on Rykov, and after him the
gentry, crying "Treason!" Though Thaddeus shielded him, Rykov barely
managed to retreat and find refuge in the centre of his ranks.

Again the Dobrzynskis and the other Lithuanians vied with one another in
pressing forward, and, despite the former disagreements of the two
factions, they fought like brothers, each urging on his comrade. The
Dobrzynskis, seeing how a Podhajski was prancing before the line of yagers
and slashing them with his scythe, shouted joyfully: "Long live the
Podhajskis! Forward, brother Lithuanians! hurrah! hurrah for Lithuania!"
And the Skolubas, seeing how the valiant Razor, despite his wound, was
dashing on with his sabre raised aloft, cried: "Hurrah for the Macieks!
long live the Masovians!" Inspiring one another with courage, they ran
upon the Muscovites; in vain Robak and Maciek tried to restrain them.

While they were thus smiting the company of yagers from the front, the
Seneschal abandoned the battlefield and went into the garden. By his side
strode the cautious Protazy, to whom the Seneschal was quietly issuing
orders.

In the garden, close to the fence against which Rykov had supported his
triangle, stood a large old cheese house, built of lattice work made of
beams nailed across one another, like a cage. In it there shone many
scores of white cheeses; around them bunches of sage, bennet, cardoon, and
wild thyme hung drying, the entire herb apothecary shop of the Seneschal's
daughter. The cheese house was some twenty feet square, but it rested only
on a single great pillar, like a stork's nest. The old oaken pillar
slanted, for it was already half decayed, and threatened to fall. The
Judge had often been advised to destroy the age-worn structure, but he
always said that he preferred to repair it rather than to destroy it, or
even to rebuild it. He kept postponing the task to a more convenient
season, and in the meantime bade put two props under the pillar. The
structure, thus strengthened, but still not firm, looked over the fence at
Rykov's triangle.

Toward this cheese house the Seneschal and the Apparitor walked silently,
each armed with an immense pole, as with a pike; after them the
housekeeper stole through the hemp, with the scullion, a small but very
strong lad. Arriving at the spot, they rested their poles against the
rotted top of the pillar, and, clinging to the ends, pushed with all their
might, as when boatmen with long poles push from the bank