fire; the other, composed, of more than two hundred Cos-
sacks and Tartars, only waited the proper moment for a.
hand-to-hand encounter. At the same time from the reeds
of the island came out four boats, which were to attack the
lieutenant from the rear and from both sides.

It was clear daylight now. The smoke stretched, out in
long streaks in the quiet air, and covered the scene of
conflict.

The lieutenant commanded, his twenty Cossacks to turn
to the attacking boats, which, pushed with oars, moved on
swiftly as birds over the quiet water of the river. The
fire directed against the Tartars and Cossacks approaching
from the interior of the island, was notably weakened on
that account. They seemed, too, to expect this.

The sergeant approached, the lieutenant again.

"The Tartars are taking their daggers between their
teeth; they will rush on us this minute."

In fact, almost three hundred of the horde, with sabres
in hand and knives in their teeth, prepared, for the attack.

They were accompanied by some tens of Zaporojians armed
with scythes.

The attack was to begin from every direction, for the
assailing boats were within gunshot; their sides were
already covered with smoke.

Bullets began to fall like hail on the lieutenant's men.
Both boats were filled, with groans. In a few moments half
of the Cossacks were down; the remainder still defended
themselves desperately. Their faces were black, their
hands wearied, their sight dim, their eyes full of blood;
their gun-barrels began to burn their hands. Most of them
were wounded.

At that moment a terrible cry and howl rent the air,
The Tartars rushed to the attack.

The smoke, pushed by the movement of the mass of
bodies, separated suddenly and left exposed, to the eye the
two boats of the lieutenant covered with a dark crowd of
Tartars, like two carcasses of horses torn by a pack of
wolves. Some Cossacks resisted yet; and at the mast stood
Pan Yan, with bleeding face and an arrow sunk to the
shaft in his left shoulder, but defending himself furiously.
His form was like that of a giant in the crowd surround-
ing him. His sabre glittered. like lightning; groans and
howls responded to his blows. The sergeant, with another
Cossack, guarded him on both sides; and the crowd swayed