Fire in the Steppe (64 page)

"Is that Pani Volodyovski herself, or only her little daughter?" asked people in the crowds. "Herself," answered those who knew her. Then admiration seized citizens, women, priests, the army. They looked with no less wonder on the invincible garrison of Hreptyoff, on the dragoons, among whom Pan Adam rode calmly, smiling with wandering eyes, and on the terrible faces of the bandits turned into Hungarian infantry. But there marched with Basia a few hundred men who were worthy of praise, soldiers by trade; courage came therefore to the townspeople. "That is no common power; they will look boldly into the eyes of the Turks," cried the people in the crowd. Some of the citizens, and even of the soldiers, especially in the regiment of Bishop Trebitski, which regiment had come recently to Kamenyets, thought that Pan Michael himself was in the retinue, therefore they raised cries,—

"Long live Pan Volodyovski!"

"Long live our defender! The most famous cavalier!"

"Vivat Volodyovski! vivat!"

Basia listened, and her heart rose; for nothing can be dearer to a woman than the fame of her husband, especially when it is sounding in the mouths of people in a great city. "There are so many knights here," thought Basia, "and still they do not shout to any but my Michael." And she wanted to shout herself in the chorus, "Vivat Volodyovski!" but Zagloba told her that she should bear herself like a person of distinction, and bow on both sides, as queens do when they are entering a capital. And he, too, saluted, now with his cap, now with his hand; and when acquaintances began to cry "vivat" in his honor, he answered to the crowds,—

"Gracious gentlemen, he who endured Zbaraj will hold out in Kamenyets!"

According to Pan Michael's instructions, the retinue went to the newly built cloister of the Dominican nuns. The little knight had his own house in Kamenyets; but since the cloister was in a retired place which cannon-balls could hardly reach, he preferred to place his dear Basia there, all the more since he expected a good reception as a benefactor of the cloister. In fact, the abbess, Mother Victoria, the daughter of Stefan Pototski, voevoda of Bratslav, received Basia with open arms. From the embraces of the abbess she went at once to others, and greatly beloved ones,—to those of her aunt, Pani Makovetski, whom she had not seen for some years. Both women wept; and Pan Makovetski, whose favorite Basia had always been, wept too. Barely had they dried these tears of tenderness when in rushed Krysia Ketling, and new greetings began; then Basia was surrounded by the nuns and noble women, known and unknown,—Pani Bogush, Pani Stanislavski, Pani Kalinovski, Pani Hotsimirski, Pani Humyetski, the wife of the banneret of Podolia, a great cavalier. Some, like Pani Bogush, inquired about their husbands; others asked what Basia thought of the Turkish invasion, and whether, in her opinion, Kamenyets would hold out. Basia saw with great delight that they looked on her as having some military authority, and expected consolation from her lips. Therefore she was not niggardly in giving.

"No one says," replied she, "that we cannot hold out against the Turks. Michael will be here to-day or tomorrow, at furthest in a couple of days; and when he occupies himself with the defences, you ladies may sleep quietly. Besides, the fortress is tremendously strong; in this matter, thank God, I have some knowledge."

The confidence of Basia poured consolation into the hearts of the women; they were reassured specially by the promise of Pan Michael's arrival. Indeed, his name was so respected that, though it was evening, officers of the place began to come at once with greetings to Basia. After the first salutations, each inquired when the little knight would come, and if really he intended to shut himself up in Kamenyets. Basia received only Major Kvasibrotski, who led the infantry of the Bishop of Cracow; the secretary, Revuski, who succeeded Pan Lanchynski, or rather, occupied his place, was at the head of the regiment, and Ketling. The doors were not open to others that day, for the lady was road-weary, and, besides, she had to occupy herself with Pan Adam. That unfortunate young man had fallen from his horse before the very cloister, and was carried to a cell in unconsciousness. They sent at once for the doctor, the same who had cured Basia at Hreptyoff. The doctor declared that there was a serious disease of the brain, and gave little hope of Pan Adam's recovery.

Basia, Pan Mushalski, and Zagloba talked till late in the evening about that event, and pondered over the unhappy lot of the knight.

"The doctor told me," said Zagloba, "that if he recovers and is bled copiously, his mind will not be disturbed, and he will bear misfortune with a lighter heart."

