“The battle has begun!” shouted Kmita.
“We shall drown!” answered Akbah Ulan.
“After me!”
The Tartars knew not what to do, when on a sudden they saw that Kmita’s horse issued from the mud, evidently finding firm footing.
In fact, a bench of sand had begun. On the top of it there was water to the horses’ breasts, but under foot was solid ground. They went therefore more swiftly. On the left distant fires were gleaming.
“Those are the trenches!” said Kmita, quietly. “Let us avoid them, go around!”
After a while they had really passed the trenches. Then they turned to the left, and put their horses into the river again, so as to land beyond the trenches.
More than a hundred horses were swamped at the shore; but almost all the men came out. Kmita ordered those who had lost their beasts to sit behind other horsemen, and they moved toward the trenches. First he left volunteers with the order not to disturb the trenches till he should have gone around them to the rear. When he was approaching he heard shots, at first few, then more frequent.
“It is well!” said he; “Sapyeha is attacking!”
And he moved on.