way! out of the way! "and hastened with all speed to the
council-house. The atamans were preparing to go out when
these new guests fell into the room.

"A letter to the hetman!" shouted an old Cossack. "We
are from Chigirin. We have rushed on night and day
with the letter. Here it is l"

Hmelnitski took the letter from the hands of the Cos-
sack, and began to read. Suddenly his face changed; he
stopped the reading, and said with a piercing voice, -

"Atamans! The Grand Hetman Pototski sends his son
Stephen with his army against us. War!"

In the room there rose a wonderful sound,--uncer-
tain whether of joy or amazement. Hmelnitski stepped
forward into the middle of the room, and put his hand on
his hip; his eyes flashed lightning, his voice was awful
and commanding.--

"Atamans, to the kurens! Fire the cannon from the
tower! Break the liquor-barrels! We march at daybreak
to-morrow!"

From that moment the common council ceased, the rule
of atamans and the preponderance of the Brotherhood were
at an end. Hmelnitski assumed unlimited power. A little
while before, through fear that his voice might not be obeyed,
he was forced to destroy his opponents by artifice, and by
artifice defend the prisoner. Now he was lord of life and
death for them all.

So it was ever. Before and after expeditions, even if the
hetman was chosen, the multitude still imposed its will on
the atamans and the koshevoi for whom opposition was
coupled with danger. But when the campaign was de-
clared, the Brotherhood became an army subject to mili-
tary discipline, the atamans officers, and the hetman a dic-
tator in command. Therefore, when they heard the orders
of Hmelnitski, the atamans went at once to their kurens.
The council was at an end.

Soon the roar of cannon from the gates leading from
Hassan Pasha to the square of the Saitch shook the walls
of the room, and spread with gloomy echoes through all
Chertomelik, giving notice of war.

It opened also an epoch in the history of two peoples;
but that was unknown to the drunken Cossacks as well as
to the Zaporojian hetman himself.