gun barrel, and knocked up the weapon; then,
suddenly lowering his switch, he wounded the Muscovite in the arm, and
again, with a slash from the left, cut through his jaw. Thus fell the
corporal, the finest fencer among the Muscovites, a cavalier of three
crosses and four medals.

Meanwhile, near the logs, the left wing of the gentry was already near
victory. There fought Sprinkler, visible from afar, there Razor hovered
around the Muscovites; the latter slashed at their waists, the former
pounded their heads. As a machine that German workmen have invented and
that is called a thrasher, but is at the same time a chopper--it has chains
and knives, and cuts up the straw and thrashes the grain at the same
time--so did Sprinkler and Razor work together, slaughtering their enemies,
one from above and the other from below.

But Sprinkler now abandoned sure victory and ran to the right wing, where
a new danger was threatening Maciek. Eager to avenge the death of the
corporal, an ensign was attacking him with a long spontoon--the spontoon is
a combination of pike and axe, now discarded, and employed only in the
fleet, but then it was used also in the infantry. The ensign, a young man,
ran nimbly back and forth; whenever his adversary beat the weapon to one
side, he retired; Maciek, not being able to drive off the young man, was
obliged merely to defend himself without inflicting wounds. Already the
ensign had given him a slight wound with the spear; already, raising the
halberd aloft, he was collecting himself for a blow. Baptist was unable to
reach him in time, but stopping half way, he whirled his weapon, and cast
it under the feet of his enemy; he broke a bone, and the ensign
immediately dropped the spontoon from his hands. He staggered; Baptist
rushed on him, and after him a throng of gentry, and after the gentry the
Muscovites from the left wing ran up in disorder, and the battle raged
around Sprinkler.

Baptist, who had lost his arms in defence of Maciek, almost paid for that
service with his life; for two strong Muscovites fell on him from behind,
and twisted four hands at once into his hair; bracing their feet, they
pulled as on springy cables, hitched to the mast of a barge. In vain
Sprinkler struck out blindly behind him; he tottered--but suddenly he saw
that Gerwazy was fighting close by; he shouted, "Jesus Maria! the
penknife!"

The Warden, hearing Baptist's cry, knew that he was in mortal terror; he
turned back