Page:Taras Bulba. A Tale of the Cossacks. 1916.djvu/126

120 squares and streets, before their own thresholds, rather than admit the enemy to their houses. A high earthen rampart surrounded the city; in places where the rampart was somewhat lower there rose up a stone wall, or a house, or even an oaken stockade, which served as a battery. The garrison was strong, and felt the importance of their business. The Zaporozhtzi attacked the rampart fiercely, but were met by a shower of grapeshot. The citizens and residents of the town evidently did not wish to remain idle, either, and stood in groups upon the rampart; in their eyes could be read desperate resistance. The women, also, were determined to take part, and rained down upon the heads of the Zaporozhtzi stones, casks, pots, and, finally, boiling water and sacks of sand, which blinded them. The Zaporozhtzi were not fond of dealing with fortified places: sieges were not in their line. The Koshevói ordered a retreat, and said: "'Tis useless, brother nobles; we will retire: but may I be a heathen Tatár and not a Christian, if we don't clean them out of that town! Let them all perish of hunger, the dogs!" The army retreated, invested the town on all sides, and, for lack of something to do, busied themselves with devastating the surrounding country, burning the neighbouring villages, the ricks of unthreshed grain, and turning