登陆注册
15384800000038

第38章

The sun had not ascended midway in the heavens when all the army assembled in a group.News had come from the Setch that during the Cossacks' absence the Tatars had plundered it completely, unearthed the treasures which were kept concealed in the ground, killed or carried into captivity all who had remained behind, and straightway set out, with all the flocks and droves of horses they had collected, for Perekop.One Cossack only, Maksin Galodukha, had broken loose from the Tatars' hands, stabbed the Mirza, seized his bag of sequins, and on a Tatar horse, in Tatar garments, had fled from his pursuers for two nights and a day and a half, ridden his horse to death, obtained another, killed that one too, and arrived at the Zaporozhian camp upon a third, having learned upon the road that the Zaporozhtzi were before Dubno.He could only manage to tell them that this misfortune had taken place; but as to how it happened--whether the remaining Zaporozhtzi had been carousing after Cossack fashion, and had been carried drunk into captivity, and how the Tatars were aware of the spot where the treasures of the army were concealed--he was too exhausted to say.Extremely fatigued, his body swollen, and his face scorched and weatherbeaten, he had fallen down, and a deep sleep had overpowered him.

In such cases it was customary for the Cossacks to pursue the robbers at once, endeavouring to overtake them on the road; for, let the prisoners once be got to the bazaars of Asia Minor, Smyrna, or the island of Crete, and God knows in what places the tufted heads of Zaporozhtzi might not be seen.This was the occasion of the Cossacks'

assembling.They all stood to a man with their caps on; for they had not met to listen to the commands of their hetman, but to take counsel together as equals among equals."Let the old men first advise," was shouted to the crowd."Let the Koschevoi give his opinion," cried others.

The Koschevoi, taking off his cap and speaking not as commander, but as a comrade among comrades, thanked all the Cossacks for the honour, and said, "There are among us many experienced men and much wisdom;but since you have thought me worthy, my counsel is not to lose time in pursuing the Tatars, for you know yourselves what the Tatar is.He will not pause with his stolen booty to await our coming, but will vanish in a twinkling, so that you can find no trace of him.Therefore my advice is to go.We have had good sport here.The Lyakhs now know what Cossacks are.We have avenged our faith to the extent of our ability; there is not much to satisfy greed in the famished city, and so my advice is to go.""To go," rang heavily through the Zaporozhian kurens.But such words did not suit Taras Bulba at all; and he brought his frowning, iron-grey brows still lower down over his eyes, brows like bushes growing on dark mountain heights, whose crowns are suddenly covered with sharp northern frost.

"No, Koschevoi, your counsel is not good," said he."You cannot say that.You have evidently forgotten that those of our men captured by the Lyakhs will remain prisoners.You evidently wish that we should not heed the first holy law of comradeship; that we should leave our brethren to be flayed alive, or carried about through the towns and villages after their Cossack bodies have been quartered, as was done with the hetman and the bravest Russian warriors in the Ukraine.Have the enemy not desecrated the holy things sufficiently without that?

What are we? I ask you all what sort of a Cossack is he who would desert his comrade in misfortune, and let him perish like a dog in a foreign land? If it has come to such a pass that no one has any confidence in Cossack honour, permitting men to spit upon his grey moustache, and upbraid him with offensive words, then let no one blame me; I will remain here alone."All the Zaporozhtzi who were there wavered.

"And have you forgotten, brave comrades," said the Koschevoi, "that the Tatars also have comrades of ours in their hands; that if we do not rescue them now their lives will be sacrificed in eternal imprisonment among the infidels, which is worse than the most cruel death? Have you forgotten that they now hold all our treasure, won by Christian blood?"The Cossacks reflected, not knowing what to say.None of them wished to deserve ill repute.Then there stepped out in front of them the oldest in years of all the Zaporozhian army, Kasyan Bovdug.He was respected by all the Cossacks.Twice had he been chosen Koschevoi, and had also been a stout warrior; but he had long been old, and had ceased to go upon raids.Neither did the old man like to give advice to any one; but loved to lie upon his side in the circle of Cossacks, listening to tales of every occurrence on the Cossack marches.He never joined in the conversation, but only listened, and pressed the ashes with his finger in his short pipe, which never left his mouth;and would sit so long with his eyes half open, that the Cossacks never knew whether he were asleep or still listening.He always stayed at home during their raids, but this time the old man had joined the army.He had waved his hand in Cossack fashion, and said, "Wherever you go, I am going too; perhaps I may be of some service to the Cossack nation." All the Cossacks became silent when he now stepped forward before the assembly, for it was long since any speech from him had been heard.Every one wanted to know what Bovdug had to say.

同类推荐
  • 练中丞集

    练中丞集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 华阳博议

    华阳博议

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 明诗评

    明诗评

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 湘中记

    湘中记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 缉古算经

    缉古算经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 弃神大陆

    弃神大陆

    这是一个未知的大陆,有着辉煌的过去,现在却以没落,林奇对着人们说到;‘神,是什么?神,只是信仰,而那些只知道追逐力量,却放弃了我们神,我们不需要。’
  • 妃倾城,冷皇的罪妃

