Page:Taras Bulba. A Tale of the Cossacks. 1916.djvu/106

100 The Koshevói was alarmed. He did not wish, by any manner of means, to stir up all Zaporozhe; a breach of the peace appeared to him improper on the present occasion. "Permit me, noble sirs, to address you further."

"Enough!" yelled the kazáks. "You can say nothing better."

"If so it must be, then so be it. I am the slave of your will. Everybody knows, and the Scriptures also tell us, that the voice of the people is the voice of God. It is impossible to devise anything better than the whole nation has devised. But here's the difficulty: you know, noble sirs, that the Sultan will not permit the diversion which delights our young men to go unpunished. And we ought to be well prepared at such a time, and our forces ought to be fresh, and then we need fear no one. But during their absence the Tatárs may make an attack; those Turkish dogs don't show themselves, and they daren't come while the master is at home, but they snap at his heels from behind, and bite painfully, to boot. And, if it comes to that, to speak the truth, we have not boats enough on hand, nor powder ready in sufficient quantity, for all to go. But I am glad and ready, if you like: I am the slave of your will."

The wily Atamán stopped speaking. The