"There is no consolation for him now," said Basia.

"Often it would be better for a man not to have memory," remarked Pan Mushalski; "but even animals are not free from it."

Here the old man called the famous bowman to account for that remark.

"If you had no memory you couldn't go to confession," said he; "and you would be the same as a Lutheran, deserving hell-fire. Father Kaminski has warned you already against blasphemy; but say the Lord's prayer to a wolf, and the wolf would rather be eating a sheep."

"What sort of wolf am I?" asked the famous bowman, "There was Azya; he was a wolf."

"Didn't I say that?" asked Zagloba. "Who was the first to say, that's a wolf?"

"Pan Adam told me," said Basia, "that day and night he hears Eva and Zosia calling to him 'save;' and how can he save? It had to end in sickness, for no man can endure such pain. He could survive their death; he cannot survive their shame."

"He is lying now like a block of wood; he knows nothing of God's world," said Pan Mushalski; "and it is a pity, for in battle he was splendid."

Further conversation was interrupted by a servant, who announced that there was a great noise in the town, for the people were assembling to look at the starosta of Podolia, who was just making his entrance with a considerable escort and some tens of infantry.

"The command belongs to him," said Zagloba. "It is valiant on the part of Pan Pototski to prefer this to another place, but as of old I would that he were not here. He is opposed to the hetman; he did not believe in the war; and now who knows whether it will not come to him to lay down his head."

"Perhaps other Pototskis will march in after him," said Pan Mushalski.

"It is evident that the Turks are not distant," answered Zagloba. "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, God grant the starosta of Podolia to be a second Yeremi, and Kamenyets a second Zbaraj!"

"It must be; if not, we shall die first," said a voice at the threshold.

Basia sprang up at the sound of that voice, and crying "Michael!" threw herself into the little knight's arms.

Pan Michael brought from the field much important news, which he related to his wife in the quiet cell before he communicated it to the military council. He had destroyed utterly a number of smaller chambuls, and had whirled around the Crimean camp and that of Doroshenko with great glory to himself. He had brought also some tens of prisoners, from whom they might select informants as to the power of the Khan and Doroshenko.

But other men had less success. The starosta of Podlyasye, at the head of considerable forces, was destroyed in a murderous battle; Motovidlo was beaten by Krychinski, who pursued him to the Wallachian trail, with the aid of the Belgrod horde and those Tartars who survived Pan Adam's victory at Tykich. Before coming to Kamenyets, Pan Michael turned aside to Hreptyoff, wishing, as he said, to look again on that scene of his happiness.

"I was there," said he, "right after your departure; the place had not grown cold yet, and I might have come up with you easily, but I crossed over to the Moldavian bank at Ushytsa, to put my ear toward the steppe. Some chambuls have crossed already, but are afraid that if they come out at Pokuta, they will strike on people unexpectedly. Others are moving in front of the Turkish army, and will be here soon. There will be a siege, my dove,—there is no help for it; but we will not surrender, for here every one is defending not only the country, but his own private property."

When he had said this, he took his wife by the shoulders, and kissed her on the cheeks; that day they talked no more with each other.

Next morning Pan Michael repeated his news at Bishop Lantskoronski's before the council of war, which, besides the bishop, was formed of Pan Mikolai Pototski, starosta of Podolia, Pan Lantskoronski, chamberlain of Podolia, Pan Revuski, secretary of Podolia, Pan Humyetski, Ketling, Makovetski, Major Kvasibrotski, and a number of other officers. To begin with, Volodyovski was not pleased with the declaration of Pan Pototski, that he would not take the command on himself, but confide it to a council.

"In sudden emergencies, there must be one head and one will," said the little knight. "At Zbaraj there were three men to whom command belonged by office, still they gave it to Prince Yeremi, judging rightly that in danger it is better to obey one."

