Page:Taras Bulba. A Tale of the Cossacks. 1916.djvu/121

 V

LL Southwest Poland speedily became a prey to fear. Everywhere the rumour flew: "The Zaporozhtzi! The Zaporozhtzi have appeared!" All who could flee, did so. All rose up and scattered, after the manner of that lawless, reckless age, when men built neither fortresses nor castles, but each erected his temporary dwelling of straw at haphazard. Each man thought: "'Tis useless to waste money and labour on a cottage; 'twill be swept away, in any case, in a Tatár raid." Every one took fright; one exchanged his plough and oxen for a horse and gun; another hid, driving off his cattle, and carrying away all he could. Occasionally, on the road, some were encountered who greeted their visitors with arms in hand; but more numerous were those who fled before their arrival. Every one knew that it was difficult to deal with the wild and warlike horde known by the name of the Zaporozhian army, which, beneath its reckless and disorderly exterior, concealed an organisation well calculated for times of battle. The horsemen