"Another such deed I shall never accomplish," said Pan Andrei; and boastfulness seized him completely. Still, in spite of these thoughts he did not forget where he was, whither he was going, what he intended to do; and he began to advance like a wolf on a night pasture. He looked behind once and a second time. No church, no cloister! All was covered with thick, impenetrable gloom. He noted, however, by the time, that he must have advanced far already, and that the trench might be right there.
"I am curious to know if there are sentries," thought he.
But he had not advanced two steps after giving himself this question, when, in front of him, was heard the tramp of measured steps and a number of voices inquired at various distances,
"Who goes?"
Pan Andrei stood as if fixed to the earth. He felt hot.
"Ours," answered a number of voices.
"The watchword!"
"Upsala."
"The counter-sign!"
"The crown."
Kmita saw at this moment that there was a change of sentries. "I'll give you Upsala and a crown!" And he rejoiced. This was really for him a very favorable circumstance, for he might pass the line of guards at the moment of changing sentries, when the tramp of the soldiers drowned his own steps.
In fact, he did so without the least difficulty, and went after the returning soldiers rather boldly up to the trench itself. There they made a turn to go around it; but he pushed quickly into the ditch and hid in it.
Meanwhile objects had become somewhat more visible; Pan Andrei thanked Heaven, for in the previous darkness he could not by feeling have found the gun sought for. Now, by throwing back his head and straining his vision, he saw above him a black line, indicating the edge of the trench, and also the black outlines of the baskets between which stood the guns.
He could indeed see their jaws thrust out a little above the trench. Advancing slowly in the ditch, he discovered the great gun at last. He halted and began to listen. From the intrenchment a noise came, a murmur; evidently the infantry were near the guns, in readiness. But the height of the intrenchment concealed Kmita; they might hear him, they could not see him. Now he had only to rise from below to the mouth of the gun, which was high above his head.
Fortunately the sides of the ditch were not too steep; and besides the embankment freshly made, or moist with water, had not frozen, since for some time there had been a thaw.
Taking note of all this, Kmita began to sink holes quietly in the slope of the intrenchment and to climb slowly to the gun. After fifteen minutes' work he was able to seize the opening of the culverin. Soon he was hanging in the air, but his uncommon strength permitted him to hold himself thus till he pushed the roll into the jaws of the cannon.
"Here's dog sausage for thee!" muttered he, "only don't choke with it!"
Then he slipped down and began to look for the string, which, fastened to the inner side of the roll, was hanging to the ditch. After a while he felt it with his hand. But then came the greatest difficulty, for he had to strike fire and ignite the string.
Kmita waited for a moment, thinking that the noise would increase somewhat among the soldiers in the breastworks. At last he began to strike the flint lightly with the steel. But that moment above his head was heard in German the question,
"Who is there in the ditch?"
"It is I, Hans!" answered Kmita, without hesitation; "the devils have taken my ramrod into the ditch, and I am striking fire to find it."
"All right, all right," said the gunner. "It is your luck there is no firing, for the wind would have taken your head off."
"Ah!" thought Kmita, "the gun besides my charge has still its own, so much the better."
At that moment the sulphur-string caught, and delicate little sparks began to run upward along its dry exterior.
It was time to disappear. Kmita hurried along the ditch with all the strength in his legs, not losing an instant, not thinking overmuch of the noise he was making. But when he had run twenty yards, curiosity overcame in him the feeling of his terrible danger.
"The string has gone out, there is moisture in the air!" thought he; and he stopped. Casting a look behind, he saw a little spark yet, but much higher than he had left it.
"Eh, am I not too near?" thought he; and fear hurried him forward.
He pushed on at full speed; all at once he struck a stone and fell. At that moment a terrible roar rent the air; the earth trembled, pieces of wood, iron, stones, lumps of ice and earth, whistled about his ears, and here his sensations ended.
After that were heard new explosions in turn. These were powder-boxes standing near the cannon which exploded from the shock.
But Kmita did not hear these; he lay as if dead in the ditch. He did not hear also how, after a time of deep silence, the groans of men were heard, cries and shouts for help; how nearly half the army, Swedish and allied, assembled.
The confusion and uproar lasted long, till from the chaos of testimony the Swedish general reached the fact that the siege-gun had been blown up of purpose by some one. Search was ordered immediately. In the morning the searching soldiers found Kmita lying in the ditch.
It appeared that he was merely stunned from the explosion. He had lost, to begin with, control of his hands and feet. His powerlessness lasted the whole ensuing day. They nursed him with the utmost care. In the evening he had recovered his power almost completely.