These words were without effect. In vain did the learned Ketling cite, as an example, the Romans, who, being the greatest warriors in the world, invented dictatorship. Bishop Lantskoronski, who did not like Ketling,—for he had fixed in his mind, it is unknown why, that, being a Scot by origin, Ketling must be a heretic at the bottom of his soul,—retorted that the Poles did not need to learn history from immigrants; they had their own mind too, and did not need to imitate the Romans, to whom they were not inferior in bravery and eloquence, or if they were, it was very little. "As there is more blaze," said the bishop, "from an armful of wood than from one stick, so there is more watchfulness in many heads than in one." Herewith he praised the "modesty" of Pan Pototski, though others understood it to be rather fear of responsibility, and from himself he advised negotiations.

When this word was uttered, the soldiers sprang from their seats as if scalded. Pan Michael, Ketling, Makovetski, Kvasibrotski, set their teeth and touched their sabres. "But I believe," said voices, "that we did not come here for negotiations!" "His robe protects the negotiator!" cried Kvasibrotski; "the church is your place, not this council!" and there was an uproar.

Thereupon the bishop rose and said in a loud voice: "I should be the first to give my life for the church and my flock; but if I have mentioned negotiations and wish to temporize, God be my judge, it is not because I wish to surrender the fortress, but to win time for the hetman to collect reinforcements. The name of Pan Sobieski is terrible to the Pagans; and though he has not forces sufficient, still let the report go abroad that he is advancing, and the Mussulman will leave Kamenyets soon enough." And since he spoke so powerfully, all were silent; some were even rejoiced, seeing that the bishop had not surrender in his mind.

Pan Michael spoke next: "The enemy, before he besieges Kamenyets, must crush Jvanyets, for he cannot leave a defensive castle behind his shoulders. Therefore, with permission of the starosta, I will undertake to enclose myself in Jvanyets, and hold it during the time which the bishop wishes to gain through negotiations. I will take trusty men with me; and Jvanyets will last while my life lasts."

Whereupon all cried out: "Impossible! You are needed here! Without you the citizens will lose courage, and the soldiers will not fight with such willingness. In no way is it possible! Who has more experience? Who passed through Zbaraj? And when it comes to sorties, who will lead the men? You would be destroyed in Jvanyets, and we should be destroyed here without you."

"The command has disposal of me," answered Pan Michael.

"Send to Jvanyets some daring young man, who would be my assistant," said the chamberlain of Podolia.

"Let Novoveski go!" said a number of voices.

"Novoveski cannot go, for his head is burning," answered Pan Michael; "he is lying on his bed, and knows nothing of God's world."

"Meanwhile, let us decide," said the bishop, "where each is to have his place, and what gate he is to defend."

All eyes were turned to the starosta, who said: "Before I issue the commands, I am glad to hear the opinions of experienced soldiers; since Pan Volodyovski here is superior in military experience, I call on him first."

Pan Michael advised, first of all, to put good garrisons in the castles before the town, for he thought that the main force of the enemy would be turned specially on them. Others followed his opinion. There were sixteen hundred men of infantry, and these were disposed in such manner that Pan Myslishevski occupied the right side of the castle; the left, Pan Humyetski, famous for his exploits at Hotin. Pan Michael took the most dangerous position on the side toward Hotin; lower down was placed Serdyuk's division. Major Kvasibrotski covered the side toward Zinkovtsi; the south was held by Pan Vansovich; and the side next the court by Captain Bukar, with Pan Krasinski's men. These were not volunteers indifferent in quality, but soldiers by profession, excellent, and in battle so firm that artillery fire was no more to them than the sun's heat to other men. Serving in the armies of the Commonwealth, which were always small in number, they were accustomed from youthful years to resist an enemy of ten times their force, and considered this as something natural. The general management of the artillery of the castle was under Ketling, who surpassed all in the art of aiming cannon. Chief command in the castle was to be with the little knight, with whom the starosta left the freedom of making sorties as often as there should be need and possibility.

These men, knowing now where each would stand, were rejoiced heartily, and raised a considerable shout, shaking their sabres at the same time. Thus they showed their willingness. Hearing this, the starosta said to his own soul,—

"I did not believe that we could defend ourselves, and I came here without faith, listening only to my conscience; who knows, however, but we may repulse the enemy with such soldiers? The glory will fall on me, and they will herald me as a second Yeremi; in such an event it may be that a fortunate star has brought me to this place."

And as before he had doubted of the defence, so now he doubted of the capture of Kamenyets; hence his courage increased, and he began to advise more readily the strengthening of the town.