“Maybe there is a mine under us which will be exploded right away,” said one of the officers.
Volodyovski pierced the man with a threatening glance, and said, “The mine is not ready; and even if it were, only the left side of the castle could be blown up by it, and we will defend ourselves in the ruins while there is breath in our nostrils. Do you understand?”
Silence followed, unbroken by a shot from the trenches or the town. After thunders from which the walls and the earth had been quivering, there was something solemn in that silence, but something ominous also. The eyes of each were intent on the trenches; but through the clouds of smoke nothing was visible. Suddenly the measured blows of hammers were heard on the left side.
“I told you that they are only making the mine,” said Pan Michael. “Sergeant, take twenty men and examine for me the new castle,” commanded he, turning to Lusnia.
Lusnia obeyed quickly, took twenty men, and vanished in a moment beyond the breach. Silence followed again, broken only by groans here and there, or the gasp of the dying, and the pounding of hammers. They waited rather long. At last the sergeant returned.
“Pan Commandant,” said he, “there is not a living soul in the new castle.”
Volodyovski looked with astonishment at Ketling. “Have they raised the siege already, or what? Nothing can be seen through the smoke.”
But the smoke, blown by the wind, became thin, and at last its veil was broken above the town. At the same moment a voice, shrill and terrible, began to shout from the bastion,—
“Over the gates are white flags! We are surrendering!”
Hearing this, the soldiers and officers turned toward the town. Terrible amazement was reflected on their faces; the words died on the lips of all; and through the strips of smoke they were gazing toward the town. But in the town, on the Russian and Polish gates, white flags were really waving. Farther on, they saw one on the bastion of Batory.