The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 1Sienkiewicz, Henryk
History
The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 1
Sienkiewicz, Henryk
Historical fiction; Poland -- History -- John II Casimir, 1648-1668 -- Fiction
Then he drew near with impatience to the side of the first figure. He
could not see the face, for it was hidden in the shadow; but by the
white leather belt and the white sheath of the flageolet he recognized
Pan Uhlik, and began to shake him unceremoniously with his foot.
"Get up, such kind of sons! get up!"
But Pan Uhlik lay motionless, with his hands fallen without control at
the side of his body, and beyond him were lying others. No one yawned,
no one quivered, no one woke, no one muttered. At the same moment Kmita
noticed that all were lying on their backs in the same position, and a
certain fearful presentiment seized him by the heart. Springing to the
table, he took with trembling hand the light and thrust it toward the
faces of the prostrate men.
The hair stood on his head, such a dreadful sight met his eyes. Uhlik
he was able to recognize only by his white belt, for his face and his
head presented one formless, foul, bloody mass, without eyes, without
nose or mouth,--only the enormous mustaches were sticking out of the
dreadful pool. Kmita pushed the light farther. Next in order lay Zend,
with grinning teeth and eyes protruding, in which in glassy fixedness
was terror before death. The third in the row, Ranitski, had his eyes
closed, and over his whole face were spots, white, bloody, and dark.
Kmita took the light farther. Fourth lay Kokosinski,--the dearest to
Kmita of all his officers, being his former near neighbor. He seemed
to sleep quietly, but in the side of his neck was to be seen a large
wound surely given with a thrust. Fifth in the row lay the gigantic
Kulvyets-Hippocentaurus, with the vest torn on his bosom and his face
slashed many times. Kmita brought the light near each face; and when at
last he brought it to the sixth, Rekuts, it seemed that the lids of the
unfortunate victim quivered a little from the gleam.
Kmita put the light on the floor and began to shake the wounded man
gently. After the eyelids the face began to move, the eyes and mouth
opened and closed in turn.
"Rekuts, Rekuts, it is I!" said Kmita.
The eyes of Rekuts opened for a moment; he recognized the face of his
friend, and groaned in a low voice, "Yendrus--a priest--"
"Who killed you?" cried Kmita, seizing himself by the hair.
"Bu-try-my-" (The Butryms), answered he, in a voice so low that it was
barely audible. Then he stretched himself, grew stiff, his open eyes
became fixed, and he died.
Kmita went in silence to the table, put the tallow lamp upon it, sat
down in an armchair, and began to pass his hands over his face like a
man who waking from sleep does not know yet whether he is awake or
still sees dream figures before his eyes. Then he looked again on the
bodies lying in the darkness. Cold sweat came out on his forehead, the
hair rose on his head, and suddenly he shouted so terribly that the
panes rattled in the windows,--
"Come hither, every living man! come hither!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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