a while the Cossacks were pushed from the yard and the house to the stables; cries for quarter were heard. The nobles had triumphed.
But when they were alone in the yard, fire from the house increased at once. All the windows were bristling with muskets, and a storm of bullets began to fall on the yard. The greater part of the Cossacks had taken refuge in the house.
"To the doors!" cried Volodyovski.
In fact, the discharges from the windows and from the roof could not injure those at the very walls. The position, however, of the besiegers was difficult. They could not think of storming the windows, for fire would greet them straight in the face. Volodyovski therefore commanded to hew down the doors. But that was not easy, for they were bolts rather than doors, made of oak pieces fixed crosswise and fastened with many gigantic nails, on the strong heads of which axes were dented without breaking the doors. The most powerful men pushed then from time to time with their shoulders, but in vain. Behind the doors wore iron bars, and besides they were supported inside by props. But the Butryms hewed with rage. At the doors of the kitchen leading also to the storehouse the Domasheviches and Gashtovts were storming.
After vain efforts of an hour the men at the axes were relieved. Some cross-pieces had fallen, but in place of them appeared gun-barrels. Shots sounded again. Two Butryms fell to the ground with pierced breasts. The others, instead of being put to disorder, hewed still more savagely.
By command of Volodyovski the openings were stopped with bundles of coats. Now in the direction of the road new shouts were heard from the Stakyans, who had come to the aid of their brethren; and following them were armed peasants from Vodokty.
The arrival of these reinforcements had evidently disturbed the besieged, for straightway a voice behind the door called loudly: "Stop there! do not hew! listen! Stop, a hundred devils take you! let us talk."
Volodyovski gave orders to stop the work and asked; "Who is speaking?"
"The banneret of Orsha, Kmita; and with whom am I speaking?"
"Col. Michael Volodyovski."
"With the forehead!" answered the voice from behind the door.
"There is no time for greetings. What is your wish?"
"It would be more proper for me to ask what you want. You do not know me, nor I you; why attack me?"
"Traitor!" cried Volodyovski. "With me are the men of Lauda who have returned from the war, and they have accounts with you for robbery, for blood shed without cause and for the lady whom you have carried away. But do you know what raptus puellæ means? You must yield your life."
A moment of silence followed.
"You would not call me traitor a second time," said Kmita, "were it not for the door between us."
"Open it, then! I do not hinder."
"More than one dog from Lauda will cover himself with his legs before it is open. You will not take me alive."
"Then we will drag you out dead, by the hair. All one to us!"
"Listen with care, note what I tell you! If you do not let us go, I have a barrel of powder here, and the match is burning already. I'll blow up the house and all who are in it with myself, so help me God! Come now and take me!"
This time a still longer silence followed. Volodyovski sought an answer in vain. The nobles began to look at one another in fear. There was so much wild energy in the words of Kmita that all believed his threat. The whole victory might be turned into dust by one spark, and Panna Billevich lost forever.
"For God's sake!" muttered one of the Butryms, "he is a madman. He is ready to do what he says."
Suddenly a happy thought came to Volodyovski, as it seemed to him. "There is another way!" cried he. "Meet me, traitor, with a sabre. If you put me down, you will go away in freedom."
For a time there was no answer. The hearts of the Lauda men beat unquietly.
"With a sabre?" asked Kmita, at length. "Can that be?"
"If you are not afraid, it will be."
"The word of a cavalier that I shall go away in freedom?"
"The word-"
"Impossible!" cried a number of voices among the Butryms.
"Quiet, a hundred devils!" roared Volodyovski; "if not, then let him blow you up with himself."
The Butryms were silent; after a while one of them said, "Let it be as you wish."
"Well, what is the matter there?" asked Kmita, derisively. "Do the gray coats agree?"
"Yes, and they will take oath on their swords, if you wish."
"Let them take oath."
"Come together, gentlemen, come together!" cried Volodyovski to the nobles who were standing under the walls and surrounding the whole house.
After a while all collected at the main door, and soon the news that Kmita wanted to blow himself up with powder spread on every side. They were as if petrified with terror. Meanwhile Volodyovski raised his voice and said amid silence like that of the grave, -
"I take you all present here to witness that I have challenged Pan Kmita, the banneret of Orsha, to a duel, and I have promised that if he puts me down he shall go hence in freedom, without obstacle from you; to this you must swear on your sword-hilts, in the name of God and the holy cross-"
"But wait!" cried Kmita, – "in freedom with all my men, and I take the lady with me."
"The lady will remain here," answered Volodyovski, "and the men will go as prisoners to the nobles."
"That cannot be."
"Then blow yourself up with powder! We have already mourned for her; as to the men, ask them what they prefer."
Silence followed.
"Let it be so," said Kmita, after a time. "If I do not take her to-day, I will in a month. You will not hide her under the ground! Take the oath!"
"Take the oath!" repeated Volodyovski.
"We swear by the Most High God and the Holy Cross. Amen!"
"Well, come out, come out!" cried Volodyovski.
"You are in a hurry to the other world?"
"No matter, no matter, only come out quickly."
The iron bars holding the door on the inside began to groan.
Volodyovski pushed back, and with him the nobles, to make room. Soon the door opened, and in it appeared Pan Andrei, tall, straight as a poplar. The dawn was already coming, and the first pale light of day fell on his daring, knightly, and youthful face. He stopped in the door, looked boldly on the crowd of nobles, and said, -
"I have trusted in you. God knows whether I have done well, but let that go. Who here is Pan Volodyovski?"
The little colonel stepped forward. "I am!" answered he.
"Oh! you are not like a giant," said Kmita, with sarcastic reference to Volodyovski's stature, "I expected to find a more