    妃倾城,冷皇的罪妃

    莫名其妙地穿越到一个被折磨得死去活来的战俘身上就已经够倒霉了,岂料这个战俘的正身还是身份诡异的亡国公主!亡国公主?是无力反抗任人宰割的鱼肉。他修罗般的灰眸闪烁着的是胜利者的占有和仇恨的光芒,她替代那个死去的公主承受痛。只是,当他用尽用种种方法摧残折磨她之后,却未曾料到自己的心早已经在不知不觉中遗失在了她的身上——她不知道他的内心究竟有着怎样的仇恨,任他百般刁难,万般折磨,她都坦然以对,只是单纯地想要在最恶劣的环境中以最好的方式生存下去!一碗“花红”斩断了她与他最后一丝情缘,她狠下决心,那怕是死也要逃离他修筑的牢笼——想逃?绝无可能!你生是我冷辰枫的人,死了,也只能做我冷辰枫的鬼!他划地为牢,她终归无法逃脱。看着她眼眸里的那抹深深地绝望,他的心似针扎般难受。“我们,可以从新开始!”生平第一次,他低声下气。她冷笑着直视他充满期待的眼睛:“从你赐我那碗花红,从我的孩子自我身体滑落的那一刻,我们便再无从新开始的可能!”----------------------------------《妃倾城》姐妹篇《我的老婆女皇》已经开始连载,地址http://novel.hongxiu.com/a/250326/请亲们多多支持。写的是冷倾城穿越到现代的故事。她是冷曜国的女神,是天下无双的女皇,为帮心上人登上王位,杀人无数,不惜背上暴君的骂名。而心上人却在登基当天,在她亲率大军为他平定叛乱的时候,迎娶别的女人。得知消息之后,她仰天长笑,口吐鲜血夺门而出,却被一阵龙卷风刮倒了一个陌生的世界——直接将手里的军刀架在了男人的脖子上,却不知道他从哪里拿出一个她从未见过的小东西抵住她的下巴——
  • 爱吃粗粮

    爱吃粗粮

    本书向主妇们讲解了粗粮的营养、选购技巧、烹饪方法、食用注意事项以及一些食疗偏方等,教会主妇们用最轻松的方式,烹调出最营养的好味道。
  • 淘气皇后:深宫遗梦

    淘气皇后:深宫遗梦

    皇宫里的男男女女,无非是些宦臣与宫女。皆是家中贫困到卖子女的自由来维持生计的主,发生在他们之间的那些故事,个个惊人心魄,招招惊险。那么,淘气的她,又要如何才能驻留宫中,又能如何开始深宫大院的宫闺之梦,停停走走去去的人流之中,可有她的一粒掌中漏沙。
  • 全娱乐时代

    全娱乐时代

    获得地球人记忆的沐白,让beyond,张国荣,周杰伦,许嵩等人的歌在这个时空焕发出迷人的魅力;让斯皮尔伯格,卡梅隆,张艺谋,陈凯歌的电影风靡全世界;就连网络小说也在沐白的手中大放异彩,看沐白如何玩转世界,带领人们进入一个全娱乐时代!【新书《重回紫禁》已经上传希望大家支持】【爽文,不喜勿入】【其实作者仅仅是想推荐几首歌而已】【收藏、推荐神马的很有必要,作者很需要,拜谢】
  • 女配重生:逆袭计划

    女配重生:逆袭计划

    她,是仙界妒忌心最强的女仙。有着强大的后台,自己却没有本事。他,是魔界千万年来最是强大的魔君。有着众多人、仙、魔、妖喜欢的他,却独独喜欢她。问:天下间,有谁配得上他?他说:“唯她一人。”
  • 中小学生最想知道的世界著名河流

    中小学生最想知道的世界著名河流

    本丛书是专为21世纪中国青少年学生量身定做的一套全方位素质教育图书。全系列精品图书涵盖青少年学生成长过程中不可或缺的文理知识,图文并茂的结构框架将引领广大的中国学生收获最权威系统的科学知识,饱览最浩瀚精彩的历史画卷,探索奥妙神秘的大干世界,收获无限精彩的智慧人生。本书主要是有关世界著名河流的内容。河流是人类文明的母亲,任何一个伟大的古老文明都与河流有着千丝万缕的联系。本书介绍了世界上对人类文明产生影响的 20条河流,以及生活在其沿岸居民的生活形态。是一本以点及面介绍人文知识的好书。
  • 清水封面铺

    清水封面铺

    欢迎各位小可爱来到清水封面铺~[请多多收藏本铺,不定期搞活动哟~]
  • 没有边缘的天空

    没有边缘的天空

    华谊女霸王——沈琳兮,不喝酒不抽烟不去网吧,却去酒吧领舞!学习异常的不好,可是竟然奇迹般的考上了全市最好的中学——和月。在这里,有了粉丝,也有了敌人和知心闺蜜。遇到了装淑女的慕容浸佳,两个人关系非常不好。自小的青梅竹马——叶然,开始情深深雨蒙蒙。刚刚和同学混得不错的沈琳兮,却被爸爸宣布要转学去北京!在要走的那几天,终于和慕容浸佳的关系缓和,并成为闺蜜。意想不到是,叶然和慕容浸佳竟然陪着沈琳兮来到了北京!几番惊喜之后,最终的Surprise是——和叶然在大街上喝奶茶被两个杏坛同时发现,最终的选择是什么呢?请大家拭目以待。
  • 咖啡物语:煮出来的风情

    咖啡物语:煮出来的风情

    一杯咖啡的时间,是冰点和沸点之间的转换;一杯茶的时间,是茶给时间的一种味道。人生不可能每分每秒都循规蹈矩、行色匆匆,偶尔散漫下来看人生,也在情理中。于是,喝咖啡就是成为一件忙里偷闲、无趣时觅得有趣的乐事。本书作者用精致的文字和心思装饰了一间“休闲坊”,真诚地邀您来这里坐一坐,喝一杯咖啡,品一樽红酒,浸一缕香氛,听一曲琴音,由纯朴的感官入口入眼入鼻入心,笼在唯美意境里,过滤掉世俗中的尘埃,将灵魂托在去之上,获得一种最纯的精神洗礼。