“It will be needful to send to Pan Rushchyts at once,” said Basia, “so that Pan Pyotrovich may find the letters ready in Rashkoff.”
“Hasten with the whole affair,” added Pan Bogush, “while it is winter: for, first, no chambuls come out, and roads are safe; secondly, in the spring God knows what may happen.”
“Has the hetman news from Tsargrad?” inquired Volodyovski.
“He has; and of this we must talk apart. It is necessary to finish quickly with those captains. When will Mellehovich come back?—for much depends on him.”
“He has only to destroy the rest of the ravagers, and afterward bury the dead. He ought to return to-day or to-morrow morning. I commanded him to bury only our men, not Azba’s; for winter is at hand, and there is no danger of infection. Besides, the wolves will clear them away.”
“The hetman asks,” said Pan Bogush, “that Mellehovich should have no hindrance in his work; as often as he wishes to go to Rashkoff, let him go. The hetman asks, too, to trust him in everything, for he is certain of his devotion. He is a great soldier, and may do us much good.”
“Let him go to Rashkoff and whithersoever he pleases,” said the little knight. “Since we have destroyed Azba, I have no urgent need of him. No large band will appear now till the first grass.”
“Is Azba cut to pieces then?” inquired Novoveski.
“So cut up that I do not know if twenty-five men escaped; and even those will be caught one by one, if Mellehovich has not caught them already.”
“I am terribly glad of this,” said Novoveski, “for now it will be possible to go to Rashkoff in safety.” Here he turned to Basia: “We can take to Pan Rushchyts the letters which her grace, our benefactress, has mentioned.”