CHAPTER XXX.
A movement rose quickly among the soldiers, who were glad to go out ofthe forest to the distant world, all the more since they feared pursuiton the part of Boguslav Radzivill; and old Kyemlich went to the cabin,understanding that Kmita would need him.
"Does your grace wish to go?" asked he.
"I do. Will you guide me out of the forest? Do you know all the roads?"
"I know all the roads in these parts. But whither does your grace wishto go?"
"To our gracious king."
The old man started back in astonishment. "O Wise Lady!" cried he. "Towhat king."
"Not to the Swedish, you may be sure."
Kyemlich not only failed to recover, but began to make the sign of thecross.
"Then surely your grace does not know that people say our lord the kinghas taken refuge in Silesia, for all have deserted him. Cracow isbesieged."
"We will go to Silesia."
"Well, but how are we to pass through the Swedes?"
"Whether we pass through as nobles or peasants, on horseback or onfoot, is all one to me, if only we pass."
"Then too a tremendous lot of time is needed."
"We have time enough, but I should be glad to go as quickly aspossible."
Kyemlich ceased to wonder. The old man was too cunning not to surmisethat there was some particular and secret cause for this undertaking ofPan Kmita's, and that moment a thousand suppositions began to crowdinto his head. But as the soldiers, on whom Pan Andrei had enjoinedsilence, said nothing to the old man or his sons about the seizure ofPrince Boguslav, the supposition seemed to him most likely that theprince voevoda of Vilna had sent the young colonel on some mission tothe king. He was confirmed in this opinion specially because he countedKmita a zealous adherent of Prince Yanush, and knew of his services tothe hetman; for the confederate squadrons had spread tidings of himthroughout the whole province of Podlyasye, creating the opinion thatKmita was a tyrant and a traitor.
"The hetman is sending a confidant to the king," thought the old man;"that means that surely he wishes to agree with him and leave theSwedes. Their rule must be bitter to him already, else why send?"
Old Kyemlich did not struggle long over this question, for his interestin the matter was altogether different; and namely, what profit couldhe draw from such circumstances? If he served Kmita he would serve atthe same time the hetman and the king, which would not be without anotable reward. The favor of such lords would be of service, too,should he be summoned to account for old sins. Besides, there willsurely be war, the country will flame up, and then plunder will crawlof itself into his hands. All this smiled at the old man, who besideswas accustomed to obey Kmita, and had not ceased to fear him like fire,cherishing toward him also a certain kind of love, which Kmita knew howto rouse in all his subordinates.
"Your grace," said he, "must go through the whole Commonwealth to reachthe king. Swedish troops are nothing, for we may avoid the towns and gothrough the woods; but the worst is that the woods, as is usual inunquiet times, are full of parties of freebooters, who fall upontravellers; and your grace has few men."
"You will go with me, Pan Kyemlich, and your sons and the men whom youhave; there will be more of us."
"If your grace commands I will go, but I am a poor man. Only miserywith us; nothing more. How can I leave even this poverty and the roofover my head?"
"Whatever you do will be paid for; and for you it is better to takeyour head out of this place while it is yet on your shoulders."
"All the Saints of the Lord! What does your grace say? How is that?What threatens me, innocent man, in this place? Whom do we hinder?"
"I know you robbers!" answered Pan Andrei. "You had partnership withKopystynski, and killed him; then you ran away from the courts, youserved with me, you took away my captured horses.
"As true as life! O Mighty Lady!" cried the old man.
"Wait and be silent! Then you returned to your old lair, and began toravage in the neighborhood like robbers, taking horses and bootyeverywhere. Do not deny it, for I am not your judge, and you know bestwhether I tell the truth. If you take the horses of Zolotarenko, thatis well; if the horses of the Swedes, that is well. If they catch youthey will flay you; but that is their affair."
"True, true; but we take only from the enemy," said the old man.
"Untrue; for you attack your own people, as your sons have confessed tome, and that is simple robbery, and a stain on the name of a noble.Shame on you, robbers! you should be peasants, not nobles."
