When he was mounting Soroka came to him and stood straight as in service.
“Your grace!” said he.
“What have you to say, old man?”
“I have come to ask when I am to start?”
“For what place?”
“For Taurogi.”
Kmita laughed: “You will not go to Taurogi, you will go with me.”
“At command!” answered the sergeant, striving not to show his delight.
They rode on together. The road was long, for they had to go around by forests, so as not to fall into Boguslav’s hands; but Kmita and Soroka slept a hundred fold, and came to the Tartars without any accident.
Akbah Ulan presented himself at once before Babinich, and gave him a report of his activity. Pan Andrei was satisfied. Every bridge had been burned, the dams were cut; that was not all, the water of springtime had overflowed, changing the fields, meadows, and roads in the lower places into muddy quagmires.