Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/330

314 heated by their address, mounted his horse and darting at them hewed them in twain; hardly had he done so, when the parts became suddenly transformed into four mighty champions. Then Dobrenin rushed to the encounter, and felling these four to the ground, cut each in two. Then, to his surprise, up rose eight mighty champions fresh and strong. Nikita Gregorevitch now advanced, and like his brethren, hewed the eight in twain, thereby raising a double front of foes. The champions in a body now charged down, and hewing right and left cut down their enemies with might and main, but only to increase the number. For three whole days and nights, for three whole hours, for three whole minutes, did our seven brave champions continue hewing down the supernatural beings; but without success, their enemies only continued increasing. At last their strength began to fail them, their noble steeds galloped off in all directions, and their steel swords and sharp lances began to break and bend; but the enemy still increased. For some time our heroes would not yield; but when they saw that the more they cut down the supernatural beings the more they increased, they became greatly alarmed and retreated up high rocks and into dark caverns for safety. But hardly had they reached the top of the rocks, then first one brave champion, then the other, was turned into stone.

And these were the last of the Russian warriors.