I, though a priest, at times tuck up my gown,
And dance mazurkas! But you know this, Major,
We here are drinking, but the Jägers freezing
Behind the house. Drinking is drinking. Judge,
Give ’em a whisky cask. The Major will
Allow this; let the valiant Jägers drink.”
“I’d ask it,” said the Major, “but herein
Is no compulsion.”—“Give ’em, Judge,” did whisper
Robak, “a cask of spirits.” And thus, while
The merry staff were swilling in the house,
Behind it, drinking in the ranks began.
In silence Captain Rykow drained his cup.
But at the same time as he drank, the Major
Made to the ladies compliments; and ever
The zeal for dancing greater in him grew.
He threw away his pipe, and seized the hand
Of Telimena; he would dance, she fled.
So went he to Sophia, and bending double,
Invited her to a mazurka. “Here,
You Rykow, leave off puffing at your pipe;
Put down that pipe, for you can play the lute.
Don’t you see that guitar? come, take it up.
Play a mazurka. I, the Major, will
Make one in the first couple.” So the Captain
Took the guitar, began to screw the strings.
Plut once more Telimena asked to dance.
“Upon a Major’s word, Miss, I’m no Russian.
I’ll be a dog’s son, if I’m telling lies.
If I tell lies—inquire; the officers
Will witness all, and all the army says it,
That in this second army, the ninth corps,
The second foot division, fifteenth regiment
Of Jägers, Major Plut’s the best mazurist.
So come along, Miss, don’t be obstinate,
Or like an officer I’ll punish you.”
This saying, he sprang, seized Telimena’s hand,
And on her pale arm gave a smacking kiss;
When Thaddeus, springing from one side, bestowed
A blow upon his face. The kiss and blow
Together sounded, one behind the other,
As word may follow after word. The Major
Was all confounded, rubbed his eyes, and pale
With anger, cried, “Rebellion! mutineer!”
And drawing his sword, made haste to pierce his foe.
Then from his sleeve the priest a pistol drew;
“Fire, Thaddeus,” he cried, “as at a candle.”
Quick Thaddeus seized it, measured aim, and fired.
He missed, but stupefied and singed the Major.
Up started Rykow with his instrument.
“Rebellion!” cried he, and on Thaddeus rushed.
The Wojski brandished from behind the table
A knife held backwards. Through the air it hissed
Between the heads, and sooner struck than gleamed,
It struck the depth of the guitar, the inside
To outside turning. Rykow bent aside,
And thus avoided death, though much frightened.
Exclaiming, “Jägers, mutiny, by heaven!”
He drew his sword, and making good defence,
Drew near the threshold. Presently there entered
From the other side the room, and through the window,
A many nobles, armed with rapiers, led
On by the Rod. Plut reached the hall, and Rykow
Behind him; they the soldiers call; already
Three nearest to the house as succour haste.
Now through the doors three gleaming bayonets
Creep in, and after them three low black hats.
With Rod uplifted Matthew in the doorway
Stood, leaning ’gainst the wall; he lay in wait
Like cat that watches mice, till fierce he smote,
And may be the three heads had rolled on earth;
But either the old man’s sight served him ill,
Or over-great his ardour; ere they gave
Their necks to him, he smote upon their hats;
He tore them, but the Rod, down falling, clashed
On bayonets; the Muscovites drew back,
And Matthew drove them out into the court.
There the confusion was still greater.
There Soplica’s partisans with emulation
Worked at unfettering the Dobrzynskis, tore
The stocks asunder. Seeing this the Jägers
Rush to their swords, and hasten to the place.
A sergeant with a bayonet pierced Podhajski,
Wounded two other noblemen, a third
He shot at, and they fled. The Baptist still
Was in the stocks; with hands already free,
Ready for combat he arose, upraised
His hand, and doubled up his lengthy fingers,
And from above upon a Russian’s back
So fierce he smote, he brow and visage beat
Into the carbine’s lock. The lock was stirred,
But drenched in blood the powder kindled not.
The sergeant rolled o’er at the Baptist’s feet
Upon his weapon. Baptist bent him down,
And seized his rifle by its barrel. Whirling
The rifle like his Sprinkler round, high raised,
Round turning like a windmill’s sails, at once
He on the shoulders smote two rank and file,
And knocked a corporal upon the head.
The rest in terror drew back from the stocks.
Thus Baptist with a moving roof protected
The nobles. After breaking of the stocks,
And cutting ropes, the nobles being free,
Now fell upon the wagons of the friar,
And from them drew forth rapiers, sabres, swords,
Firearms, and scythes. The Bucket found two guns
There, with a sack of bullets; in his rifle
He poured them, and another gun like charged
Left for the Bustard. Now arrived more Jägers.
Confused they grow, together crowded, stumbling;
The nobles cannot in the tumult smite
With cross-cut, and the Jägers cannot fire.
Now hand to hand they fight, steel, tooth by tooth,
Encountering steel, is shivered; bayonet
Meets sabre, scythe on hilt is broken, fist
Meets fist, and arm meets arm. But Rykow hastes
With some part of the Jägers, where the barn
Doth meet the hedge; there stands he, to his soldiers
He calls, to end a battle so misruled,
Wherein, with weapons never used, they fall
Beneath the blows of fists. Enraged that he
Himself may fire not, since in such a crowd
He knows not Muscovites from Poles, he cries,
“Draw up!” which meaneth, form in rank and file.
But ’mid the shouting none his orders heard.
Old Matthew, for these combats hand to hand
Unsuited, backward drew, a clear space made
To right and left before him on his way.
Here, with his sabre’s end, the bayonets
He wipes off from the barrels of the guns,
As candle-wicks from lights; then, backwards striking
He heweth down, or pierceth; thus retreated
The prudent Matthew from the battle-field.
But with the greatest fury on him rushed
An old Gefreiter,229 trainer to the regiment,
A mighty master of the bayonet.
He gathered him together, bent, and seized
The carbine in both hands, the right upon
The lock, the left the barrel midmost grasped.
He twisted, skipped, at times seemed half to sit,
And with his right hand forward pushed the gun,
Like sting from snaky jaws, and once again
He drew it backwards, leaning on his knee.
Thus twisting,
