevichovna, pale, with hair falling on her neck andshoulders. With frightened eyes fixed on Volodyovski, she asked: "Whoare you? What do you want?" for she had never seen the little knightbefore.
He was astonished at the sight of that beauty and that room coveredwith silk and brocade. At last he came to his speech, and saidhurriedly: "Have no fear, we are the friends of Skshetuski."
That moment the princess threw herself on her knees: "Save me!" shecried, clasping her hands.
Just then Zagloba, trembling, purple, and out of breath, rushed in. "Itis we!" cried he,--"it is we with succor!"
Hearing these words and seeing the familiar face, the princess bentover like a cut flower, her hands dropped, her eyes were covered withtheir bordered curtains. She had fainted.
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