Page:Taras Bulba. A Tale of the Cossacks. 1916.djvu/264

258 small windows overhead. "Who goes there?" shouted several voices, and Taras beheld a number of warriors in full armour. "We have been ordered to admit no one."

"'Tis we!" cried Yankel; "we, by heaven, most illustrious sirs!" But no one would listen to them. Fortunately, at that moment a fat man came along, who, from all the signs, appeared to be the commanding officer, for he cursed more loudly than all the rest.

"Noble sir, 'tis we! You know us, and the sir Count will thank you."

"Admit them, a hundred devils and the devil's mother! And admit no one else. And no one is to take off his sword, and no one is to quarrel on the floor, like dogs…"

The conclusion of the eloquent order our travellers did not hear. "'Tis we, 'tis I, 'tis your friends!" Yankel said to every one they met.

"Well, can we enter now?" he inquired of one of the guards, when, at last, they reached the end of the corridor.

"Yes, but I don't know whether you are to be admitted to the prison itself. Yan is not here now: another man is standing guard in his place," replied the sentinel. "Aï, aï!" cried the Jew softly: "this is bad, my dear sir!"