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The Deluge. Vol. 1
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The voice in the thicket was silent; the invaders, it seemed, had begun to take counsel. Meanwhile Soroka whispered to Kmita, -
"We must decoy some one hither, and bind him; we shall then have a guide and a hostage."
"Pshaw!" answered Kmita, "if any one comes it will be on parole."
"With robbers parole may be broken."
"It is better not to give it!" said Kmita.
With that questions sounded again from the thicket.
"What do you want?"
Now Kmita began to speak. "We should have gone as we came if you had known politeness and not fired from a gun."
"You will not stay there, – there will be a hundred horse of us in the evening."
"Before evening two hundred dragoons will come, and your swamps will not save you, for they will pass as we passed."
"Are you soldiers?"
"We are not robbers, you may be sure."
"From what squadron?"
"But are you hetman? We will not report to you."
"The wolves will devour you, in old fashion."
"And the crows will pick you!"
"Tell what you want, a hundred devils! Why did you come to our cabin?"
"Come yourselves, and you will not split your throat crying from the thicket. Nearer, nearer!"
"On your word."
"A word is for knights, not for robbers. If it please you, believe; if not, believe not."
"May two come?"
"They may."
After a while from out the thicket a hundred yards distant appeared two men, tall and broad-shouldered. One somewhat bent seemed to be a man of years; the other went upright, but stretched his neck with curiosity toward the cabin. Both wore short sheepskin coats covered with gray cloth of the kind used by petty nobles, high cowhide boots, and fur caps drawn down to their ears.
"What the devil!" said Kmita, examining the two men with care.
"Colonel!" cried Soroka, "a miracle indeed, but those are our people."
Meanwhile they approached within a few steps, but could not see the men standing near the cabin, for the horses concealed them.
All at once Kmita stepped forward. Those approaching did not recognize him, however, for his face was bound up; they halted, and began to measure him with curious and unquiet eyes.
"And where is the other son, Pan Kyemlich?" asked Kmita; "he has not fallen, I hope."
"Who is that-how is that-what-who is talking?" asked the old man, in a voice of amazement and as it were terrified.
And he stood motionless, with mouth and eyes widely open; then the son, who since he was younger had quicker vision, took the cap from his head.
"For God's sake, father! that's the colonel!" cried he.
"O Jesus! sweet Jesus!" cried the old man, "that is Pan Kmita!"
And both took the fixed posture of subordinates saluting their commanders, and on their faces were depicted both shame and wonder.
"Ah! such sons," said Pan Andrei, laughing, "and greeted me from a gun?"
Here the old man began to shout, -
"Come this way, all of you! Come!"
From the thicket appeared a number of men, among whom were the second son of the old man and the pitch-maker; all ran up at breakneck speed with weapons ready, for they knew not what had happened. But the old man shouted again, -
"To your knees, rogues, to your knees! This is Pan Kmita! What fool was it who fired? Give him this way!"
"It was you, father," said young Kyemlich.
"You lie, – you lie like a dog! Pan Colonel, who could know that it was your grace who had come to our cabin? As God is true, I do not believe my own eyes yet."
"I am here in person," answered Kmita, stretching his hand toward him.
"O Jesus!" said the old man, "such a guest in the pine-woods. I cannot believe my own eyes. With what can we receive your grace here? If we expected, if we knew!"
Here he turned to his sons: "Run, some blockhead, to the cellar, bring mead!"
"Give the key to the padlock, father."
The old man began to feel in his belt, and at the same time looked suspiciously at his son.
"The key of the padlock? But I know thee, gypsy; thou wilt drink more thyself than thou'lt bring. What's to be done? I'll go myself; he wants the key of the padlock! But go roll off the logs, and I'll open and bring it myself."
"I see that you have spoons hidden under the logs, Pan Kyemlich," said Kmita.
"But can anything be kept from such robbers!" asked the old man, pointing to the sons. "They would eat up their father. Ye are still here? Go roll away the logs. Is this the way ye obey him who begat you?"
The young men went quickly behind the cabin to the pile of logs.
"You are in disagreement with your sons in old fashion, it seems?" said Kmita.
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Последний отзыв
Книга дельная. Без воды, приводятся реальные кейсы и способы их разрешения. Много практичных полезных советов и методик. Кое-что уже испробовала в дел...
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