He was brought then by command before Miller, who occupied the middle place at the table in his quarters; around him sat the Prince of Hesse, Count Veyhard, Sadovski, all the noted officers of the Swedes, of the Poles, Zbrojek, Kalinski, and Kuklinovski. The last at sight of Kmita became blue, his eyes burned like two coals, and his mustaches began to quiver. Without awaiting the question of the general, he said,
"I know this bird. He is from the Chenstohova garrison. His name is Babinich."
Kmita was silent; pallor and weariness were evident on his face, but his glance was bold and his countenance calm.
"Did you blow up the siege-gun?" asked Miller.
"I did."
"How did you do it?"
Kmita stated all briefly, concealed nothing. The officers looked at one another in amazement.
"A hero!" whispered the Prince of Hesse to Sadovski.
But Sadovski inclined to Count Veyhard. "Count Veyhard," asked he, "how are we to take a fortress with such defenders? What do you think, will they surrender?"
"There are more of us in the fortress ready for such deeds," said Kmita. "You know not the day nor the hour."
"I too have more than one halter in the camp," said Miller.
"We know that. But you will not take Yasna Gora while there is one man alive there."
A moment of silence followed. Then Miller inquired,
"Is your name Babinich?"
Pan Andrei thought that after what he had done, and in presence of death, the time had come in which he had no need to conceal his name. Let people forget the faults and transgressions bound up with it; let glory and devotion shine over them.
"My name is not Babinich," said he, with a certain pride, "my name is Andrei Kmita; I was colonel of my own personal squadron in the Lithuanian contingent."
Hardly had Kuklinovski heard this when he sprang up as if possessed, stuck out his eyes, opened his mouth, and began to strike his sides with his hands. At last he cried,
"General, I beg for a word without delay, without delay."
A murmur rose at the same time among the Polish officers, which the Swedes heard with wonder, since for them the name Kmita meant nothing. They noted at once that this must be no common soldier, for Zbrojek rose, and approaching the prisoner said,
Hardly had Kuklinovski heard this when he sprang up as if possessed, stuck out his eyes, opened his mouth, and began to strike his sides with his hands. At last he cried,
"General, I beg for a word without delay, without delay."
A murmur rose at the same time among the Polish officers, which the Swedes heard with wonder, since for them the name Kmita meant nothing. They noted at once that this must be no common soldier, for Zbrojek rose, and approaching the prisoner said,
"Worthy colonel, in the straits in which you are I cannot help you; but give me your hand, I pray."
Kmita raised his head and began to snort.
"I will not give a hand to traitors who serve against their country!"
Zbrojek's face flushed. Kalinski, who stood right behind him, withdrew. The Swedish officers surrounded them at once, asking what man this Kmita was whose name had made such an impression. During this time Kuklinovski had squeezed Miller up to the window, and said,
"For your worthiness the name Kmita is nothing; but he is the first soldier, the first colonel, in the whole Commonwealth. All know of him, all know that name; once he served Radzivill and the Swedes; now it is clear that he has gone over to Yan Kazimir. There is not his equal among soldiers, save me. He was the only man who could go alone and blow up that gun. From this one deed you may know him. He fought Hovanski, so that a reward was put on his head. He with two or three hundred men kept up the whole war after the defeat at Shklov, until others were found who, imitating him, began to tear at the enemy. He is the most dangerous man in all the country "
"Why do you sing his praises to me?" inquired Miller. "That he is dangerous I know to my own irreparable loss."
"What does your worthiness think of doing with him?"
"I should give orders to hang him; but being a soldier myself, I know how to value daring and bravery. Besides, he is a noble of high birth, I will order him shot, and that to-day."
"Your worthiness, it is not for me to instruct the most celebrated soldier and statesman of modern times; but I permit myself to say that that man is too famous. If you shoot him, Zbrojek's squadron and Kalinski's will withdraw at the latest this very day, and go over to Yan Kazimir."
"If that is true, I'll have them cut to pieces before they go!" cried Miller.
"Your worthiness, a terrible responsibility! for if that becomes known, and the cutting down of two squadrons is hard to hide, the whole Polish army will leave Karl Gustav; at present their loyalty is tottering, as you know. The hetmans are not reliable. Pan Konyetspolski with six thousand of the best cavalry is at the side of our king. That force is no trifle. God defend us if these too should turn against us, against the person of his Royal Grace! Besides, this fortress defends itself; and to cut down the squadrons of Zbrojek and Kalinski is no easy matter, for Wolf is here too with his infantry. They might come to an agreement with the garrison of the fortress."
