The commissioner bowed, and began with a minute description of how he was carried to the Crystal Springs, and of what he saw there.
"How many men should you say he has with him?" interrupted the captain of the hussars, who naturally considered this the most important point.
"Well, I should say about a thousand," replied the commissioner, unblushingly.
"Then this seems to be a fact," murmured the captain, with evident concern; "that looks bad!"
"I have not a doubt," Kapronski continued, "that his one reason for waylaying me was his desire to make an example, just to show what awaited any servant of the law who dared lift a finger against him. In fact, he was going to hang me, and said so plainly. But, fortunately, I had prepared an answer. 'So you may,' I said, 'if you dare, for I am one against your thousand. But know that if you touch me your wife and your children will rue it.'"
"Why, that was illegal," broke in the district governor. "I wonder what paragraph of the penal code warrants this!"
Kapronski bowed deeply. He had expected this objection, and, indeed, had shaped his story so far with the one intention of bringing his dastardly falsehood, which had caused him plenty of trouble already, in the best possible guise to the knowledge of his superiors. "Illegal," he replied, humbly, "no doubt; but I venture to think I was justified by the extremity of the situation." A murmur, not altogether of disapproval, went round the Board, and even the district governor could only shake his old head, grumbling to himself as the commissioner continued.
"The words I had spoken produced an immediate effect. Taras looked concerned. 'Stuff!' he said, pretending to be careless; 'it is no use trying to frighten me with that sort of thing; your hands are bound by the law,' However, he gave up the idea of hanging me, saying he would use me as his messenger instead. Two things he charged me to bring to your knowledge, most worshipful governor of this district; firstly, that he expects you on the spot to withdraw the soldiers from the parishes of Zablotow and Zulawce, and to forbear instituting against him any action whatsoever. And he wishes you to understand that you are not to dream of stopping his intentions by military interference."
"Well, I never!" cried the governor.
"What impudence!" echoed the Board.