but, captain," interrupted Robak, "what is going to happen to _us_
if you will not come to terms? You know that you have given your word to
hush up this matter."

"Certainly, and I will give my word again," said Rykov; "there you have
it! Why should I want to ruin you? I am an honest man; I like you Poles,
for you are jolly fellows, good at a bottle, and likewise bold fellows,
good at a battle. We have a Russian saying: 'Who rides in the cart often
falls under the cart; who is in front to-day may be behind to-morrow;
to-day you beat and to-morrow they beat you.' Why be angry over it? Such
is the way of life among us soldiers. Why should a man be so mean as to be
angry over a defeat! The fight at Ochakov was bloody, at Zurich they
crushed our infantry, at Austerlitz I lost my whole company; but before
that, when I was a sergeant, your Kosciuszko cut up my platoon with
scythes at Raclawice.171 What did it matter? Later on, at Maciejowice172 I
killed with my own bayonet two brave gentlemen; one of them was
Mokronowski, who was advancing with a scythe in front of his troops and
who had cut off the hand of a cannoneer, with the match in it. Ah, you
Poles! The Fatherland! I feel it all, I, Rykov. The Tsar gives the
order--but I am sorry for you. What have we against the Poles? Let Moscow
be for the Muscovites and Poland for the Poles! But what is to be done?
The Tsar will not permit it!"

The Judge replied to him:--

"Captain, that you are an honest man all in this district know, where you
have been quartered for many years. Good friend, be not angry at this
gift; we did not wish to offend you. These ducats we have ventured to
collect because we know that you are not a rich man."

"O my yagers!" cried Rykov, "the whole company cut to pieces! My company!
And all the fault of that Plut! He was the chief in command; he will have
to answer for it to the Tsar. But, gentlemen, take those pennies for
yourselves; I have my captain's pay, such as it is--enough for my punch and
for a pipe of tobacco. But I like you, gentlemen, because with you I eat,
drink, and am merry--with you I can have a friendly talk, and thus my life
passes. So I will protect you, and when the inquiry comes up, on my word
of honour, I will testify in your favour. We will say that we came here on
a visit, had a drink, danced, got a trifle tipsy, and that Plut
accidentally gave the word to fire; then came a battle, and the battalion
somehow melted away. If you