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
When he had discovered this, that old warrior was simply terrified at
that defender and at his own task. All at once that “hen-house” of
Chenstohova seemed to him a giant mountain defended by a Titan, and the
general seemed small to himself; and on his own army he looked, for the
first time in his life, as on a handful of wretched worms. Was it for
them to raise hands against that mysterious and heaven-touching power?
Therefore Miller was terrified, and doubt began to steal into his
heart. Seeing that the fault would be placed upon him, he began himself
to seek the guilty, and his anger fell first on Count Veyhard. Disputes
rose in the camp, and dissensions began to inflame hearts against one
another; the works of the siege had to suffer therefrom.
Miller had been too long accustomed to estimate men and events by the
common measure of a soldier, not to console himself still at times with
the thought that at last the fortress would surrender. And taking
things in human fashion, it could not be otherwise. Besides, Wittemberg
was sending him six siege guns of the heaviest calibre, which had shown
their force at Cracow.
“Devil take it!” thought Miller; “such walls will not stand against
guns like these, and if that nest of terrors, of superstitions, of
enchantment, winds up in smoke, then things will take another turn, and
the whole country will be pacified.”
While waiting for the heavier guns, he commanded to fire from the
smaller. The days of conflict returned. But in vain did balls of fire
fall on the roofs, in vain did the best gunners exert superhuman power.
As often as the wind blew away the sea of smoke, the cloister appeared
untouched, imposing as ever, lofty, with towers piercing calmly the
blue of the sky. At the same time things happened which spread
superstitious terror among the besiegers. Now balls flew over the whole
mountain and struck soldiers on the other side; now a gunner, occupied
in aiming a gun, fell on a sudden; now smoke disposed itself in
terrible and strange forms; now powder in the boxes exploded all at
once, as if fired by some invisible hand.
Besides, soldiers were perishing continually who alone, in twos or in
threes, went out of the camp. Suspicion fell on the Polish auxiliary
squadrons, which, with the exception of Kuklinovski’s regiment, refused
out and out every cooperation in the siege, and showed daily more
menacing looks. Miller threatened Colonel Zbrojek with a court-martial,
but he answered in presence of all the officers: “Try it, General.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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