“These are ordinary incidents of war, which should confuse no one. Do not think, gentlemen, that we have suffered any defeat. Those regiments are a loss surely; but the loss might have been a hundred times greater if Boguslav had enticed us to a distant province. He is coming to us. We will go out to meet him like hospitable hosts.” Here he turned to the colonels: “According to my orders all must be ready to move?” “They are ready,” said Oskyerko. “Only saddle the horses and sound the trumpet.” “Sound it to-day. We move in the morning at dawn, without fail. Pan Babinich will gallop ahead with his Tartars, and seize with all haste informants.” Kmita had barely heard this when he was outside the door, and a moment later hurrying on as his horse could gallop to Rokitno. And Sapyeha also did not delay long. It was still night when the trumpets gave out their prolonged sounds; then cavalry and infantry poured forth into the field; after them stretched a long train of squeaking wagons. The first gleams of day were reflected on musket-barrels and spear-points. And they marched, regiment after regiment, squadron after squadron, in great regularity. The cavalry sang their matins, and the horses snorted sharply in the morning coolness, from which the soldiers predicted sure victory for themselves. Their hearts were full of consolation; for the knighthood knew from experience that Sapyeha weighed everything, that he labored with his head, that he considered every undertaking from both sides, that when he began a thing he would finish it, and when he moved he would strike. At Rokitno the lairs of the Tartars were cold; they had gone the night before, hence must have pushed far in advance. It surprised Sapyeha that along the road it was difficult to learn anything of them, though the division, numbering, with volunteers, several hundred, could not pass without being seen. The most experienced officers wondered greatly at this march, and at Pan Babinich for being able to lead in such fashion. “Like a wolf he goes through the willows, and like a wolf he will bite,” said they; “he is as if born for the work.” But Oskyerko, who, as has been said, knew who Babinich was, said to Sapyeha,— “It was not for nothing that Hovanski put a price on his head. God will give victory to whom he chooses; but this is sure, that war with us will soon be bitter for Boguslav.” “But it is a pity that Babinich has vanished as if he had fallen into water,” answered the hetman.