"A hundred horned devils!" cried Miller; "what do you want, Kuklinovski? do you want me to give Kmita his life? That cannot be."
"I want," answered Kuklinovski, "you to give him to me."
"What will you do with him?"
"Ah, I will tear him alive from his skin."
"You did not know even his real name, you do not know him. What have you against him?"
"I made his acquaintance first in the fortress, where I have been twice as an envoy to the monks."
"Have you reasons for vengeance?"
"Your worthiness, I wished privately to bring him to our camp. He, taking advantage of the fact that I laid aside my office of envoy, insulted me, Kuklinovski, as no man in life has insulted me."
"What did he do to you?"
Kuklinovski trembled and gnashed his teeth. "Better not speak of it. Only give him to me. He is doomed to death anyhow, and I would like before his end to have a little amusement with him, all the more because he is the Kmita whom formerly I venerated, and who repaid me in such fashion. Give him to me; it will be better for you. If I rub him out, Zbrojek and Kalinski and with them all the Polish knighthood will fall not upon you, but upon me, and I'll help myself. There will not be anger, wry faces, and mutiny. It will be my private matter about Kmita's skin, of which I shall have a drum made."
Miller fell to thinking; a sudden suspicion flashed over his face.
"Kuklinovski," said he, "maybe you wish to save him?"
Kuklinovski smiled quietly, but that smile was so terrible and sincere that Miller ceased to doubt.
"Perhaps you give sound advice," said he.
"For all my services I beg this reward only."
"Take him, then."
Now both returned to the room where the rest of the officers were assembled. Miller turned to them and said,
"In view of the services of Pan Kuklinovski I place at his absolute disposal this prisoner."
A moment of silence followed; then Pan Zbrojek put his hands on his sides, and asked with a certain accent of contempt,
"And what does Pan Kuklinovski think to do with the prisoner?"
Kuklinovski bent, straightened himself quickly, his lips opened with an ill-omened smile, and his eyes began to quiver.
"Whoso is not pleased with what I do to the prisoner, knows where to find me." And he shook his sabre.
"Your promise, Pan Kuklinovski," said Zbrojek.
"Promise, promise!"
When he had said this he approached Kmita. "Follow me, little worm; come after me, famous soldier. Thou'rt a trifle weak; thou needst swathing, I'll swathe thee."
"Ruffian!" said Kmita.
"Very good, very good, daring soul! Meanwhile step along."
The officers remained in the room; Kuklinovski mounted his horse before the quarters. Having with him three soldiers, he commanded one of them to lead Kmita by a lariat; and all went together toward Lgota, where Kuklinovski's regiment was quartered.
On the way Kmita prayed ardently. He saw that death was approaching, and he committed himself with his whole soul to God. He was so sunk in prayer and in his own doom that he did not hear what Kuklinovski said to him; he did not know even how long the road was.
They stopped at last before an empty, half-ruined barn, standing in the open field, at some distance from the quarters of Kuklinovski's regiment. The colonel ordered them to lead Kmita in, and turning himself to one of the soldiers, said,
"Hurry for me to the camp, bring ropes and a tar bucket!"
The soldier galloped with all the breath in his horse, and in quarter of an hour returned at the same pace, with a comrade. They had brought the requisite articles.
"Strip this spark naked!" ordered Kuklinovski; "tie his hands and feet behind him with a rope, and then fasten him to a beam."
"Ruffian!" said Kmita.
"Good, good! we can talk yet, we have time!"
Meanwhile one of the soldiers climbed up on the beam, and the others fell to dragging the clothes from Kmita. When he was naked the three executioners placed Pan Andrei with his face to the ground, bound his hands and feet with a long rope, then passing it still around his waist they threw the other end to the soldier sitting on the beam.
"Now raise him, and let the man on the beam pull the rope and tie it!" said Kuklinovski.
In a moment the order was obeyed.
"Let him go!"
The rope squeaked. Pan Andrei was hanging parallel with the earth, a few ells above the threshing-floor. Then Kuklinovski dipped tow in the burning tar-bucket, walked up to him, and said,
"Well, Pan Kmita, did not I say that there are two colonels in the Commonwealth? only two, I and thou! And thou didst not wish to join company with Kuklinovski, and kicked him! Well, little worm, thou art right! Not for thee is the company of Kuklinovski, for Kuklinovski is better. Hei! a famous colonel is Pan Kmita, and Kuklinovski has him in his hand, and Kuklinovski is roasting his sides!"