"Your grace wrongs us," said old fox, growing red, "for we, rememberingour station, do no peasant deed. We do not take horses at night fromany man's stable. It is something different to drive a herd from thefields, or to capture horses. This is permitted, and there is noprejudice to a noble therefrom in time of war. But a horse in a stableis sacred; and only a gypsy, a Jew, or a peasant would steal from astable,--not a noble. We, your grace, do not do that. But war is war!"
"Though there were ten wars, only in battle can plunder be taken; ifyou seek it on the road, you are robbers."
"God is witness to our innocence."
"But you have brewed beer here. In few words, it is better for you toleave this place, for sooner or later the halter will take you. Comewith me; you will wash away your sins with faithful service and winhonor. I will receive you to my service, in which there will be moreprofit than in those horses."
"We will go with your grace everywhere; we will guide you through theSwedes and through the robbers,--for true is the speech of your grace,that evil people persecute us here terribly, and for what? For ourpoverty,--for nothing but our poverty. Perhaps God will take pity onus, and save us from suffering."
Here old Kyemlich rubbed his hands mechanically, and his eyesglittered. "From these works," thought he, "it will boil in the countryas in a kettle, and foolish the man who takes no advantage."
Kmita looked at him quickly. "Only don't try to betray me!" said he,threateningly, "for you will not be able, and the hand of God onlycould save you."
"We have never betrayed," answered Kyemlich, gloomily, "and may Godcondemn me if such a thought entered my head."
"I believe you," said Kmita, after a short silence, "for treason issomething different from robbery; no robber will betray."
"What does your grace command now?" asked Kyemlich.
"First, here are two letters, requiring quick delivery. Have you sharpmen?"
"Where must they go?"
"Let one go to the prince voevoda, but without seeing Radzivillhimself. Let him deliver the letter in the first squadron of theprince, and come back without awaiting an answer."
"The pitch-maker will go; he is a sharp man and experienced."
"He will do. The second letter must be taken to Podlyasye; inquire forPan Volodyovski's Lauda squadron, and give it into the hands of thecolonel himself."
The old man began to mutter cunningly, and thought, "I see work onevery side; since he is sniffing with the confederates there will beboiling water,--there will be, there will be!"
"Your grace," said he, aloud, "if there is not such a hurry with thisletter, when we leave the forest it perhaps might be given to some manon the road. There are many nobles here friendly to the confederates;any one would take it willingly, and one man more would remain to us."
"You have calculated shrewdly," answered Kmita, "for it is better thathe who delivers the letter should not know from whom he takes it. Shallwe go out of the forest soon?"
"As your grace wishes. We can go out in two weeks, or to-morrow."
"Of that later; but now listen to me carefully, Kyemlich."
"I am attending with all my mind, your grace."
"They have denounced me in the whole Commonwealth as a tyrant, asdevoted to the hetman, or altogether to Sweden. If the king knew who Iam, he might not trust me, and might despise my intention, which, if itis not sincere, God sees! Are you attending, Kyemlich?"
"I am, your
grace."
"Therefore I do not call myself Kmita, but, Babinich, do youunderstand? No one must know my real name. Open not your lips; let nota breath out. If men ask whence I come, say that you joined me on theroad and do not know, but say, 'Whoso is curious, let him ask the manhimself.'"
"I understand, your grace."
"Warn your sons, and also your men. Even if straps were cut out ofthem, they must say my name is Babinich. You will answer for this withyour life."
"It will be so, your grace. I will go and tell my sons, for it isnecessary to put everything into the heads of those rogues with ashovel. Such is the joy I have with them. God has punished me for thesins of my youth; that is the trouble. Let me say another word, yourgrace."
"Speak boldly."
"It seems to me better not to tell soldiers or men where we are going."
"That is true."
"It is enough for them to know that Babinich, not Pan Kmita, istravelling. And on such a journey it is better to conceal your grace'srank."
"Why?"
"Because the Swedes give passes to the more considerable people; andwhoso has not a pass, him they take to the commandant."
