foot with iron chains, gave them no food for a week at a time, and
made them drink sea-water. The poor prisoners endured and suffered
all, but would not renounce their orthodox faith. Their hetman, Mosiy
Schilo, could not bear it: he trampled the Holy Scriptures under foot,
wound the vile turban about his sinful head, and became the favourite
of a pasha, steward of a ship, and ruler over all the galley slaves.
The poor slaves sorrowed greatly thereat, for they knew that if he had
renounced his faith he would be a tyrant, and his hand would be the
more heavy and severe upon them. So it turned out. Mosiy Schilo had
them put in new chains, three to an oar. The cruel fetters cut to the
very bone; and he beat them upon the back. But when the Turks,
rejoicing at having obtained such a servant, began to carouse, and,
forgetful of their law, got all drunk, he distributed all the
sixty-four keys among the prisoners, in order that they might free
themselves, fling their chains and manacles into the sea, and,
seizing their swords, in turn kill the Turks. Then the Cossacks
collected great booty, and returned with glory to their country; and
the guitar-players celebrated Mosiy Schilo's exploits for a long time.
They would have elected him Koschevoi, but he was a very eccentric
Cossack. At one time he would perform some feat which the most
sagacious would never have dreamed of. At another, folly simply took
possession of him, and he drank and squandered everything away, was in
debt to every one in the Setch, and, in addition to that, stole like a
street thief. He carried off a whole Cossack equipment from a strange
kuren by night and pawned it to the tavern-keeper. For this
dishonourable act they bound him to a post in the bazaar, and laid a
club beside him, in order that every one who passed should, according
to the measure of his strength, deal him a blow. But there was not one
Zaporozhetz out of them all to be found who would raise the club
against him, remembering his former services. Such was the Cossack,