Page:Taras Bulba. A Tale of the Cossacks. 1916.djvu/150

144 even a mouse, can be found in the whole city. We never had any store of provisions in the town: they were all brought in from the villages."

"But how can you, while dying such a fearful death, still dream of defending the city?"

"Possibly the Voevod might have surrendered; but yesterday the Colonel in Buzhana sent a hawk into the city with a note, saying that it was not to be given up: that he was coming to its rescue with his regiment, and was only waiting for another colonel, that they might march together. And now they are expected at any moment.—But we have reached the house."

Andríi had already seen, from afar, the house which was unlike the others, and had been built, apparently, by an Italian architect: it was constructed of thin red bricks, and had two stories. The windows of the lower story were sheltered under lofty projecting granite cornices; the upper story consisted entirely of small arches, which formed a gallery; between them, gratings with coats-of-arms could be seen: on the corners of the houses were more coats-of-arms. The broad external staircase, of tinted bricks, abutted on the square. At the foot of the staircase sat sentries, one on each side, who with one hand held the halberd standing beside him in a picturesque and symmetrical manner, and with the other supported