The Deluge. Vol. 2

"Braun is overcome!" replied Anusia, with a thin voice, dropping her eyes.

"But Fitz-Gregory?"

"He is overcome too!" with a voice still thinner.

"And Ottenhagen?"

"Overcome!"

"And Von Irhen?"

"Overcome!"

"May the forest surround you! I see that Kettling is the only man whom you could not manage."

"I cannot endure him! But some one else will manage him. Besides, we can go without his permission."

"And you think that when we wish to flee they will not hinder?"

"They will go with us!" said Anusia, stretching her neck and blinking.

"For God's sake! then why do we stay here? I should like to be far away this day."

But from the consultation which followed at once, it appeared needful to await the decision of Boguslav's fate and Pan Sapyeha's arrival in the neighborhood of Jmud. Otherwise they would be threatened by terrible destruction from even their own people. The society of foreign officers not only would not be a defence, but would add to their danger; for the peasants were so terribly envenomed against foreigners that they murdered without mercy every one who did not wear a Polish dress. Even Polish dignitaries wearing foreign costume, not to speak of Austrian and French diplomats, could not travel save under the protection of powerful bodies of troops.

"You will believe me, for I have passed through the whole country," said Anusia. "In the first village, in the first forest, ravagers would kill us without asking who we are. It is impossible to flee except to an army."

"But I shall have my own party."

"Before you could collect it, before you could reach a village where you are known, you would lose your life. News from Prince Boguslav must come soon. I have ordered Braun to inform me at once."

But Braun reported nothing for a long time.

Kettling, however, began to visit Olenka; for she, meeting him on a certain day, extended her hand to him. The young officer prophesied evil from this profound silence. According to him the prince, out of regard for the elector and the Swedes, would not hold silence touching the least victory, and would rather exaggerate by description than weaken by silence the significance of real successes.

"I do not suppose that he is cut to pieces," said the young officer; "but he is surely in such a difficult position that it is hard to find a way out."

"All tidings arrive here so late," said Olenka, "and the best proof is that we learned first from Panna Borzobogati, the particulars of the miraculous defence of Chenstohova."

"I, my lady, knew of that long ago, but, as a foreigner, not knowing the value which that place has for Poles, I did not mention it. That in a great war some small castle defends itself for a time, and repulses a number of storms, happens always, and importance is not attached to it usually."

"But still for me that would have been the most welcome news!"

"I see in truth that I did ill; for from what has happened since the defence, as I hear now, I know that to be an important event, which may influence the whole war. Still, returning to the campaign of the prince in Podlyasye, it is different. Chenstohova is far away, Podlyasye is nearer. And when the prince succeeded at first, you remember how quickly news came. Believe me, my lady, I am a young man, but from the fourteenth year of my life I am a soldier, and experience tells me that this silence, is prophetic of evil."

"Rather good," said the lady,

"Let it be good!" answered Kettling. "In half a year my service will be ended. In half a year my oath will cease."

A few days after this conversation news came at last. It was brought by Pan Byes of the shield Kornie; called, at Boguslav's court, Cornutus.[8 - Byes means "devil;" so Byes Cornutus is "horned devil."] He was a Polish noble, but altogether foreignized; for serving in foreign armies almost from years of boyhood, he had wellnigh forgotten Polish, or at least spoke it like a German. He had also a foreignized soul, hence was greatly attached to Prince Boguslav. He was going on an important mission to Königsberg, and stopped in Taurogi merely to rest.

Braun and Kettling brought him at once to Olenka and Anusia, who at that time lived and slept together.

Braun stood like a soldier before Anusia; then turned to Byes and said, —

"This lady is a relative of Pan Zamoyski, therefore of the prince our lord, who has commanded to show her every attention; and she wishes to hear news from the mouth of an eyewitness."

Pan Byes in his turn stood erect, as if on service, and awaited the questions.

Anusia did not deny relationship with Boguslav, for the homage of the military pleased her; therefore she motioned to Pan Byes to sit down. When he had taken his place she asked, —

"Where is the prince at present?"

"The prince is retreating on Sokolka, God grant successfully," said the officer.

"Tell the pure truth: how is it with him?"

"I will tell the pure truth and hide nothing, thinking that your worthiness will find strength in your soul to hear news less favorable."

