"All right, father."

"And keep a sharp lockout, for he is a cunning fox."

"Ai, father! I am cunning too."

Having settled the plan of pursuit in this way, the leader
and the essaul turned immediately, -- one to Cherkasi; the
other higher up, to Zolotonosha. In the evening of the
same day the old essaul Anton reached Demianovka.

The village was deserted; only the women were left, for
all the men had gone beyond the river to Hmelnitski.
Seeing armed men and not knowing who they were, the
women had hidden in the thatch and in the barns. The
Cossacks had to search long; but at last they found an old
woman, who feared nothing, not even the Tartars.

"And where are the men, mother?" asked Anton.

"Do I know?" answered she, showing her yellow teeth.

"We are Cossacks, mother, don't be afraid; we are not
from the Poles."

"The Poles? May the evil one--"

"You are glad to see us, I suppose?"

"You?" The old woman hesitated a moment. "The
plague take you!"

Anton was at a loss what to do, when suddenly the door
of one of the cottages squeaked, and a young, fair-looking
woman came out.

"Ai! good men, I heard that you were not Poles."

"True, we are not."

"Are you from Hmelnitski?"

"Yes"

"Not from the Poles?"

"By no means."

"And why do you ask for the men?"

"I ask if they have gone already."

"They have gone."

"Glory be to God! And tell us now, did a noble go by
here, -- a cursed Pole with a young woman?"

"A noble? A Pole? I didn't see them."

"Was no one here?"

"There was a ' grandfather.' He persuaded the men to go
to Hmelnitski through Zolotonosha, for he said that Prince
Yeremi was coming here."

"Where?"

"Here. And from here would go to Zelotonosha, so the
old man said."

"And the old man persuaded the men to rise?"