Lord is merciful; we have soldiers
and plenty of powder; I have cleaned the cannon. We may repulse this
Pougatcheff. If the Lord is with us, the wolf will eat no one here."

"Who is Pougatcheff?" asked the Commandant's wife.

Ignatius saw that he had gone too far, and he bit his tongue. But it was
too late. Basilia constrained him to tell her all, having given her word
to keep the secret. She kept her word, and indeed told no one except
Accoulina, whose cow was still on the steppe and might be carried off by
the brigands. Soon every one talked of Pougatcheff, the current reports
being very different. The Commandant sent out the Corporal to pick up
information about him in all the neighboring villages and little forts.
The Corporal returned after an absence of two days, and declared that
he had seen on the steppe, sixty versts from the fortress, a great many
fires, and that he had heard the Bashkirs say that an innumerable force
was advancing. He could not tell anything definitely, having been afraid
to venture farther.

Great agitation was soon after this observed amongst the Cossacks of
our garrison. They assembled in groups in the streets, speaking in a
low tone amongst themselves, and dispersing as soon as they perceived
a dragoon or other Russian soldier. Orders were given to watch them.
Zoulac, a baptized Kalmouk, made a very grave revelation to the
Commandant. According to the Kalmouk, the Cossack made a false report;
for to his comrades the perfidious Corporal said that he had advanced to
the rebel camp, had been presented to their rebel chief, had kissed his
hand and conversed with him. The Commandant ordered the Corporal under
arrest, and replaced him by the Kalmouk. This change was received by
the Cossacks with visible discontent. They openly murmured and Ignatius,
when executing the Commandant's order, heard them say, with his own
ears, "wait, garrison rat, wait!"

The Commandant decided to examine the Corporal that same day, but he
had escaped, no doubt, by the aid of his brother Cossacks. Another
event increased the Captain's uneasiness. A Bashkir was seized bearing
seditious letters. Upon this occasion, the Commandant decided to call
at once a council, and in order to do so, wished to send away his wife
under some specious pretext. But as Mironoff was the simplest and most
truthful of men, he could think of no other device than that already
employed.

"You see, Basilia," said he, coughing several time