but this is a place to meet a good Cossack death. I have long prayed
God that when my life was to end I might end it in battle for a holy
and Christian cause. And so it has come to pass. There can be no more
glorious end in any other place for the aged Cossack."

When they had all separated, and were ranged in two lines on opposite
sides, the Koschevoi passed through the ranks, and said, "Well,
brother gentles, are the two parties satisfied with each other?"

"All satisfied, father!" replied the Cossacks.

"Then kiss each other, and bid each other farewell; for God knows
whether you will ever see each other alive again. Obey your hetman,
but you know yourselves what you have to do: you know yourselves what
Cossack honour requires."

And all the Cossacks kissed each other. The hetmans first began it.
Stroking down their grey moustaches, they kissed each other, making
the sign of the cross, and then, grasping hands firmly, wanted to ask
of each other, "Well, brother, shall we see one another again or not?"
But they did not ask the question: they kept silence, and both
grey-heads were lost in thought. Then the Cossacks took leave of each
other to the last man, knowing that there was a great deal of work
before them all. Yet they were not obliged to part at once: they would
have to wait until night in order not to let the Lyakhs perceive the
diminution in the Cossack army. Then all went off, by kurens, to dine.

After dinner, all who had the prospect of the journey before them lay
down to rest, and fell into a deep and long sleep, as though
foreseeing that it was the last sleep they should enjoy in such