And so they continued for a good while without result, for no man pushed forward from the ranks. One looked at another. There were those who desired to go and had no fear of the Swedes, but indecision restrained them. More than one nudged his neighbor and said, "Go you, and then I'll go." The captains were growing impatient, till all at once, when they had ridden up to the district of Gnyezno, a certain man dressed in many colors sprang forth on a hoop, not from the line but from behind the line, and cried,-- "Gracious gentlemen of the militia, I'll be the volunteer and ye will be jesters!" "Ostrojka! Ostrojka!" cried the nobles. "I am just as good a noble as any of you!" answered the jester. "Tfu! to a hundred devils!" cried Pan Rosinski; under-judge, "a truce to jesting! I will go." "And I! and I!" cried numerous voices. "Once my mother bore me, once for me is death!" "As good as thou will be found!" "Freedom to each. Let no man here exalt himself above others." And as no one had come forth before, so now nobles began to rush out from every district, spurring forward their horses, disputing with one another and fighting to advance. In the twinkle of an eye there were five hundred horsemen, and still they were riding forth from the ranks. Pan Skorashevski began to laugh with his honest, open laugh. "Enough, worthy gentlemen, enough! We cannot all go." Then the two captains put the men in order and marched. The voevoda of Podlyasye joined the horsemen as they were riding out of camp. They were seen as on the palm of the hand crossing the Notets; after that they glittered some time on the windings of the road, then vanished from sight. At the expiration of half an hour the voevoda of Poznan ordered the troops to their tents, for he saw that it was impossible to keep them in the ranks when the enemy were still a day's march distant. Numerous pickets were thrown out, however; it was not permitted to drive horses to pasture, and the order was given that at the first low sound of the trumpet through the mouthpiece all were to mount and be ready. Expectation and uncertainty had come to an end, quarrels and disputes were finished at once, for the nearness of the enemy had raised their courage as Pan Skshetuski had predicted. The first successful battle might raise it indeed very high; and in the evening an event took place which seemed of happy omen. The sun was just setting,--lighting with enormous glitter, dazzling the eyes, the Notets, and the pine-woods beyond,--when on the other side of the river was seen first a cloud of dust, and then men moving in the cloud. All that was living went out on the ramparts to see what manner of guests these were. At that moment a dragoon of the guards rushed in from the squadron of Pan Grudzinski with intelligence that the horsemen were returning. "The horsemen are returning with success! The Swedes have not eaten them!" was repeated from mouth to mouth.