"Why do you revolt? The king will come; fear the king. Prince Yeremi was a father to you too--"
"Such a father, as Death is mother. The plague has not killed so many brave heroes as he."
"He will be worse; you don't know him yet."
"We don't want to know him. Our old men say that whatever Cossack looks him in the eye is given to death."
"It will be so with Hmelnitski."
"God knows what will be. This is sure, that it is not for them both to live in the white world. Our father says if you would give him up Yeremi he would let you all go free, and bow down to the king with all of us."
Here the soldiers began to frown and grit their teeth.
"Be silent, or we'll draw our sabres!"
"You Poles are angry, but you'll have your 'fate.'"
And so they conversed, sometimes pleasantly and sometimes with threats, which, in spite of them, burst out like thunder-peals. In the afternoon Zatsvilikhovski returned to the camp. There were no negotiations, and a cessation of arms was not obtained. Hmelnitski put forth monstrous demands,--that the prince and Konyetspolski should be given up to him. Finally he told over the wrongs of the Zaporojians, and began to persuade Zatsvilikhovski to remain with him for good; whereupon the old knight was enraged, sprang up, and went away. In the evening followed an assault, which was repulsed with blood. The whole camp was in fire for two hours. The Cossacks were not only hurled from the walls, but the infantry captured the first intrenchment, destroyed the embrasures, the shelters, and burned fourteen moving towers. Hmelnitski swore that night to the Khan that he would not withdraw while a man remained alive in the camp.