Page:Taras Bulba. A Tale of the Cossacks. 1916.djvu/235

Rh give him an honourable burial, Father, that the foe may not dishonour his body, nor the birds of prey rend it."

"They'll bury him without any help from us!" said Taras: "there'll be plenty of mourners and comforters for him!"

And he reflected for a couple of minutes: should he fling him to the fierce wolves for their prey, or respect in him the knightly valour which every brave man is bound to honour in another, no matter who the man may be? Then he espied Golokopytenko galloping towards them: "Disaster, atamán! the Lyakhs have been reinforced, a fresh force has come to their rescue!" Golokopytenko had not finished speaking when Vovtuzenko dashed up: "Disaster, atamán! a fresh force is bearing down upon us!"

Vovtuzenko had not finished speaking when Pisarenko rushed up without his horse: "Where are you, batko? The kazáks are looking for you. Atamán Nevylychky is killed, Zadorozhny is killed, and so is Cherevichenko: but the kazáks are still standing their ground; they do not wish to die without having seen you; they want you to gaze upon them once more before the hour of death arrives!"

"To horse, Ostap!" said Taras, and hastened in search of his kazáks, to look once more upon