“He himself,” replied Jendzian. “‘I,’ said he, ‘am not an enemy to Pan Volodyovski or the confederates, though they think differently. Later this will appear; but meanwhile let them come together, in God’s name, or the voevoda of Vilna will take them one by one like lobsters from a net.’”
“And did he say that the voevoda was already on the march?” asked Tan Yan.
“He said that the voevoda was only waiting for Swedish reinforcements, and that he would move at once on Podlyasye.”
“What do you think of all this, gentlemen?” asked Volodyovski, looking at his comrades.
“Either that man is betraying Radzivill, or he is preparing some ambush for us. But of what kind? He advises us to keep in a body. What harm to us may rise out of that?”
“To perish of hunger,” answered Volodyovski. “I have just received news that Jyromski, Kotovski, and Lipnitski must dispose their cavalry in parties of some tens each over the whole province, for they cannot get forage together.”
“But if Radzivill really does come,” asked Pan Stanislav, “who can oppose him?”
No one could answer that question, for really it was as clear as the sun that if the grand hetman of Lithuania should come and find the confederates scattered, he could destroy them with the greatest ease.
“An astonishing thing!” repeated Zagloba; and after a moment’s silence he continued: “Still I should think that he had abandoned Radzivill. But in such a case he would not be slipping past in disguise, and to whom,—to the Swedes.” Here he turned to Jendzian: “Did he tell you that he was going to Warsaw?”
“He did.”