"I will!" said Anusia, striking one heel against the other under her robe, with satisfaction that she was called "worthiness," and that the news was "less favorable."

"At first everything went well with us," said Byes. "We rubbed out on the road several bands of peasants; we scattered the forces of the younger Sapyeha, and cut up two squadrons of cavalry with a regiment of good infantry, sparing no one. Then we defeated Pan Horotkyevich, so that he barely escaped, and some say that he was killed. After that we occupied the ruins of Tykotsin."

"We know all this. Tell us quickly the unfavorable news," interrupted Anusia, on a sudden.

"Be pleased, my lady, to listen calmly. We came to Drohichyn, and there the map was unfolded. We had news that Sapyeha was still far away; meanwhile two of our scouting parties were as if they had sunk through the earth. Not a witness returned from the slaughter. Then it appeared that some troops were marching in front of us. A great confusion rose out of that. The prince began to think that all preceding information was false, and that Sapyeha had not only advanced, but had cut off the road. Then we began to retreat, for in that way it was possible to catch the enemy and force him to a general battle, which the prince wished absolutely. But the enemy did not give the field; he attacked and attacked without ceasing. From that everything began to melt in our hands; we had rest neither day nor night. The roads were ruined before us, the dams cut, provisions intercepted. Reports were soon circulated that Charnyetski himself was crushing us. The soldiers did not eat, did not sleep; their courage fell. Men perished in the camp itself, as if the ground were swallowing them. In Byalystok the enemy seized a whole party again, camp-chests, the prince's carriages and guns. I have never seen anything like it. It was not seen in former wars, either. The prince was changed. He wanted nothing but a general battle, and he had to fight ten small ones every day, and lose them. Order became relaxed. And how can our confusion and alarm be described when we learned that Sapyeha himself had not come up yet, and that in front of us was merely a strong party which had caused so many disasters? In this party were Tartar troops."

Further words of the officer were interrupted by a scream from Anusia, who, throwing herself suddenly on Olenka's neck, cried, —

"Pan Babinich!"

The officer was surprised when he heard the name; but he judged that terror and hatred had wrested this cry from the breast of the worthy lady; so only after a while did he continue his narrative: —

"To whomsover God has given greatness, he has given also strength to bear grievous misfortunes; be pleased, therefore, my lady, to calm yourself. Such indeed is the name of this hell-dweller who has undermined the success of the whole expedition, and become the cause of other immense evils. His name, which your worthiness has divined with such wonderful quickness, is repeated now with fear and rage by every mouth in our camp."

"I saw that Babinich at Zamost," said Anusia, hastily; "and could I have guessed – "

Here she was silent, and no one knew what would have happened in such an event. The officer, after a moment's silence, continued, —

"Thaws and heat set in, despite, it may be said, the regular order of nature; for we had news that in the south of the Commonwealth there was still severe winter; but we were wading in spring mud, which fastened our heavy cavalry to the earth. But he, having light troops, advanced with more ease. We lost wagons and cannon at every step, and were forced at last to go on horseback. The inhabitants round about, in their blind venom, favored the attackers. What God gives will happen; but I left the whole camp in a desperate condition, as well as the prince himself, whom a malignant fever does not leave, and who loses his power for whole days. A general battle will come quickly; but how it will end, God knows. If He favors, we may hope for wonders."

"Where did you leave the prince?"

"A day's journey from Sokolka. The prince intends to intrench himself at Suhovola or Yanov and receive battle. Sapyeha is two days distant. When I came away, we had a little more freedom; for from a captured informant we learned that Babinich himself had gone to the main camp; without him the Tartars dare not attack, satisfying themselves with annoying scouting parties. The prince, who is an incomparable leader, places all his hopes on a general battle, but, of course, when he is well; if the fever seizes him, he must think of something else, the best proof of which is that he has sent me to Prussia."

"Why do you go?"

"Either the prince will win the battle or lose it. If he loses it, all Electoral Prussia will be defenceless, and it may happen easily that Sapyeha will pass the boundaries, force the elector to a decision, – I say this, for it is no secret, I go to forewarn them to have some defence prepared for those provinces; for the unbidden guests may come in too great numbers. That is the affair of the elector and the Swedes, with whom the prince is in alliance, and from whom he has the right to expect rescue."