Page:Taras Bulba. A Tale of the Cossacks. 1916.djvu/199

Rh silent,—silent for a long time, but he has spoken at last. Not in vain did he say, when we were preparing for this expedition, that he might be useful to the kazák nation: even so has it come to pass!"

"Well, are you agreed upon anything?" asked the Koshevói.

"We are!" shouted the kazáks.

"Then the Council is at an end?"

"It is!" shouted the kazáks.

"Then listen to the military command, my lads," said the Koshevói, stepping forward, and putting on his cap; and all the kazáks took off their caps, and stood with heads uncovered and eyes fixed upon the earth, as was always the custom among the kazáks when the leader prepared to speak. "Now divide yourselves, brother nobles! Let those who wish to go take their stand on the right, and those who wish to stay on the left. Where the majority of a kurén goes, there the rest are to go; if a minority of a kurén goes over, it must be added to another kurén."

And they began to take up their positions, some on the right, some on the left. Whither the