Page:Taras Bulba. A Tale of the Cossacks. 1916.djvu/184

178 down to remove the rich armour, and forthwith pulled out the knight's Turkish knife, set with precious stones, loosed from his belt the purse of ducats, and from his breast a wallet with fine linen, silver and a maiden's curl, carefully cherished as a souvenir. But Borodaty did not hear the red-nosed Cornet rushing upon him from the rear; he had already once hurled him from the saddle, and bestowed on him a fine gash by way of remembrance. He flourished his arm with all his might, and brought his sword down on the bended neck. Greed led to no good: the strong head rolled off, and the body fell headless, sprinkling the earth far and wide. The grim kazák soul soared heavenward, grimacing, indignant, amazed at having so suddenly quitted so stalwart a body. Before the Cornet managed to seize the atamán's head by its scalp-lock and fasten it to his saddle, a savage avenger arrived.

As a vulture hovering in the sky, beating great circles with its mighty wings, suddenly remains poised in air, in one spot, and thence darts down like an arrow upon the shrieking cock quail beside the road; just so did Taras's son Ostap fly suddenly upon the kazák, and fling a rope about his neck with one cast. The Cornet's red face grew a still deeper crimson when the cruel noose pressed his throat, and he tried to seize his pistol; but his