But now something marvellous happened. Many voices were heard all at once shouting: "Strike!" Sabres gleamed in the moonlight. Certain horsemen fell to cutting and hewing in the rear of the robbers, who, because of this sudden attack, were seized in one instant with terror. Escape in the rear was now closed to them; nothing remained but escape at either side of the roadway. Only some, therefore, offered a desperate resistance. The more numerous sprang like ducks to the turfy quagmire on both sides. The quagmire broke under them; then grasping grass, clumps, and reeds, they clung to hillocks, or lay on their bellies not to sink the first moment. Only a small company, armed with scythes fixed to poles, defended themselves for some time yet with madness. Because of this many horsemen were wounded. But at last even this handful, seeing that for them there was no rescue whatever, threw down their weapons, fell on their knees, and begged mercy. They were taken alive to be witnesses. Meanwhile horsemen from both sides stood facing one another, and raised their voices. "Halt! halt! Who are ye?" "But who are ye?" "Tsyprianovitch of Yedlinka." "For God's sake! these are our people!" And two riders pushed from the ranks quickly. One inclined to Pan Serafin, seized his hand straightway, and covered it with kisses; the other rushed to the priest's shoulder. "Stanislav!" cried Pan Serafin. "Yatsek!" shouted the priest. The greetings and embraces continued till speech came to Pan Serafin,-- "For God's sake, whence come ye?" "Our regiment was marching to Cracow. Yatsek and I had permission to visit you at Yedlinka. Meanwhile we learned at Radom, while halting for food there, that thou, father, and the priest, and the Bukoyemskis had set out an hour earlier by the highroad toward Kieltse." "Did the prelate tell thee?" "No! We did not see him. Radom Jews told us; we did not go then to Yedlinka, but moved on at once lest we might miss you. At midnight we heard firing, so we all rushed to give aid, thinking that bandits had fallen upon travellers. It did not occur to us that ye were the persons. God be thanked, God be thanked, that we came up in season!" "Not bandits attacked us, but the Krepetskis. It is a question of Panna Anulka, who is with us." "As God lives!" exclaimed Stanislav. "Then I think that his soul will leave Yatsek." "I wrote to thee about her, but it is evident that my letter did not reach thee." "No, for we are marching these three weeks. I have not written of late because I had to come hither." Shouts from the Bukoyemskis, the attendants, and the warriors stopped further converse. At that moment also attendants ran up with lighted torches. A supply had been taken by Pan Serafin that he might have wherewith to give light during darkness. It was as clear on the road as in daylight, and in those bright gleams Yatsek saw the gray horse on which Panna Anulka was sitting. He grew dumb at sight of her.