Page:Taras Bulba. A Tale of the Cossacks. 1916.djvu/236

230 them, and let them once more behold their atamán before the hour of death. But before they could emerge from the forest, the enemy's forces had already surrounded it on all sides, and horsemen armed with swords and spears appeared everywhere among the trees. "Ostap, Ostap! don't surrender!" shouted Taras, and grasping his naked sword, he began to cut down all he encountered on every side. But six had already sprung upon Ostap. ('Twas an unpropitious hour for them! the head of one flew off, another toppled over, a spear pierced the ribs of a third; a fourth, more bold, bent his head to escape from a bullet, and the hot bullet struck his horse in the breast;—the maddened animal reared, fell back upon the earth, and crushed his rider under him.) "Well done, son! Well done, Ostap!" shouted Taras: "I'm following you!" And he beat off all who attacked him. Taras hewed and fought, dealing blows upon the head of one after another, still keeping his eye upon Ostap ahead of him; and he saw that eight more were falling upon Ostap. "Ostap, Ostap! don't surrender!" But already they had overpowered Ostap; one had flung his lasso around his neck, and they had bound him, and were carrying him away. "Hey, Ostap, Ostap!" shouted Taras, forcing his way to him, and cutting down men, as though they had been