Page:Taras Bulba. A Tale of the Cossacks. 1916.djvu/95

Rh "Give up your mace! Give up your mace this moment, you son of the Devil! We'll have no more of you!" shouted kazáks in the crowd. Some of the sober ones appeared to wish to oppose this, but the barracks, sober and drunken, fell to blows. The shouting and uproar became general.

The Koshevói made an attempt to speak; but knowing that the headstrong multitude, if enraged, might beat him to death, as almost always happened in such cases, he bowed very low, laid down his mace, and hid himself in the crowd.

"Do you command us, noble sirs, to resign our insignia of office?" said the Judge, the Scribe and the Yesaúl; and they prepared to give up the inkhorn, the seal of the Army and the staff, on the spot.

"No, remain!" was shouted from the crowd. "We only want to drive out the Koshevói because he's a woman, and we want a man for Koshevói."

"Whom do you elect as Koshevói?" asked the chiefs.

"Elect Kukubenko," shouted some.

"We won't have Kukubenko!" yelled another party: "he's too young; the milk isn't dry on his lips yet."

"Let Shilo be atamán!" shouted some: "make Shilo the Koshevói."

"None of your Shilo!" yelled the crowd; "a