"I have passes to the Swedish troops."
Astonishment gleamed in the cunning eyes of Kyemlich; but after a whilehe asked, "Will your grace let me say once more what I think?"
"If you give good counsel and delay not, speak; for I see that you area clever man."
"If you have passes, it is better, for in need they may be shown; butif your grace is travelling on an errand that should remain secret, itis safer not to show the passes. I know not whether they are given inthe name of Babinich or Kmita; but if you show them, the trace willremain and pursuit will be easier."
"You have struck the point!" cried Kmita. "I prefer to reserve thepasses for another time, if it is possible to go through without them."
"It is possible, your grace; and that disguised either as a peasant ora petty noble,--which will be easier, for I have some clean clothes, acap and gray coat, for example, just such as petty nobles wear. We maytravel with a band of horses, as if we were going to the fairs, anddrive farther till we come to Lovich and Warsaw, as I have done morethan once during peace, and I know the roads. About this time there isa fair in Sobota, to which people come from afar. In Sobota we shalllearn of other places where there are fairs, and so on. The Swedes tootake less note of small nobles, for crowds of them stroll about at allthe fairs. If some commandant inquires we will explain ourselves, butif a small party asks we will gallop over their bellies, God and theMost Holy Lady permitting."
"But if they take our horses? Requisitions in time of war are of dailyoccurrence."
"Either they will buy or they will take them. If they buy we will go toSobota, not to sell, but to buy horses; and if they take them, we willraise a lament and go with our complaint to Warsaw and to Cracow."
"You have a cunning mind," said Kmita, "and I see that you will serveme. Even if the Swedes take these horses, some man will be found to payfor them."
"I was going to Elko in Prussia with them; this turns out well, forjust in that direction does our road lie. From Elko we will go alongthe boundary, then turn to Ostrolenko, thence through the wilderness toPultusk and to Warsaw."
"Where is that Sobota?"[24]
"Not far from Pyantek."[25]
"Are you jesting, Kyemlich?"
"How should I dare," answered the old man, crossing his arms on hisbreast and bending his head; "but they have such wonderful names fortowns in this region. It is a good bit of road beyond Lovich, yourgrace."
"Are there large fairs in that Sobota?"
"Not such as in Lovich; but there is one at this time of year, to whichhorses are driven from Prussia, and crowds of people assemble. Surelyit will not be worse this year, for it is quiet about there. The Swedesare in power everywhere, and have garrisons in the towns. Even if a manwanted to rise against them, he could not."
"Then I will take your plan. We will go with horses, and that yousuffer no loss I will pay for them in advance."
"I thank your grace for the rescue."
"Only get sheepskin coats ready and common saddles and sabres, for wewill start at once. Tell your sons and men who I am, what my name is,that I am travelling with horses, that you and they are hiredassistants. Hurry!"
When the old man turned to the door, Pan Andrei said further, "No onewill call me grace nor commandant nor colonel, only _you_ and_Babinich_."
Kyemlich went out, and an hour later all were sitting on their horsesready to start on the long journey. Kmita dressed in the gray coat of apoor noble, a cap of worn sheepskin, and with a bandaged face, as ifafter a duel in some inn, was difficult of recognition, and lookedreally like some poor devil of a noble, strolling from one fair toanother. He was surrounded by people dressed in like fashion, armedwith common poor sabres, with long whips to drive the horses, andlariats to catch those that might try to escape.
The soldiers looked with astonishment at their colonel, making variousremarks, in low tones, concerning him. It was a wonder to them that hewas Babinich instead of Pan Kmita, that they were to say _you_ to him;and most of all shrugged his shoulders old Soroka, who, looking at theterrible colonel as at a rainbow, muttered to Biloues,--
"That _you_ will not pass my throat. Let him kill me, but I will givehim, as of old, what belongs to him."
The soldiers knew not that the soul in Pan Andrei had changed as wellas his external form.
"Move on!" cried Babinich, on a sudden.
The whips cracked; the riders surrounded the horses, which were huddledtogether, and they moved on.