The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 2Sienkiewicz, Henryk
History
The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 2
Sienkiewicz, Henryk
Historical fiction; Poland -- History -- John II Casimir, 1648-1668 -- Fiction
And before any one could have winked, two helmets had fallen. More than
ten rapiers were directed at once to the single breast of Volodyovski;
but at that instant rushed in Pan Yan and Pan Stanislav, Yuzva Butrym,
Zagloba and Roh Kovalski, of whom Zagloba related, that even when going
to the attack he had his eyes closed in sleep, and woke only when his
breast struck the breast of an enemy.
Volodyovski put himself under the saddle so quickly that the rapiers
passed through empty air. He learned this method from the Tartars of
Bailgorod; but being small and at the same time adroit beyond human
belief, he brought it to such perfection that he vanished from the eye
when he wished, either behind the shoulder or under the belly of the
horse. So he vanished this time, and before the astonished Swedes could
understand what had become of him he was erect on the saddle again,
terrible as a wild-cat which springs down from lofty branches among
frightened dogs.
Meanwhile his comrades gave him aid, and bore around death and
confusion. One of the Swedes held a pistol to the very breast of
Zagloba. Roh Kovalski, having that enemy on his left side, was unable
to strike him with a sabre; but he balled his fist, struck the Swede’s
head in passing, and that man dropped under the horse as if a
thunderbolt had met him, and Zagloba, giving forth a shout of delight,
slashed in the temple Sweno himself, who dropped his hands and fell
with his forehead to the horse’s shoulder. At sight of this the other
Swedes scattered. Volodyovski, Yuzva Footless, Pan Yan, and Pan
Stanislav followed and cut them down before they had gone a hundred
yards.
And the pursuit lasted longer. The Swedish horses had less and less
breath in their bodies, and ran more and more slowly. At last from a
thousand of the best horsemen, which had gone out under Kanneberg,
there remained barely a hundred and some tens; the rest had fallen in a
long belt over the forest road. And this last group was decreasing, for
Polish hands ceased not to toil over them.
At last they came out of the forest. The towers of Yaroslav were
outlined clearly in the azure sky. Now hope entered the hearts of the
fleeing, for they knew that in Yaroslav was the king with all his
forces, and at any moment he might come to their aid. They had
forgotten that immediately after their passage the top had been taken
from the last square of the bridge, so as to put stronger planks for
the passage of cannon.
Whether Charnyetski knew of this through his spies, or wished to show
himself of purpose to the Swedish king and cut down before his eyes the
last of those unfortunate men, it is enough that not only did he not
restrain the pursuit, but he sprang forward himself with the Shemberk
squadron, slashed, cut with his own hand, pursuing the crowd in such
fashion as if he wished with that same speed to strike Yaroslav.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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