far from the Koschevoi, said: "How now, Koschevoi? Kukubenko has
spoken truth. What have you to say to this?"

"What have I to say? I say, Blessed be the father of such a son! It
does not need much wisdom to utter words of reproof; but much wisdom
is needed to find such words as do not embitter a man's misfortune,
but encourage him, restore to him his spirit, put spurs to the horse
of his soul, refreshed by water. I meant myself to speak words of
comfort to you, but Kukubenko has forestalled me."

"The Koschevoi has also spoken well!" rang through the ranks of the
Zaporozhtzi. "His words are good," repeated others. And even the
greyheads, who stood there like dark blue doves, nodded their heads
and, twitching their grey moustaches, muttered softly, "That was well
said."

"Listen now, gentles," continued the Koschevoi. "To take the city, by
scaling its walls, or undermining them as the foreign engineers do, is
not proper, not Cossack fashion. But, judging from appearances, the
enemy entered the city without many provisions; they had not many
waggons with them. The people in the city are hungry; they will all
eat heartily, and the horses will soon devour the hay. I don't know
whether their saints will fling them down anything from heaven with
hayforks; God only knows that though there are a great many Catholic
priests among them. By one means or another the people will seek to
leave the city. Divide yourselves, therefore, into three divisions,
and take up your posts before the three gates; five kurens before the
principal gate, and three kurens before each of the others. Let the
Dadikivsky and Korsunsky kurens go into ambush and Taras and his men
into ambush too. The Titarevsky and Timoschevsky kurens are to guard