“The Gashtovts!”
“We are the Butryms. The Domasheviches have come already.”
“Who is leading you?” asked Volodyovski.
“Yuzva the Footless at the service of the colonel.”
“Have you news?”
“He took her to Lyubich. They went through the swamp to avoid Volmontovichi.”
“To Lyubich?” asked Volodyovski, in wonder. “Can he think of defending himself there? Lyubich is not a fortress, is it?”
“It seems he trusts in his strength. There are two hundred with him. No doubt he wants to take the property from Lyubich; they have wagons and a band of led horses. It must be that he did not know of our return from the army, for he acts very boldly.”
“That is good for us!” said Volodyovski. “He will not escape this time. How many guns have you?”
“We, the Butryms, have thirty; the Domasheviches twice as many.”